Jeremiah 14

Famine, Sword, and Pestilence

1 The word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah concerning the drought:

2  "Judah mourns,
and her gates languish;
her people lament on the ground,
and the cry of Jerusalem goes up.
3  Her nobles send their servants for water;
they come to the cisterns;
they find no water;
they return with their vessels empty;
they are ashamed and confounded
and cover their heads.
4  Because of the ground that is dismayed,
since there is no rain on the land,
the farmers are ashamed;
they cover their heads.
5  Even the doe in the field forsakes her newborn fawn
because there is no grass.
6  The wild donkeys stand on the bare heights;
they pant for air like jackals;
their eyes fail
because there is no vegetation.

7  "Though our iniquities testify against us,
act, O Lord, for your name's sake;
for our backslidings are many;
we have sinned against you.
8  O you hope of Israel,
its savior in time of trouble,
why should you be like a stranger in the land,
like a traveler who turns aside to tarry for a night?
9  Why should you be like a man confused,
like a mighty warrior who cannot save?
Yet you, O Lord, are in the midst of us,
and we are called by your name;
do not leave us."

10  Thus says the Lord concerning this people:
"They have loved to wander thus;
they have not restrained their feet;
therefore the Lord does not accept them;
now he will remember their iniquity
and punish their sins."

11 The Lord said to me: "Do not pray for the welfare of this people.12 Though they fast, I will not hear their cry, and though they offer burnt offering and grain offering, I will not accept them. But I will consume them by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence."

Lying Prophets

13 Then I said: "Ah, Lord God, behold, the prophets say to them, 'You shall not see the sword, nor shall you have famine, but I will give you assured peace in this place.'"14 And the Lord said to me: "The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I did not send them, nor did I command them or speak to them. They are prophesying to you a lying vision, worthless divination, and the deceit of their own minds.15 Therefore thus says the Lord concerning the prophets who prophesy in my name although I did not send them, and who say, 'Sword and famine shall not come upon this land': By sword and famine those prophets shall be consumed.16 And the people to whom they prophesy shall be cast out in the streets of Jerusalem, victims of famine and sword, with none to bury them—them, their wives, their sons, and their daughters. For I will pour out their evil upon them.

17  "You shall say to them this word:
'Let my eyes run down with tears night and day,
and let them not cease,
for the virgin daughter of my people is shattered with a great wound,
with a very grievous blow.
18  If I go out into the field,
behold, those pierced by the sword!
And if I enter the city,
behold, the diseases of famine!
For both prophet and priest ply their trade through the land
and have no knowledge.'"

19  Have you utterly rejected Judah?
Does your soul loathe Zion?
Why have you struck us down
so that there is no healing for us?
We looked for peace, but no good came;
for a time of healing, but behold, terror.
20  We acknowledge our wickedness, O Lord,
and the iniquity of our fathers,
for we have sinned against you.
21  Do not spurn us, for your name's sake;
do not dishonor your glorious throne;
remember and do not break your covenant with us.
22  Are there any among the false gods of the nations that can bring rain?
Or can the heavens give showers?
Are you not he, O Lord our God?
We set our hope on you,
for you do all these things.

Jeremiah 14

A Lament over the Ravages of Drought

1 The Lord spoke to Jeremiaht about the drought.s

2 “The people of Judah are in mourning.
The people in her cities are pining away.
They lie on the ground expressing their sorrow.t
Cries of distress come up to met from Jerusalem.s

3 The leading men of the cities send their servants for water.
They go to the cisterns,t but they do not find any water there.
They return with their containerst empty.
Disappointed and dismayed, they bury their faces in their hands.t

4 They are dismayed because the ground is crackedt
because there has been no rain in the land.
The farmers, too, are dismayed
and bury their faces in their hands.

5 Even the doe abandons her newborn fawnt in the field
because there is no grass.

6 Wild donkeys stand on the hilltops
and pant for breath like jackals.
Their eyes are strained looking for food,
because there is none to be found.”t

7 Then I said,t
“O Lord, intervene for the honor of your namet
even though our sins speak out against us.t
Indeed,t we have turned away from you many times.
We have sinned against you.

8 You have been the object of Israel’s hopes.
You have saved them when they were in trouble.
Why have you become like a resident foreignert in the land?
Why have you become like a traveler who only stops in to spend the night?

9 Why should you be like someone who is helpless,t
like a championt who cannot save anyone?
You are indeed with us,t
and we belong to you.t
Do not abandon us!”

10 Then the Lord spoke about these people.ts
“They trulyt love to go astray.
They cannot keep from running away from me.t
So I am not pleased with them.
I will now call to mindt the wrongs they have donet
and punish them for their sins.”

Judgment for Believing the Misleading Lies of the False Prophets

11 Then the Lord said to me, “Do not pray for good to come to these people!t

12 Even if they fast, I will not hear their cries for help. Even if they offer burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them.s Instead, I will kill them through wars, famines, and plagues.”ts

13 Then I said, “Oh, Lord God,t look!t The prophets are telling them that you said,t ‘You will not experience war or suffer famine.t I will give you lasting peace and prosperity in this land.’”t
14 Then the Lord said to me, “Those prophets are prophesying lies while claiming my authority!t I did not send them. I did not commission them.t I did not speak to them. They are prophesying to these people false visions, worthless predictions,ts and the delusions of their own mind.15 I did not send those prophets, though they claim to be prophesying in my name. They may be saying, ‘No war or famine will happen in this land.’ But I, the Lord, say this aboutt them: ‘War and starvation will kill those prophets.’ts

16 The people to whom they are prophesying will die through war and famine. Their bodies will be thrown out into the streets of Jerusalems and there will be no one to bury them. This will happen to the men and their wives, their sons, and their daughters.t For I will pour out on them the destruction they deserve.”t

Lament over Present Destruction and Threat of More to Come

17 “Tell these people this, Jeremiah:t
‘My eyes overflow with tears
day and night without ceasing.ts
For my people, my dear children,ts have suffered a crushing blow.
They have suffered a serious wound.ts

18 If I go out into the countryside,
I see those who have been killed in battle.
If I go into the city,
I see those who are sick because of starvation.t
For both prophet and priest go about their own business
in the land without having any real understanding.’”ts

19 Then I said,
“Lord,t have you completely rejected the nation of Judah?
Do you despisets the city of Zion?
Why have you struck us with such force
that we are beyond recovery?t
We hope for peace, but nothing good has come of it.
We hope for a time of relief from our troubles, but experience terror.ts

20 Lord, we confess that we have been wicked.
We confess that our ancestors have done wrong.ts
We have indeedt sinned against you.

21 For the honor of your name,t do not treat Jerusalems with contempt.
Do not treat with disdain the place where your glorious throne sits.ts
Be mindful of your covenant with us. Do not break it!t

22 Do any of the worthless idolst of the nations cause rain to fall?
Do the skies themselves send showers?
Is it not you, O Lord our God, who does this?t
So we put our hopes in yout
because you alone do all this.”