Jeremiah 14

Modern

Literal

Drought, Famine, Sword, and Plague

¹This is the word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah concerning the drought:

¹The word of YHWH that came to Jeremiah concerning the droughts:

²“Judah mourns

and her gates languish.

Her people wail for the land,

and a cry goes up from Jerusalem.

²“Judah mourns, and her gates languish; they mourn for the land, and the cry of Jerusalem has gone up.

³The nobles send their servants for water;

they go to the cisterns, but find no water;

their jars return empty.

They are ashamed and humiliated;

they cover their heads.

³And their nobles have sent their young for water; they went to the cisterns, they did not find water. They returned with their vessels empty; they were ashamed and humiliated, and they covered their heads.

⁴The ground is cracked

because no rain has fallen on the land.

The farmers are ashamed;

they cover their heads.

⁴Because the ground is parched, for there was no rain in the land, the plowmen were ashamed; they covered their heads.

⁵Even the doe in the field deserts her newborn fawn

because there is no grass.

⁵Indeed, even the doe in the field has brought forth—to forsake it because there is no grass.

⁶Wild donkeys stand on barren heights;

they pant for air like jackals;^a

their eyes fail for lack of pasture.”

⁶And the wild donkeys stand on the barren heights; they pant for the wind like jackals, and their eyes fail because there is no grass.”

⁷Although our iniquities testify against us, O LORD,

act for the sake of Your name.

Indeed, our rebellions are many;

we have sinned against You.

⁷Though our iniquities testify against us, O YHWH, may You act for the sake of Your name! For many are our backslidings; we have sinned against You.

⁸O Hope of Israel,

its Savior in times of distress,

why are You like a stranger in the land,

like a traveler who stays but a night?

⁸O Hope of Israel, his Savior in time of distress, why should You be like a sojourner in the land, and like a traveler who stretches aside to spend the night.

⁹Why are You like a man taken by surprise,

like a warrior powerless to save?

Yet You are among us, O LORD,

and we are called by Your name.

Do not forsake us!

⁹Why should You be like a man astonished, like a mighty one not able to save? And You are among us, O YHWH, and we are called by Your name; do not leave us.

¹⁰This is what the LORD says about this people:

“Truly they love to wander;

they have not restrained their feet.

So the LORD does not accept them;

He will now remember their iniquity

and punish them for their sins.”

¹⁰Thus says YHWH to this people: “Thus have they loved to wander, they have not held back their feet, and YHWH has not accepted them; now He will remember their iniquity and punish them for their sins.”

¹¹Then the LORD said to me, “Do not pray for the well-being of this people.

¹¹And YHWH said to me: “Do not pray for this people for the good.

¹²Although they may fast, I will not listen to their cry; although they may offer burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them. Instead, I will finish them off by sword and famine and plague.”

¹²When they fast, I will not hear to their cry; and when they bring up a burnt offering and grain offering, I will not accept them—but by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence I will put an end to them!

¹³“Ah, Lord GOD!” I replied, “Look, the prophets are telling them, ‘You will not see the sword or suffer famine, but I will give you lasting peace in this place.’”

¹³And I said “Ah, Lord YHWH!” Behold, the prophets are saying to them, ‘You will not see the sword, and there shall be no famine for you; but I will give to you assured peace in this place.’”

¹⁴“The prophets are prophesying lies in My name,” replied the LORD. “I did not send them or appoint them or speak to them. They are prophesying to you a false vision, a worthless divination, the futility and delusion of their own minds.

¹⁴And YHWH said to me: “The prophets are prophesying lies in My name.” I have not sent them, and I have not commanded them, and not I have spoken to them. They are prophesying to you a false vision and divination, and worthlessness, and the deceit of their heart.

¹⁵Therefore this is what the LORD says about the prophets who prophesy in My name: I did not send them, yet they say, ‘No sword or famine will touch this land.’

By sword and famine these very prophets will meet their end!

¹⁵Therefore, thus says YHWH concerning the prophets who prophesy in My name, “When I did not send them, and they say, ‘Sword and famine will not be in this land.’ By sword and by famine those prophets will meet their end!

¹⁶And the people to whom they prophesy will be thrown into the streets of Jerusalem because of famine and sword. There will be no one to bury them or their wives, their sons or their daughters. I will pour out their own evil upon them.

¹⁶And the people whom they prophesy to them will be thrown out into the streets of Jerusalem because of the famine and the sword, and no one will bury them—they and their wives, and their sons, and their daughters; and I will pour their wickedness on them.

¹⁷You are to speak this word to them:

‘My eyes overflow with tears;

day and night they do not cease,

for the virgin daughter of my people

has been shattered by a crushing blow,

a severely grievous wound.

¹⁷And you shall speak to them this word: ‘Let my eyes run down with tears night and day, and do not let them cease! For the virgin daughter of my people has been wounded with a mighy breach, with a serious blow.

¹⁸If I go out to the country,

I see those slain by the sword;

if I enter the city,

I see those ravaged by famine!

For both prophet and priest

travel to a land they do not know.’”

¹⁸If I go out to the field, and behold—those slain by the sword! And if I come into the city, and behold—those sick from famine! How both prophet and priest go about in the land, and they do not know!’”

A Prayer for Mercy

¹⁹Have You rejected Judah completely?

Do You despise Zion?

Why have You stricken us

so that we are beyond healing?

We hoped for peace,

but no good has come,

and for the time of healing,

but there was only terror.

¹⁹Have you completely rejected Judah? Or has Your soul abhorred Zion? Why did You strike us and there is no healing for us? We looked for peace, and there was no good; and for the time of healing, and there was terror!

²⁰We acknowledge our wickedness, O LORD,

the guilt of our fathers;

indeed, we have sinned against You.

²⁰We acknowledge, O YHWH, our wickedness, and the iniquity of our fathers; for we have sinned against You.

²¹For the sake of Your name do not despise us;

do not disgrace Your glorious throne.

Remember Your covenant with us;

do not break it.

²¹For the sake of Your name do not spurn us, do not disgrace the throne of Your glory! Remember, do not break Your covenant with us.

²²Can the worthless idols of the nations bring rain?

Do the skies alone send showers?

Is this not by You, O LORD our God?

So we put our hope in You,

for You have done all these things.

²²Are there any among the idols of the nations able to bring rain? Or can the heavens give showers? Are You not He, O YHWH our God? And we shall wait for You, since You make all these things.