Jeremiah 14
New American Standard Bible
Drought and a Prayer for Mercy
14 That which came as the word of the Lord to Jeremiah regarding the (A)drought:
2 “Judah mourns
And (B)her gates languish;
Her people sit on the ground (C)in mourning garments,
And the (D)cry of Jerusalem has ascended.
3 Their nobles have (E)sent their [a]servants for water;
They have come to the (F)cisterns and found no water.
They have returned with their containers empty;
They have been (G)put to shame and humiliated,
And they (H)cover their heads,
4 Because the (I)ground is [b]cracked,
For there has been (J)no rain on the land.
The (K)farmers have been put to shame,
They have covered their heads.
5 For even the doe in the field has given birth only to abandon her young,
Because there is (L)no grass.
6 The (M)wild donkeys stand on the bare heights;
They pant for air like jackals,
Their eyes fail
Because there is (N)no vegetation.
7 Though our (O)wrongdoings testify against us,
Lord, act (P)for the sake of Your name!
Our (Q)apostasies have indeed been many,
We have (R)sinned against You.
8 (S)Hope of Israel,
Its (T)Savior in (U)time of distress,
Why are You like a stranger in the land,
Or like a traveler who has pitched his tent for the night?
9 Why are You like a confused person,
Like a warrior who (V)cannot save?
Yet (W)You are in our midst, Lord,
And we are (X)called by Your name;
Do not leave us!”
10 This is what the Lord says to this people: “So much they have (Y)loved to wander; they have not (Z)restrained their feet. Therefore the Lord does (AA)not accept them; now He will (AB)remember their wrongdoing and call their sins to account.” 11 So the Lord said to me, “(AC)Do not pray for a good outcome on behalf of this people. 12 When they fast, I am (AD)not going to listen to their cry; and when they offer (AE)burnt offering and grain offering, I am not going to accept them. Rather, I am going to (AF)put an end to them by the (AG)sword, famine, and plague.”
False Prophets
13 But I said, “Oh, Lord [c]God! Behold, the prophets are telling them, ‘You (AH)will not see a sword, nor will you have famine; on the contrary, I will give you lasting (AI)peace in this place.’” 14 Then the Lord said to me, “The (AJ)prophets are prophesying falsehood in My name. (AK)I have neither sent them nor commanded them, nor spoken to them; they are prophesying to you a (AL)false vision, divination, futility, and the deception of their own [d]minds. 15 Therefore this is what the Lord says concerning the prophets who are prophesying in My name, although it was not I who sent them—yet they keep saying: ‘There will be no sword or famine in this land’—(AM)by sword and famine those prophets shall meet their end! 16 And the people to whom they are prophesying will be (AN)thrown out into the streets of Jerusalem because of the famine and the sword; and there will be no one to (AO)bury them—neither them, nor their wives, nor their sons, nor their daughters. For I will (AP)pour out their own wickedness upon them.
17 You will say this word to them,
‘(AQ)Let my eyes stream down tears night and day,
And let them not cease;
For the virgin (AR)daughter of my people has been crushed with a mighty blow,
With a sorely (AS)infected wound.
18 If I (AT)go out to the country,
There are those killed by the sword!
Or if I enter the city,
There are diseases from famine!
For (AU)both prophet and priest
Have wandered around in the land that they do not know.’”
19 Have You completely (AV)rejected Judah?
Or have [e]You loathed Zion?
Why have You stricken us so that we (AW)are beyond healing?
We (AX)waited for peace, but nothing good came;
And for a time of healing, but behold, terror!
20 We (AY)know our wickedness, Lord,
The wrongdoing of our fathers, for (AZ)we have sinned against You.
21 Do not despise us, (BA)for the sake of Your own name;
Do not disgrace the (BB)throne of Your glory.
Remember and do not annul Your covenant with us.
22 Are there any among the [f](BC)idols of the nations who (BD)give rain?
Or can the heavens grant showers?
Is it not You, Lord our God?
Therefore we (BE)wait for You,
For You are the one who has done all these things.
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 14:3 Lit little ones
- Jeremiah 14:4 Lit shattered
- Jeremiah 14:13 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
- Jeremiah 14:14 Lit heart
- Jeremiah 14:19 Lit Your soul
- Jeremiah 14:22 Lit futilities
Jeremiah 14
Revised Standard Version
The Great Drought
14 The word of the Lord which came to Jeremiah concerning the drought:
2 “Judah mourns
and her gates languish;
her people lament on the ground,
and 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 ashamed and confounded
and cover their heads.
4 Because of the ground which is dismayed,
since there is no rain on the land,
the farmers are ashamed,
they cover their heads.
5 Even the hind in the field forsakes her newborn calf
because there is no grass.
6 The wild asses stand on the bare heights,
they pant for air like jackals;
their eyes fail
because there is no herbage.
7 “Though our iniquities testify against us,
act, O Lord, for thy name’s sake;
for our backslidings are many,
we have sinned against thee.
8 O thou hope of Israel,
its savior in time of trouble,
why shouldst thou be like a stranger in the land,
like a wayfarer who turns aside to tarry for a night?
9 Why shouldst thou be like a man confused,
like a mighty man who cannot save?
Yet thou, O Lord, art in the midst of us,
and we are called by thy name;
leave us not.”
10 Thus says the Lord concerning this people:
“They have loved to wander thus,
they have not restrained their feet;
therefore the Lord does not accept them
now he will remember their iniquity
and punish their sins.”
11 The Lord said to me: “Do not pray for the welfare of this people. 12 Though they fast, I will not hear their cry, and though they offer burnt offering and cereal offering, I will not accept them; but I will consume them by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence.”
Denunciation of Lying Prophets
13 Then I said: “Ah, Lord God, behold, the prophets 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 prophets are prophesying lies in my name; I did not send them, nor did I command them or speak to them. They are prophesying to you a lying vision, worthless divination, and the deceit of their own minds. 15 Therefore thus says the Lord concerning the prophets who prophesy in my name although I did not send them, and who say, ‘Sword and famine shall not come on this land’: 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, with none to bury them—them, their wives, their sons, and their daughters. For I will pour out their wickedness upon them.
17 “You shall say to them this word:
‘Let my eyes run down with tears night and day,
and let them not cease,
for the virgin daughter of my people is smitten with a great wound,
with a very grievous blow.
18 If I go out into the field,
behold, those slain by the sword!
And if I enter the city,
behold, the diseases of famine!
For both prophet and priest ply their trade through the land,
and have no knowledge.’”
The People Plead for Mercy
19 Hast thou utterly rejected Judah?
Does thy soul loathe Zion?
Why hast thou smitten us
so that there is no healing for us?
We looked for peace, but no good came;
for a time of healing, but behold, terror.
20 We acknowledge our wickedness, O Lord,
and the iniquity of our fathers,
for we have sinned against thee.
21 Do not spurn us, for thy name’s sake;
do not dishonor thy glorious throne;
remember and do not break thy covenant with us.
22 Are there any among the false gods of the nations that can bring rain?
Or can the heavens give showers?
Art thou not he, O Lord our God?
We set our hope on thee,
for thou doest all these things.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1946, 1952, and 1971 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.