Jeremiah 14

1 This is the word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah concerning the drought:

2 “Judah mourns and her gates languish. Her people wail for the land, and a cry goes up from Jerusalem.

3 The nobles send their servants for water; they go to the cisterns, but find no water; their jars return empty. They are ashamed and humiliated; they cover their heads.

4 The ground is cracked because no rain has fallen on the land. The farmers are ashamed; they cover their heads.

5 Even the doe in the field deserts her newborn fawn because there is no grass.

6 Wild donkeys stand on barren heights; they pant for air like jackals; their eyes fail for lack of pasture.”

7 Although our iniquities testify against us, O LORD, act for the sake of Your name. Indeed, our rebellions are many; we have sinned against You.

8 O Hope of Israel, its Savior in times of distress, why are You like a stranger in the land, like a traveler who stays but a night?

9 Why are You like a man taken by surprise, like a warrior powerless to save? Yet You are among us, O LORD, and we are called by Your name. Do not forsake us!

10 This is what the LORD says about this people: “Truly they love to wander; they have not restrained their feet. So the LORD does not accept them; He will now remember their iniquity and punish them for their sins.”

11 Then the LORD said to me, “Do not pray for the well-being of this people.

12 Although they may fast, I will not listen to their cry; although they may offer burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them. Instead, I will finish them off by sword and famine and plague.”

13 “Ah, Lord GOD!” I replied, “Look, the prophets are telling them, ‘You will not see the sword or suffer famine, but I will give you lasting peace in this place.’”

14 “The prophets are prophesying lies in My name,” replied the LORD. “I did not send them or appoint them or speak to them. They are prophesying to you a false vision, a worthless divination, the futility and delusion of their own minds.

15 Therefore this is what the LORD says about the prophets who prophesy in My name: I did not send them, yet they say, ‘No sword or famine will touch this land.’ By sword and famine these very prophets will meet their end!

16 And the people to whom they prophesy will be thrown into the streets of Jerusalem because of famine and sword. There will be no one to bury them or their wives, their sons or their daughters. I will pour out their own evil upon them.

17 You are to speak this word to them: ‘My eyes overflow with tears; day and night they do not cease, for the virgin daughter of my people has been shattered by a crushing blow, a severely grievous wound.

18 If I go out to the country, I see those slain by the sword; if I enter the city, I see those ravaged by famine! For both prophet and priest travel to a land they do not know.’”

19 Have You rejected Judah completely? Do You despise Zion? Why have You stricken us so that we are beyond healing? We hoped for peace, but no good has come, and for the time of healing, but there was only terror.

20 We acknowledge our wickedness, O LORD, the guilt of our fathers; indeed, we have sinned against You.

21 For the sake of Your name do not despise us; do not disgrace Your glorious throne. Remember Your covenant with us; do not break it.

22 Can the worthless idols of the nations bring rain? Do the skies alone send showers? Is this not by You, O LORD our God? So we put our hope in You, for You have done all these things.

1 ¶ The word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah concerning the dearth.

2 Judah mourneth, and the gates thereof languish; they are black unto the ground; and the cry of Jerusalem is gone up.

3 And their nobles have sent their little ones to the waters: they came to the pits, [and] found no water; they returned with their vessels empty; they were ashamed and confounded, and covered their heads.

4 Because the ground is chapt, for there was no rain in the earth, the plowmen were ashamed, they covered their heads.

5 Yea, the hind also calved in the field, and forsook [it], because there was no grass.

6 And the wild asses did stand in the high places, they snuffed up the wind like dragons; their eyes did fail, because [there was] no grass.

7 O LORD, though our iniquities testify against us, do thou [it] for thy name's sake: for our backslidings are many; we have sinned against thee.

8 O the hope of Israel, the saviour thereof in time of trouble, why shouldest thou be as a stranger in the land, and as a wayfaring man [that] turneth aside to tarry for a night?

9 Why shouldest thou be as a man astonied, as a mighty man [that] cannot save? yet thou, O LORD, [art] in the midst of us, and we are called by thy name; leave us not.

10 ¶ Thus saith the LORD unto this people, Thus have they loved to wander, they have not refrained their feet, therefore the LORD doth not accept them; he will now remember their iniquity, and visit their sins.

11 Then said the LORD unto me, Pray not for this people for [their] good.

12 When they fast, I will not hear their cry; and when they offer burnt offering and an oblation, I will not accept them: but I will consume them by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence.

13 Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, the prophets say unto them, Ye shall not see the sword, neither shall ye have famine; but I will give you assured peace in this place.

14 Then the LORD said unto me, The prophets prophesy lies in my name: I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spake unto them: they prophesy unto you a false vision and divination, and a thing of nought, and the deceit of their heart.

15 Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning the prophets that prophesy in my name, and I sent them not, yet they say, Sword and famine shall not be in this land; By sword and famine shall those prophets be consumed.

16 And the people to whom they prophesy shall be cast out in the streets of Jerusalem because of the famine and the sword; and they shall have none to bury them, them, their wives, nor their sons, nor their daughters: for I will pour their wickedness upon them.

17 ¶ Therefore thou shalt say this word unto them; Let mine eyes run down with tears night and day, and let them not cease: for the virgin daughter of my people is broken with a great breach, with a very grievous blow.

18 If I go forth into the field, then behold the slain with the sword! and if I enter into the city, then behold them that are sick with famine! yea, both the prophet and the priest go about into a land that they know not.

19 Hast thou utterly rejected Judah? hath thy soul lothed Zion? why hast thou smitten us, and [there is] no healing for us? we looked for peace, and [there is] no good; and for the time of healing, and behold trouble!

20 We acknowledge, O LORD, our wickedness, [and] the iniquity of our fathers: for we have sinned against thee.

21 Do not abhor [us], for thy name's sake, do not disgrace the throne of thy glory: remember, break not thy covenant with us.

22 Are there [any] among the vanities of the Gentiles that can cause rain? or can the heavens give showers? [art] not thou he, O LORD our God? therefore we will wait upon thee: for thou hast made all these [things].

1 This is the word which the LORD spake unto Jeremiah concerning the precious time:

2 Judah lieth miserable, her gates are fallen down: the land is desolate; and there is a great drought in Jerusalem.

3 The great send the little ones for water; but when they come to the well, they find no water, and bring their vessels empty. again. They go sad. and afflicted, and cover their heads,

4 Because the earth languisheth, because it rained not upon the earth. The husbandmen go sadly, and cover their heads.

5 For the hinds also, which cast in the field, leave the young, because there is no grass.

6 The wild beasts stand upon the hills, and gasp for breath, as the dragons, and languish, because no herb groweth.

7 O Lord, our iniquities have merited it: but help us for thy name's sake: for great is our disobedience, that we have sinned against thee.

8 Thou art the consolation of Israel, and their helper in trouble: why standest thou as a sojourner in the land, and as a stranger that sojourneth within?

9 Why hast thou set thyself forth as a valiant man, desponding, and as a giant that can not help? For thou art among us, O LORD, and we are called by thy name: forsake us not.

10 Thus saith the LORD concerning this people; They love to run to and fro, and they love not to tarry at home: therefore the LORD will not have them, but now remembereth their iniquity, and will punish their sins.

11 And the LORD said unto me, Thou shalt not ask mercy for this people.

12 For though they fast, yet will I not hear their supplications: though they bring burnt offerings and meat offerings, yet will they not please me; but I will destroy them with the sword, with famine, and with pestilence.

13 And I said, O Lord GOD, behold, the prophets say unto them: Ye shall see no sword, neither shall there be any plague with you: but I will give you good peace in this place.

14 And the LORD said unto me, The prophets prophesy falsely in my name: I have not sent them, neither have I commanded them, nor spoken unto them: they preach unto you false visions, and interpretations, and idolatries, and deceitfulness of their hearts.

15 Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning the prophets that prophesy in my name, when I have not sent them, and yet they preach that there shall no sword nor plague come into this land: Such prophets shall die by the sword and by the famine.

16 And the people to whom they prophesy shall lie by the sword, and shall famish in the streets of Jerusalem, and no man shall bury them: so shall their wives, and their sons, and their daughters; and I will pour their wickedness upon them.

17 And thou shalt say unto them this word, Mine eyes run down with tears day and night, and cease not: for the virgin, the daughter of my people, is horribly afflicted and miserably stricken.

18 When I go forth into the field, behold, they that are slain with the sword lie there: and when I come into the city, they that are famished with hunger lie there. For the prophets also, and the priests also, must go into a land which they know not.

19 Hast thou then rejected Judah, or hast thy soul disgusted with Zion? Why then hast thou smitten us so that no man can heal us? We hoped that there should be peace, and there is no good: we hoped that we should be healed, but, behold, there is more harm.

20 O LORD, we acknowledge our ungodliness, and the iniquity of our fathers: for we have sinned against thee.

21 But for thy name's sake let us not be profaned; let not the throne of thy glory be mocked: yet remember, and let not thy covenant with us cease.

22 For there is none among the heathen that giveth rain: neither can heaven rain. For thou art the LORD our God, in whom we hope: for thou canst do all these things.