Jeremiah 14

Famine, Sword, and Pestilence

1 The word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah concerning *ch. 17:8the drought:

2 *Lam. 1:4"Judah mourns,

and *Isa. 3:26;[Lam. 2:8] her gates languish;

her people lament on the ground,

and *[1 Sam. 5:12]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 *Ps. 40:14ashamed and confounded

and *[2 Sam. 15:30]cover their heads.

4 Because of the ground that is dismayed,

since there is *ch. 3:3no rain on the land,

the farmers are ashamed;

they cover their heads.

5 Even *Job 39:1;Ps. 29:9the doe in the field forsakes her newborn fawn

because there is no grass.

6 *ch. 2:24The wild donkeys stand on the bare heights;

they pant for air like jackals;

their eyes fail

because there is no vegetation.

7 "Though our iniquities testify against us,

act, O Lord, *ver. 21;Ps. 25:11for your name’s sake;

*ch. 2:19for our backslidings are many;

*ver. 20we have sinned against you.

8 *ch. 17:13;50:7;Ps. 71:5O you hope of Israel,

its savior in time of trouble,

why should you be like a stranger in the land,

like a traveler who turns aside to tarry for a night?

9 Why should you be like a man confused,

*[Isa. 59:1] like a mighty warrior who cannot save?

Yet *[Ex. 29:45] you, O Lord, are in the midst of us,

and *Dan. 9:18;[Eph. 3:15] we are called by your name;

*Ps. 119:121do not leave us."

10 Thus says the Lord concerning this people:

"They have loved to wander thus;

they have not restrained their feet;

*Hos. 8:13therefore the Lord does not accept them;

*Hos. 9:9now he will remember their iniquity

and punish their sins."

11 The Lord said to me: *See ch. 7:16"Do not pray for the welfare of this people. 12 Though they fast, I will not hear their cry, *Prov. 1:28;Isa. 1:15;Ezek. 8:18;Mic. 3:4;See ch. 6:20and though they offer burnt offering and grain offering, I will not accept them. But I will consume them *ch. 16:4;24:10;32:24;Ezek. 14:21by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence."

Lying Prophets

13 Then I said: "Ah, Lord God, behold, the prophets *[ch. 4:10;6:14]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 *See ch. 5:31prophets are prophesying lies in my name. *ch. 23:21;27:15;Deut. 18:20;[Matt. 7:15;Mark 13:22] I did not send them, nor did I command them or speak to them. They are prophesying to you a lying vision, *Ezek. 13:6;[ch. 27:9;29:8] worthless divination, and *ch. 23:26the deceit of their own minds. 15 Therefore thus says the Lord concerning the prophets who prophesy in my name although *[See ver. 14above] I did not send them, and who say, *[See ver. 12above] ‘Sword and famine shall not come upon this land’: *[ch. 23:34]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, *Ps. 79:3with none to bury them—them, their wives, their sons, and their daughters. For I will pour out their evil upon them.

17 "You shall say to them this word:

*See ch. 13:17‘Let my eyes run down with tears night and day,

and let them not cease,

for the virgin *See ch. 8:21daughter of my people is shattered with a great wound,

*ch. 10:19;30:12with a very grievous blow.

18 *Ezek. 7:15If I go out into the field,

behold, those pierced by the sword!

*Ezek. 7:15And if I enter the city,

behold, the diseases of famine!

*[ch. 5:31]For both prophet and priest ply their trade through the land

and have no knowledge.’"

19 *Lam. 5:22Have you utterly rejected Judah?

Does your soul loathe Zion?

Why have you struck us down

*[ch. 15:18] so that there is no healing for us?

*ch. 8:15We looked for peace, but no good came;

*ch. 8:15for a time of healing, but behold, terror.

20 *[Ps. 106:6;Dan. 9:5,8]We acknowledge our wickedness, O Lord,

and the iniquity of our fathers,

*[Ps. 106:6;Dan. 9:5,8]for we have sinned against you.

21 Do not spurn us, *ver. 7for your name’s sake;

do not dishonor your glorious throne;

*Lev. 26:42;Ps. 106:45remember and do not break your covenant with us.

22 Are there any among *ch. 10:15;[Deut. 32:21] the false gods of the nations *Job 28:26;38:26,28;Zech. 10:1,2that can bring rain?

Or can the heavens give showers?

Are you not he, O Lord our God?

We set our hope on you,

*Job 12:9;Isa. 66:2for you do all these things.