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
New Living Translation
Judah’s Terrible Drought
14 This message came to Jeremiah from the Lord, explaining why he was holding back the rain:
2 “Judah wilts;
commerce at the city gates grinds to a halt.
All the people sit on the ground in mourning,
and a great cry rises from Jerusalem.
3 The nobles send servants to get water,
but all the wells are dry.
The servants return with empty pitchers,
confused and desperate,
covering their heads in grief.
4 The ground is parched
and cracked for lack of rain.
The farmers are deeply troubled;
they, too, cover their heads.
5 Even the doe abandons her newborn fawn
because there is no grass in the field.
6 The wild donkeys stand on the bare hills
panting like thirsty jackals.
They strain their eyes looking for grass,
but there is none to be found.”
7 The people say, “Our wickedness has caught up with us, Lord,
but help us for the sake of your own reputation.
We have turned away from you
and sinned against you again and again.
8 O Hope of Israel, our Savior in times of trouble,
why are you like a stranger to us?
Why are you like a traveler passing through the land,
stopping only for the night?
9 Are you also confused?
Is our champion helpless to save us?
You are right here among us, Lord.
We are known as your people.
Please don’t abandon us now!”
10 So this is what the Lord says to his people:
“You love to wander far from me
and do not restrain yourselves.
Therefore, I will no longer accept you as my people.
Now I will remember all your wickedness
and will punish you for your sins.”
The Lord Forbids Jeremiah to Intercede
11 Then the Lord said to me, “Do not pray for these people anymore. 12 When they fast, I will pay no attention. When they present their burnt offerings and grain offerings to me, I will not accept them. Instead, I will devour them with war, famine, and disease.”
13 Then I said, “O Sovereign Lord, their prophets are telling them, ‘All is well—no war or famine will come. The Lord will surely send you peace.’”
14 Then the Lord said, “These prophets are telling lies in my name. I did not send them or tell them to speak. I did not give them any messages. They prophesy of visions and revelations they have never seen or heard. They speak foolishness made up in their own lying hearts. 15 Therefore, this is what the Lord says: I will punish these lying prophets, for they have spoken in my name even though I never sent them. They say that no war or famine will come, but they themselves will die by war and famine! 16 As for the people to whom they prophesy—their bodies will be thrown out into the streets of Jerusalem, victims of famine and war. There will be no one left to bury them. Husbands, wives, sons, and daughters—all will be gone. For I will pour out their own wickedness on them. 17 Now, Jeremiah, say this to them:
“Night and day my eyes overflow with tears.
I cannot stop weeping,
for my virgin daughter—my precious people—
has been struck down
and lies mortally wounded.
18 If I go out into the fields,
I see the bodies of people slaughtered by the enemy.
If I walk the city streets,
I see people who have died of starvation.
The prophets and priests continue with their work,
but they don’t know what they’re doing.”
A Prayer for Healing
19 Lord, have you completely rejected Judah?
Do you really hate Jerusalem?[a]
Why have you wounded us past all hope of healing?
We hoped for peace, but no peace came.
We hoped for a time of healing, but found only terror.
20 Lord, we confess our wickedness
and that of our ancestors, too.
We all have sinned against you.
21 For the sake of your reputation, Lord, do not abandon us.
Do not disgrace your own glorious throne.
Please remember us,
and do not break your covenant with us.
22 Can any of the worthless foreign gods send us rain?
Does it fall from the sky by itself?
No, you are the one, O Lord our God!
Only you can do such things.
So we will wait for you to help us.
Footnotes
- 14:19 Hebrew Zion?
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
