Jeremiah 14
Holman Christian Standard Bible
The Drought
14 The word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah concerning the drought:(A)
2 Judah mourns;
her gates languish.(B)
Her people are on the ground in mourning;
Jerusalem’s cry rises up.(C)
3 Their nobles send their servants[a] for water.
They go to the cisterns;
they find no water;
their containers return empty.
They are ashamed and humiliated;
they cover their heads.(D)
4 The ground is cracked
since no rain has fallen on the land.
The farmers are ashamed;(E)
they cover their heads.
5 Even the doe in the field
gives birth and abandons her fawn
since there is no grass.
6 Wild donkeys stand on the barren heights(F)
panting for air like jackals.
Their eyes fail
because there are no green plants.
7 Though our guilt testifies against us,
Yahweh, act for Your name’s sake.
Indeed, our rebellions(G) are many;
we have sinned against You.
8 Hope of Israel,(H)
its Savior in time of distress,
why are You like a foreigner in the land,
like a traveler stopping only for the night?
9 Why are You like a helpless man,
like a warrior unable to save?(I)
Yet You are among us, Yahweh,(J)
and we are called by Your name.
Don’t leave us!
10 This is what the Lord says concerning these people:
Truly they love to wander;(K)
they never rest their feet.
So the Lord does not accept them.
Now He will remember their guilt
and punish their sins.(L)
False Prophets to be Punished
11 Then the Lord said to me, “Do not pray for the well-being of these people.(M) 12 If they fast, I will not hear their cry of despair. If they offer burnt offering and grain offering, I will not accept them. Rather, I will finish them off by sword, famine, and plague.”(N)
13 And I replied, “Oh no, Lord God! The prophets are telling them, ‘You won’t see sword or suffer famine. I will certainly give you true peace in this place.’”(O)
14 But the Lord said to me, “These prophets are prophesying a lie in My name. I did not send them, nor did I command them or speak to them. They are prophesying to you a false vision, worthless divination, the deceit(P) of their own minds.
15 “Therefore, this is what the Lord says concerning the prophets who prophesy in My name, though I did not send them, and who say, ‘There will never be sword or famine in this land.’ By sword and famine these prophets will meet their end. 16 The people they are prophesying to will be thrown into the streets of Jerusalem because of the famine and the sword. There will be no one to bury them(Q)—they, their wives, their sons, and their daughters. I will pour out their own evil on them.”
Jeremiah’s Request
17 You are to speak this word to them:
Let my eyes overflow with tears;
day and night may they not stop,(R)
for the virgin daughter of my people
has been destroyed by a great disaster,(S)
an extremely severe wound.(T)
18 If I go out to the field,
look—those slain by the sword!
If I enter the city,
look—those ill(U) from famine!
For both prophet and priest
travel to a land they do not know.
19 Have You completely rejected Judah?
Do You detest(V) Zion?
Why do You strike us
with no hope of healing for us?
We hoped for peace,
but there was nothing good;
for a time of healing,
but there was only terror.(W)
20 We acknowledge our wickedness, Lord,
the guilt of our fathers;(X)
indeed, we have sinned against You.
21 Because of Your name, don’t despise us.
Don’t disdain Your glorious throne.(Y)
Remember Your covenant(Z) with us;
do not break it.
22 Can any of the worthless idols of the nations(AA) bring rain?
Or can the skies alone give showers?
Are You not the Lord our God?
We therefore put our hope in You,(AB)
for You have done all these things.
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 14:3 Lit little ones
Jeremiah 14
International Standard Version
A Terrible Drought in the Land
14 This is[a] this message from the Lord that came[b] to Jeremiah concerning the drought:
2 “Judah mourns, and her gates languish.
The people[c] mourn for the land,
and the cry of Jerusalem goes up.
3 Their nobles send their young people for water.
They go to the cisterns, but they find no water.
They return with their vessels empty.
They’re disappointed[d] and dismayed,
and they cover their heads in shame.[e]
4 The ground is cracked,
because there has been no rain in the land.
The farmers are disappointed,[f]
and they cover their heads in shame.[g]
5 Even the doe in the field gives birth
and then abandons her young[h]
because there is no grass.
6 Wild donkeys stand on the barren hills.
They pant for air like jackals.
Their eyesight fails
because there is no vegetation.”
The People Cry for Help
7 Lord, even though our iniquities testify against us,
do something for the sake of your name.
Indeed, our apostasies are many,
and we have sinned against you.
8 Hope of Israel,
its deliverer in time of trouble,
why are you like a stranger[i] in the land,
like a traveler who sets up his tent for a night?
9 Why are you like a man taken by surprise,
like a strong man who can’t deliver?
You are among us, Lord,
and your name is the one by which we’re called.
Don’t abandon us!
God Responds to the Prophet
10 This is what the Lord says to these people:
“Yes, they do love to wander,
and they haven’t restrained their feet.
So the Lord won’t accept them now.
He will remember their iniquity
and punish their sin.”
11 Then the Lord told me, “Don’t pray for the welfare of these people. 12 Although they fast, I won’t listen to their cry, and although they offer burnt offerings and grain offerings, I won’t accept them. Instead, I’ll put an end to them with the sword, with famine, and with a plague.”
13 Then I said, “Ah, Lord God, look! The prophets are saying to them, ‘You won’t see the sword and you won’t experience famine. Rather, I’ll give you lasting peace in this place.’”
14 Then the Lord told me, “The prophets are prophesying lies[j] in my name. I didn’t send them, I didn’t command them, and I didn’t speak to them. They’re proclaiming[k] to you false visions, worthless predictions,[l] and the delusions of their own minds. 15 Therefore, this is what the Lord says about the false prophets who prophesy in my name, ‘There will be no sword and famine in this land’ (though I haven’t sent them): ‘By the sword and by famine these prophets will be finished off! 16 The people to whom they have prophesied will be thrown out into the streets of Jerusalem because of the famine and the sword. There will be no one to bury them, their wives, their sons, or their daughters. I’ll pour out on them the[m] judgment they deserve.’”[n]
17 “And deliver[o] this message to them:
‘Let tears run down my face,[p]
night and day, and don’t let them stop,
because my virgin daughter—my people—
will be broken with a powerful blow,
with a severe wound.
18 If I go out into the field,
I see those slain by the sword!
If I go into the city,
I see the ravages of the famine!
Indeed, both prophet and priest
ply their trade in the land,
but they don’t know anything.’”[q]
The People Plead to the Lord
19 Have you completely rejected Judah?
Do you despise Zion?
Why have you struck us,
so that there is no healing for us?
We hoped for peace, but no good came,
for a time of healing, but there was only terror.
20 We acknowledge, Lord, our wickedness,
the guilt of our ancestors.
Indeed, we have sinned against you.
21 For the sake of your name[r] don’t despise us.
Don’t dishonor your glorious throne.
Remember, don’t break your covenant with us!
22 Can any of the worthless gods of the nations make it rain?
Can the heavens themselves bring forth showers?
Aren’t you the one who does this,[s]
Lord our God?
So we hope in you,
for you are the one who does all these things.
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 14:1 The Heb. lacks This is
- Jeremiah 14:1 The Heb. lacks that came
- Jeremiah 14:2 Lit. They
- Jeremiah 14:3 Or ashamed
- Jeremiah 14:3 The Heb. lacks in shame
- Jeremiah 14:4 Or ashamed
- Jeremiah 14:4 The Heb. lacks in shame
- Jeremiah 14:5 The Heb. lacks her young
- Jeremiah 14:8 Or resident alien
- Jeremiah 14:14 Or deception
- Jeremiah 14:14 Lit. prophesying
- Jeremiah 14:14 or divination
- Jeremiah 14:16 Lit. their
- Jeremiah 14:16 The Heb. lacks they deserve
- Jeremiah 14:17 Lit. speak
- Jeremiah 14:17 Lit. Let my eyes run down with tears
- Jeremiah 14:18 The Heb. lacks anything
- Jeremiah 14:21 I.e. your reputation
- Jeremiah 14:22 The Heb. lacks who does this
Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville Tennessee. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 1995-2014 by ISV Foundation. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. Used by permission of Davidson Press, LLC.
