Jeremiah 14
English Standard Version
Famine, Sword, and Pestilence
14 The word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah concerning (A)the drought:
2 (B)“Judah mourns,
and (C)her gates languish;
her people lament on the ground,
and (D)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 (E)ashamed and confounded
and (F)cover their heads.
4 Because of the ground that is dismayed,
since there is (G)no rain on the land,
the farmers are ashamed;
they cover their heads.
5 Even (H)the doe in the field forsakes her newborn fawn
because there is no grass.
6 (I)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, (J)for your name's sake;
(K)for our backslidings are many;
(L)we have sinned against you.
8 (M)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,
(N)like a mighty warrior who cannot save?
Yet (O)you, O Lord, are in the midst of us,
and (P)we are called by your name;
(Q)do not leave us.”
10 Thus says the Lord concerning this people:
“They have loved to wander thus;
they have not restrained their feet;
(R)therefore the Lord does not accept them;
(S)now he will remember their iniquity
and punish their sins.”
11 The Lord said to me: (T)“Do not pray for the welfare of this people. 12 Though they fast, I will not hear their cry, (U)and though they offer burnt offering and grain offering, I will not accept them. But I will consume them (V)by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence.”
Lying Prophets
13 Then I said: “Ah, Lord God, behold, the prophets (W)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 (X)prophets are prophesying lies in my name. (Y)I did not send them, nor did I command them or speak to them. They are prophesying to you a lying vision, (Z)worthless divination, and (AA)the deceit of their own minds. 15 Therefore thus says the Lord concerning the prophets who prophesy in my name although (AB)I did not send them, and who say, (AC)‘Sword and famine shall not come upon this land’: (AD)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, (AE)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:
(AF)‘Let my eyes run down with tears night and day,
and let them not cease,
for the virgin (AG)daughter of my people is shattered with a great wound,
(AH)with a very grievous blow.
18 (AI)If I go out into the field,
behold, those pierced by the sword!
(AJ)And if I enter the city,
behold, the diseases of famine!
(AK)For both prophet and priest ply their trade through the land
and have no knowledge.’”
19 (AL)Have you utterly rejected Judah?
Does your soul loathe Zion?
Why have you struck us down
(AM)so that there is no healing for us?
(AN)We looked for peace, but no good came;
(AO)for a time of healing, but behold, terror.
20 (AP)We acknowledge our wickedness, O Lord,
and the iniquity of our fathers,
(AQ)for we have sinned against you.
21 Do not spurn us, (AR)for your name's sake;
do not dishonor your glorious throne;
(AS)remember and do not break your covenant with us.
22 Are there any among (AT)the false gods of the nations (AU)that can bring rain?
Or can the heavens give showers?
Are you not he, O Lord our God?
We set our hope on you,
(AV)for you do all these things.
Jeremiah 14
Common English Bible
Destruction on the horizon
14 The Lord’s word to Jeremiah concerning the droughts:
2 Judah mourns;
her gates wither away.
The people fall to the ground in sorrow,
as sobs of Jerusalem ascend.
3 The rich send their servants for water,
but the wells run dry.
They return with empty jars,
ashamed, bewildered, and in despair.
4 Because the ground is cracked due to lack of rain,
the farmers too are ashamed;
they cover their heads.
5 Even the doe in the field
abandons her newborn,
for there’s no grass.
6 The wild donkeys stand on the well-traveled paths,
panting like thirsty dogs;
they go blind
since there’s nothing to eat.
7 Even though our sins testify against us,
help us, Lord, for your name’s sake.
We have turned away from you
and sinned against you time and again.
8 You are the hope of Israel,
its savior in times of trouble.
Why are you like a stranger in the land,
like a tourist spending only the night?
9 Why are you like one taken by surprise,
like a warrior unable to act?
Yet you are in our midst, Lord;
we are called by your name.
Don’t give up on us.
10 This is what the Lord proclaims about this people:
Since they have loved to wander off
and haven’t restrained themselves,
I[a] won’t accept them.
Now I will recall their wrongdoing
and punish their sin.
11 The Lord said to me: Don’t pray for the safety of these people. 12 When they fast, I won’t pay attention to their pleas, and when they offer entirely burned offerings and grain offerings, I won’t accept them. Instead, I will devour them with war, famine, and disease.
13 I replied, “Lord God, the prophets are telling them: ‘You won’t see war or famine, for I will give you lasting peace in this place.’”
14 Then the Lord said to me: The prophets are telling lies in my name. I haven’t sent them. I haven’t commanded them. I haven’t spoken to them. They are prophesying to you false visions, worthless predictions, and deceit they have made up on their own. 15 Therefore, this is what the Lord proclaims concerning the prophets who are speaking in my name when I didn’t send them, and who are telling you that war or famine will never come to this land: Those very prophets will die in war and by famine! 16 And the people they are prophesying to will be thrown into the streets of Jerusalem, victims of famine and war. There will be no one to bury them or their wives and children. I will pour out on them their own wickedness.
17 So deliver this word to them:
My eyes well up with tears;
I can’t stop weeping—day and night,
because my virgin daughter, my people,
has suffered a crushing blow
and is mortally wounded.
18 If I go into the fields,
I see only the slain in battle.
If I enter the city,
I see only those suffering from famine.
Even both prophet and priest
wander about aimlessly in ignorance.
19 Have you completely rejected Judah?
Do you hate Zion?
Why then have you mortally wounded us?
We look for peace,
but nothing good comes of it;
for a time of healing,
only to be terrorized.
20 We acknowledge our sin, Lord,
the wrongdoing of our ancestors,
because we have sinned against you.
21 For your name’s sake, don’t reject us,
don’t scorn your glorious throne.
Remember your covenant with us;
don’t break it.
22 Can any of the false gods of the nations make it rain?
Can the sky by itself bring showers?
Aren’t you the Lord, our God?
You are our hope,
since only you can do such things.
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 14:10 Or the Lord
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible