Jeremiah 14
14
1 The word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah concerning the words of the drought.
2 "Judea has mourned. And its gates have fallen and become hard to discern on the ground. And the outcry of Jerusalem has ascended.
3 The greater ones have sent their lesser ones to the water. They went to draw water; they did not find water; they carried their vessels back empty. They were confounded and afflicted, and so they covered their heads.
4 Because of the devastation of the earth, because rain did not fall upon the earth, the farmers were confounded; they covered their heads.
5 For even the doe has given birth in the field, and then left it behind. For there was no grass.
6 And the wild donkeys stood upon the rocks; like dragons, they drew in the wind, but their eyes failed. For there was no grass."
7 "O Lord, if our iniquities have responded against us, let it be for the sake of your name. For our rebellions are many; we have sinned against you.
8 O Hope of Israel, its Savior in time of tribulation, why would you be like a sojourner in the land, and like a traveler turning aside for lodging?
9 Why would you be like a wandering man, like a strong man who is unable to save? But you, O Lord, are with us, and your name is invoked over us, so do not abandon us!"
10 Thus says the Lord to this people, who have loved to move their feet, and who have not rested, but who have not pleased the Lord: "Now he will remember their iniquities, and now he will visit against their sins."
11 And the Lord said to me: "Do not choose to pray for this people for good.
12 When they will fast, I will not heed their petitions. And if they offer holocausts and victims, I will not accept them. For I will consume them by the sword, and by famine, and by pestilence."
13 And I said: "Alas, alas, alas, O Lord God! The prophets are saying to them: 'You will not see the sword, and there will be no famine among you. Instead, he will give you true peace in this place.' "
14 And the Lord said to me: "The prophets prophesy falsely in my name. I did not send them, and I did not instruct them, and I have not spoken to them. They prophesy to you a lying vision, and a divination, and a fraud, and a seduction from their own heart.
15 For this reason, thus says the Lord about the prophets who prophesy in my name, whom I have not sent, who say: 'Sword and famine will not be in this land.' By sword and famine those prophets will be consumed.
16 And the people, to whom they prophesy, will be cast into the streets of Jerusalem, due to famine and the sword, and there will be no one who may bury them, they and their wives, their sons and daughters, and I will pour out their own evil upon them.
17 And you shall speak this word to them: Let my eyes shed tears throughout the night and day, and let them not cease. For the virgin daughter of my people has been crushed by a great affliction, by a very grievous wound."
18 "If I go out into the fields: behold, those slain by the sword. And if I enter into the city: behold, those weakened by famine. Likewise, the prophet, too, and the priest, have gone into a land that they did not know.
19 Could you have utterly cast out Judah? Or has your soul abhorred Zion? Then why have you struck us, so much so that there is no health for us? We have waited for peace, but there is nothing good, and for the time of healing, and behold, trouble.
20 O Lord, we acknowledge our impieties, the iniquities of our fathers, that we have sinned against you.
21 For the sake of your name, do not give us over into disgrace. And do not dishonor in us the throne of your glory. Remember, do not make void, your covenant with us.
22 Could any of the graven images of the Gentiles send rain? Or are the heavens able to give showers? Have we not hoped in you, the Lord our God? For you have made all these things."
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Jeremiah 14: CPDV
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Jeremiah 14
14
War and Hunger
1A message from the Lord came to Jeremiah. He told Jeremiah there wouldn’t be any rain in the land. The Lord said,
2“Judah is filled with sadness.
Its cities are wasting away.
The people weep for the land.
Crying is heard in Jerusalem.
3The nobles send their servants to get water.
They go to the wells.
But they do not find any water.
They return with empty jars.
They are terrified. They do not have any hope.
They cover their heads.
4The ground is dry and cracked.
There isn’t any rain in the land.
The farmers are terrified.
They cover their heads.
5Even the female deer in the fields
desert their newborn fawns.
There isn’t any grass to eat.
6Wild donkeys stand on the bare hilltops.
They long for water as wild dogs do.
Their eyesight fails
because they do not have any food to eat.”
7 Lord, our sins are a witness against us.
But do something for the honor of your name.
We have often turned away from you.
We’ve sinned against you.
8You are Israel’s only hope.
You save us when we’re in trouble.
Why are you like a stranger to us?
Why are you like a traveler who stays for only one night?
9Why are you like a man taken by surprise?
Why are you like a soldier who can’t save anyone?
Lord, you are among us.
And we are your people.
Please don’t desert us!
10The Lord gave Jeremiah a message about these people. The Lord said,
“They really love to wander away from me.
Their feet go down the wrong path.
I do not accept these people.
I will remember the evil things they have done.
I will punish them for their sins.”
11The Lord continued, “Do not pray that things will go well with them. 12Even if they go without food, I will not listen to their cry for help. They might sacrifice burnt offerings and grain offerings. But I will not accept them. Instead, I will destroy them with war, hunger and plague.”
13But I said, “Lord and King, the prophets keep telling them something else. They say, ‘You won’t have to suffer from war or hunger. Instead, the Lord will give you peace and rest in this place.’ ”
14Then the Lord said to me, “The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I have not sent them or appointed them. I have not even spoken to them. Everything they tell you about their visions or secret knowledge is a lie. They pretend to bring you messages from other gods. They try to get you to believe their own mistaken ideas. 15So here is what I am saying about the prophets who are prophesying in my name. I did not send them. But they are saying, ‘No war or hunger will come to this land.’ Those same prophets will die because of war and hunger. 16And the people they are prophesying to will be thrown out into the streets of Jerusalem. They will die because of hunger and war. No one will bury them. No one will bury their wives and children. I will pour out trouble on them. That is exactly what they should get.
17“Jeremiah, give them this message. Tell them,
“ ‘Let tears flow from my eyes.
Let them pour out night and day.
Never let them stop.
The people of my own nation
have suffered a terrible wound.
They have been crushed.
18Suppose I go into the country.
Then I see people who have been killed by swords.
Or suppose I go into the city.
Then I see people who have died of hunger.
Prophet and priest alike have gone to a land
they hadn’t known about before.’ ”
19 Lord, have you completely turned your back on Judah?
Do you hate the city of Zion?
Why have you made us suffer?
We can’t be healed.
We hoped peace would come.
But nothing good has happened to us.
We hoped we would finally be healed.
But all we got was terror.
20 Lord, we admit we’ve done evil things.
We also admit that our people of long ago were guilty.
It’s true that we’ve sinned against you.
21For the honor of your name, don’t turn your back on us.
Don’t bring shame on your glorious throne in the temple.
Remember the covenant you made with us.
Please don’t break it.
22Do any of the worthless gods of the nations bring rain?
Do the skies send down showers all by themselves?
No. Lord our God, you send the rain.
So we put our hope in you.
You are the one who does all these things.
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