Jeremiah 8:13-15

The Voice

¹³    The harvest will soon be gone, a thing of the past.
        There will be no grapes on the vine, no figs in the tree;
    Even the leaves will wither and fall.
        For what I have given so generously, I will now take away.

Some people in the land believe they know God’s ways, but they don’t. In fact, the ways they twist God’s words and perform empty rituals only make things worse. Over and over again, prophets such as Jeremiah have attempted to describe the devastation that will result from the actions of those who refuse to listen to and really know God. As the invading army comes across the borders, some realize that what God has said—what the prophet has spoken in His name—is all coming true. God may long to bring His people close, to forgive and restore them, but it will not happen. They have refused both His forgiveness and His final warning, and so the enemy from the north is on the move.

¹⁴People: Why are we still sitting here, exposed and waiting for death to come?
        Let’s get together and run to the walled cities and die there.
    We are without hope because the Eternal our God has pronounced our judgment.
        He has given us a cup^[a] of bitter poison to drink because we have sinned against Him.
¹⁵    We were counting on peace, but none came.
        We waited for a time of healing, but now all we have is terror.