Beginning
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.
The Destiny of the Judged
15 Then the Lord told me, “Even if Moses and Samuel were standing before me, I wouldn’t be favorably disposed toward this people. Send them out of my presence! Let them go!
2 “When they say to you, ‘Where can we go?’, say to them, ‘This is what the Lord says:
“Those destined for death,
to death will go;[t]
those destined for the sword,
to the sword will go;[u]
and those destined for captivity,
to captivity will go.[v]
3 “I’ll appoint four kinds of judgment for them,” declares the Lord: “the sword to kill, the dogs to drag off, the birds of the sky to devour, and the animals of the land to destroy. 4 I’ll make them a horrifying sight to all the kingdoms of the earth because of what Hezekiah’s son Manasseh, king of Judah, did in Jerusalem.
5 “Who will have pity on you, Jerusalem,
and who will grieve for you?
Who will go out of his way
to ask about your welfare?
6 You have deserted me,” declares the Lord.
“You keep going backward.
I’ll reach out my hand and destroy you.
I’m tired of showing compassion.
7 I’ll winnow[w] them with a winnowing fork
in the gates of the land.
I’ll make them childless.
I’ll destroy my people,
for they didn’t change their ways.
8 I’ll make their[x] widows more numerous
than the sand of the sea.
At noontime I’ll send a destroyer
against the mother[y] of a young man.
I’ll cause terror and anguish
to come to her unexpectedly.
9 “The woman who gave birth to seven will grow faint,
her life will expire.
Her sun will set while it’s still day.
She will be disgraced and humiliated.
I’ll kill the rest of them with swords
in the presence of their enemies,”
declares the Lord.
Jeremiah’s Complaint
10 How terrible for me, my mother,
that you gave birth to me,
a man of strife and contention for the whole land!
I’ve neither lent nor borrowed,
yet everyone curses me.
God’s Answer to Jeremiah’s Complaint
11 The Lord said,
“Have I not set you free
for a good purpose?
Have I not intervened for you with your enemies
in times of trouble and times of distress?
12 “Can anyone break iron—
iron from the north—or bronze?
13 “I’ll give away your wealth and your treasures
as plunder, for free,
because of all your sins throughout your territory.
14 I’ll make you serve your enemies
in a land you don’t know,
for my anger has started a fire
that will burn against you.”
Jeremiah’s Revised Complaint
15 You are aware—
Lord, remember me,
pay attention to me,
and vindicate me in front of those who pursue me.
You are patient—
don’t take me away.
Know that I suffer insult because of you!
16 Your words were found, and I consumed them.
Your words were joy and my hearts delight,
because I bear your name,[z]
Lord God of the Heavenly Armies.
17 I didn’t sit in the company of those who have fun,
and I didn’t rejoice.
Because of your hand on me,[aa] I sat alone,
for you filled me with indignation.
18 Why is my pain unending and my wound incurable,
refusing to be healed?
God’s Answer to Jeremiah’s Revised Complaint
You are like a deceptive brook,
whose waters cannot be depended on.
19 Therefore, this is what the Lord says:
“If you repent, I’ll take you back
and you will stand before me.
If you speak what is worthwhile,[ab]
instead of what is worthless,
then you will be my spokesman.[ac]
People[ad] will turn to you,
but you aren’t to turn to them.
20 I’ll make you a fortified wall of bronze to this people.
They’ll fight against you,
but they won’t prevail against you,
for I am with you to save you
and deliver you,”
21 So I’ll deliver you from the hand of the wicked,
and redeem you from the grasp of the ruthless.”
The Lord’s Instruction to His Prophet
16 This message from the Lord came to me: 2 “You are not to take a wife, nor are you to have sons or daughters in this place.”
3 For this is what the Lord says about the sons and daughters who are born in this place, about their mothers who give birth to them, and about their fathers who father them in this land: 4 “They’ll die of deadly diseases. People won’t mourn for them, nor will they be buried. They’ll be dung on the surface of the ground, and they’ll come to an end with the sword and with famine. Their dead bodies will be food for the birds of the sky and the animals of the land.”
5 For this is what the Lord says: “Don’t go to a house where there is mourning, don’t go to lament, nor to express sorrow to them. For I’ve taken my peace away from this people,” declares the Lord, “as well as gracious love and compassion. 6 Both the most and the least important people[ae] will die in this land, and they won’t be buried. People won’t mourn for them. They won’t cut themselves,[af] nor will they shave their heads for them.[ag] 7 They won’t break bread[ah] for the mourner to be consoled for the dead. They won’t give anyone the cup of consolation to drink for his father or[ai] mother. 8 Don’t go to a banquet to sit with people[aj] to eat and drink.” 9 For this is what the Lord of the Heavenly Armies, the God of Israel, says: “In this place I’m about to bring an end to the sounds of happiness and rejoicing, the sounds of the bridegroom and the bride. I’ll do it in front of your eyes and in your time.
10 “When you speak all these words to this people, they’ll say to you, ‘Why has the Lord pronounced all this disaster against us? What is our iniquity, and what is the sin that we have committed against the Lord our God?’ 11 Then say to them, ‘It is because your ancestors abandoned me,’ declares the Lord. ‘They followed other gods, served them, worshipped them, abandoned me, and didn’t keep my Law. 12 You have done even more evil than your ancestors, and each one of you is stubbornly following his own evil desires,[ak] refusing to listen to me. 13 I’ll throw you out of this land into a land neither you nor your ancestors have known. There you will serve other gods day and night, and I’ll show you no favor.’
14 “Therefore, days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when it will no longer be said, ‘As surely as the Lord lives, who brought up the Israelis from the land of Egypt.’ 15 Rather it will be said, ‘As surely as the Lord lives, who brought the Israelis up from the land of the north and from all the lands to which the Lord[al] had banished them.’ I’ll bring them back to their land, which I gave to their ancestors.
16 “I’m about to send many fishermen,” declares the Lord, “and they’ll catch them. Afterwards, I’ll send for many hunters and they’ll hunt for them on every mountain and hill and in the crevices of the rocks. 17 For I am watching all their ways; they are not hidden from my sight.[am] Their iniquity is not concealed from my eyes. 18 First I’ll repay them double for their iniquity and their sin, because they have polluted my land with the dead bodies of their detestable images, and they have filled my inheritance with their abominations.”[an]
19 Lord, my strength and my stronghold,
my refuge in a time of difficulty,
to you the nations will come,
and from the ends of the earth they’ll say,
“Surely our ancestors inherited deception,[ao]
things that are worthless,
and in which there is no profit.”
20 Can a person make a god for himself?
They are not gods!
21 Therefore, I’m about to make them understand;
this time I’ll make them understand
my power and strength,
so they’ll understand that my name is the Lord.
Judah’s Sin and Its Consequence
17 The sin of Judah is engraved
with an iron stylus.
It is inscribed with a diamond point
on the tablet of their heart
and on the horns of their[ap] altars.
2 When their sons remember,
they remember their altars[aq] and their Asherah poles[ar]
beside green trees on the high hills.
3 My mountain in the field, your wealth and your treasures
I’ll give as spoil;
along with your high places as the price of your sin
throughout your territory.
4 You will let go of your inheritance
which I gave you,
and I’ll make you serve your enemies
in a land that you don’t know.
For with my anger you have started a fire
that will burn forever.
Two Ways Contrasted
5 This is what the Lord says:
“Cursed is the person who trusts in mankind,
who makes flesh his strength,
and whose heart turns away from the Lord.
6 He will be like a bush in the desert,
and he won’t see when good comes.
He will dwell in parched places in the wilderness,[as]
a land of salt, without inhabitants.
7 Blessed is the person who trusts in the Lord,
making the Lord his trust.
8 He will be like a tree planted by the water
that sends out its roots by a stream.
He won’t fear when the heat comes,
and his leaves will be green.
In a year of drought he won’t be concerned,
nor will he stop producing fruit.”
The Deceitfulness of the Human Heart
9 “The heart is more deceitful than anything.
It is incurable—
who can know it?
10 I am the Lord who searches the heart,
who tests the inner depths
to give to each person
according to what he deserves,[at]
according to the fruit of his deeds.
11 As a partridge gathers together eggs
that it didn’t lay,
so is a person who amasses wealth unjustly.
In the middle of his life[au] it will leave him,
and in the end he will prove to be a fool.”
The Lord: The Hope of Israel
12 A glorious throne exalted from the beginning
is the place of our sanctuary.
13 Lord, you are the hope of Israel;
all who forsake you will be put to shame.
Those who turn aside from you[av] will be
written in the dust,[aw]
because they have forsaken the Lord,
the spring of living water.
The Prophet’s Call for Help and Justice
14 Heal me, Lord, and I’ll be healed;
deliver me, and I’ll be delivered,
because you are my praise.
15 Look, they’re saying to me,
“Where is the message from the Lord?
Let it come about!”
16 I haven’t run away from being your shepherd,[ax]
and I haven’t longed for the day of sickness.[ay]
You know what comes out from my lips,
it’s open before you.[az]
17 Don’t be a terror to me.
You are my refuge in a day of trouble.
18 Let those who pursue me be put to shame,
but don’t put me to shame.
Let them be terrified,
but don’t let me be terrified.
Bring the day of judgment[ba] on them,
and destroy them with double destruction!
A Test Case: Keeping the Sabbath
19 The Lord told me, “Go, stand in the gate of the people,[bb] where the kings of Judah come in and go out, and in the other gates of Jerusalem as well. 20 Say to them, ‘Kings of Judah, all Judah, and all the residents of Jerusalem entering these gates, hear this message from the Lord. 21 This is what the Lord says: “Be careful! On the Sabbath day, don’t carry any load or bring anything through the gates of Jerusalem. 22 Don’t bring any load out of your houses on the Sabbath day, nor are you to do any work. You are to consecrate[bc] the Sabbath day, just as I commanded your ancestors. 23 But they didn’t listen, nor did they pay attention.[bd] They were determined[be] not to listen and not to accept instruction.[bf] 24 If you listen to me carefully,” declares the Lord, “and don’t bring a load through the gates of this city on the Sabbath day, and you consecrate the Sabbath day and don’t do any work on it, 25 then kings and princes, sitting on the throne of David will come through the gates of this city. They, their princes, the men of Judah, and the residents of Jerusalem will come riding in chariots and on horses, and this city will be inhabited forever. 26 They’ll come from the cities of Judah, from the places around Jerusalem, from the territory of Benjamin, from the Shephelah,[bg] from the hill country, and from the Negev,[bh] bringing burnt offerings, sacrifices, grain offerings, and incense, and bringing thanksgiving offerings to the Lord’s Temple. 27 But if you don’t listen to me, to consecrate the Sabbath day and not carry any load as you enter the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day, then I’ll start a fire in its gates. It will consume the palaces of Jerusalem and won’t be extinguished.”’”
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