< Jeremiah 14 >

1 This is the word of Yahweh that came to Jeremiah regarding the drought,
AND THE WORD OF THE LORD CAME TO JEREMIAS CONCERNING THE DROUGHT.
2 “Let Judah mourn; let her gates fall apart. They are wailing for the land; their cries for Jerusalem are going up.
Judea has mourned, and her gates are emptied, and are darkened upon the earth; and the cry of Jerusalem is gone up.
3 Their mighty ones send out their servants for water. When they go to the trenches, they cannot find water. They all return unsuccessful; they cover their heads ashamed and dishonored.
And her nobles have sent their little ones to the water: they came to the wells, and found no water: and brought back their vessels empty.
4 Because of this the ground is cracked, for there is no rain in the land. The plowmen are ashamed and cover their heads.
And the labors of the land failed, because there was no rain: the husbandmen were ashamed, they covered their heads.
5 For even the doe leaves her young in the fields and abandons them, for there is no grass.
And hinds calved in the field, and forsook [it], because there was no grass.
6 The wild donkeys stand on the bare plains and they pant in the wind like jackals. Their eyes fail to work, for there is no vegetation.”
The wild asses stood by the forests, and snuffed up the wind; their eyes failed, because there was no grass.
7 Even though our iniquities testify against us, Yahweh, act for the sake of your name. For our faithless actions increase; we have sinned against you.
Our sins have risen up against us: O Lord, do you for us for your own sake; for our sins are many before you; for we have sinned against you.
8 You are the Hope of Israel, the one who saves him in the time of distress, why will you be like a stranger in the land, like a foreign wanderer who stretches out and spends just one night?
O Lord, [you are] the hope of Israel, and deliver [us] in time of troubles; why are you become as a sojourner upon the land, or as one born in the land, yet turning aside for a resting-place?
9 Why are you like someone who is astounded, or like a warrior who has no power to rescue? You are in our midst, Yahweh, and your name is called over us. Do not leave us!
Will you be as a man asleep, or as a [strong] man that can’t save? yet you are among us, O Lord, and your name is called upon us; forget us not.
10 Yahweh says this to this people: “Since they love to wander, they have not held back their feet from doing so.” Yahweh is not pleased with them. Now he calls to mind their iniquity and has punished their sins.
Thus says the Lord to this people, They have loved to wander, and they have not spared, therefore God has not prospered them; now will he remember their iniquity.
11 Yahweh said to me, “Do not pray for good on behalf of this people.
And the Lord said to me, Pray not for this people for [their] good:
12 For if they fast, I will not listen to their wailing, and if they offer up burnt offerings and food offerings, I will not take pleasure in them. For I will put an end to them by sword, famine, and plague.”
for though they fast, I will not hear their supplication; and though they offer whole burnt offerings and sacrifices, I will take no pleasure in them: for I will consume them with sword, and with famine, and with pestilence.
13 Then I said, “Oh, Lord Yahweh! Behold! The prophets are saying to the people, 'You will not see the sword; there will be no famine for you, for I will give you true security in this place.'”
And I said, O [ever] living Lord! behold, their prophets prophesy, and say, You shall not see a sword, nor shall famine be among you; for I will give truth and peace on the land, and in this place.
14 Yahweh said to me, “The prophets prophesy deceit in my name. I did not send them out, nor did I give them any command or speak to them. But deceitful visions and useless, deceitful divination coming from their own minds are what they are prophesying to you.”
Then the Lord said to me, The prophets prophesy lies in my name: I sent them not, and I commanded them not, and I spoke not to them: for they prophesy to you false visions, and divinations, and auguries, and devices of their own heart.
15 Therefore Yahweh says this, “About the prophets prophesying in my name but whom I did not send out—those who say there will be no sword or famine in this land: These prophets will perish by sword and famine.
Therefore thus says the Lord concerning the prophets that prophesy lies in my name, and I sent them not, who say, Sword and famine shall not be upon this land; they shall die by a grievous death, and the prophets shall be consumed by famine.
16 Then the people to whom they prophesied will be thrown out in the streets of Jerusalem because of famine and sword, for there will be no one to bury them—them, their wives, their sons, or their daughters—for I will pour out their wickedness on them.
And the people to whom they prophesy, they also shall be cast out in the streets of Jerusalem, because of the sword and famine; and there shall be none to bury them: their wives also, and their sons, and their daughters [shall die thus]; and I will pour out their wickedness upon them.
17 Say this word to them: 'Let my eyes flow with tears, night and day. Do not let them stop, for there will be a great collapse of the virgin daughter of my people— a great and incurable wound.
And you shall speak this word to them; Let your eyes shed tears day and night, and let them not cease: for the daughter of my people has been sorely bruised, and her plague is very grievous.
18 If I go out to the field, there are the ones who were killed by the sword! If I come to the city, there are the diseases that are caused by famine. Both the prophet and the priest wander about the land, and they do not know.'”
If I go forth into the plain, then behold the slain by the sword! and if I enter into the city, then behold the distress of famine! for priest and prophet have gone to a land which they knew not.
19 Have you completely rejected Judah? Do you hate Zion? Why will you afflict us when there is no healing for us? We hoped for peace, but there was nothing good— and for a time of healing, but see, there is only terror.
Hast you utterly rejected Juda? and has your soul departed from Sion? therefore has you struck us, and there is no healing for us? we waited for peace, but there was no prosperity; for a time of healing, and behold trouble!
20 We admit, Yahweh, our offenses, the iniquity of our ancestors, for we have sinned against you.
We know, O Lord, our sins, [and] the iniquities of our fathers: for we have sinned before you.
21 Do not reject us! For the sake of your name, do not make your glorious throne a disgrace. Remember and do not break your covenant with us.
Refrain for your name's sake, destroy not the throne of your glory: remember, break not your covenant with us.
22 Do any of the worthless idols of the nations bring rain? Or can the skies themselves send down showers? Are you not the one, Yahweh our God? We wait for you, for you are the one who does all these things.
Is there any one among the idols of the Gentiles that can give rain? and will the sky yield his fulness [at their bidding]? Are not you he? we will even wait on you, O Lord: for you have made all these things.

< Jeremiah 14 >