Jeremiah 14
Tree of Life Version
Physical and Spiritual Drought
14 The word of Adonai that came to Jeremiah concerning the droughts:
2 Judah will mourn, and her gates languish.
They will bow in black to the ground
And Jerusalem’s wail will go up.
3 Their nobles will send their lads for water.
They come to the cisterns,
but find no water.
Their jars return empty.
They are ashamed and humiliated;
they cover their heads.
4 Because the ground is cracked,
since there has been no rain in the land,
the farmers are ashamed—
they cover their heads.
5 For even the doe in the field
abandons her newborn fawn,
because there is no grass.
6 Wild donkeys stand on the barren hills,
as they pant for air like jackals.
Their eyes fail,
since there is no foliage.
7 Though our iniquities testify against us,
Adonai, act for Your Name’s sake.
For our backslidings are many.
We have sinned against You.
8 O hope of Israel,
Savior in time of trouble,
why are You like a stranger in the land,
or like a traveler who stays for a night?
9 Why are You like a man overcome,
like a champion who cannot save?
Yet you, Adonai, are in our midst,
and we are called by Your Name.
Do not forsake us!
10 Thus says Adonai to this people:
How they loved to wander.
They did not restrain their feet.
So Adonai does not accept them.
Now will He remember their iniquity,
and punish their sins.
11 So Adonai said to me: “Do not pray for the good of this people. 12 If they fast, I will not hear their cry. If they offer burnt offering or grain offering, I will not accept them. Instead I will consume them with sword, with famine and with plague.”
13 Then I said: “Oh my Lord, Adonai! The prophets keep telling them: ‘You will not see the sword nor famine, but I will give you true peace in this place.’”
14 Then Adonai said to me: “The prophets prophesy lies in My Name! I did not send them, nor commanded them, nor did I speak to them. They are prophesying to you a lying vision, divination, futility, a delusion of their heart.”
15 Therefore thus says Adonai: “About the prophets who prophesy in My Name, though I did not send them, yet keep saying, ‘Sword and famine will never be in this land’—by sword and famine will those prophets be consumed. 16 Also the people to whom they prophesy will be thrown out into the streets of Jerusalem, because of the famine and the sword. They will have no one to bury them, their wives, their sons or their daughters. For I will pour their disaster on them.”
17 You will say this word to them:
“Let my eyes overflow with tears.
Night and day, may they never stop.
For the virgin daughter of my people
is crushed with a great blow,
with a sorely infected wound.”
Intercessory Confession
18 If I go out into the field,
see, those slain by the sword!
And if I enter into the city,
see, the sick with famine!
For both prophet and kohen
will travel to a land they do not know.
19 Have You utterly rejected Judah?
Has Your soul loathed Zion?
Why have You smitten us,
and there is no healing for us?
We looked for shalom,
but nothing good came,
and for a time of healing,
but suddenly, terror![a]
20 We acknowledge our wickedness, Adonai,
the iniquity of our fathers,
for we have sinned against You.
21 Do not despise us, for Your Name’s sake.
Do not dishonor Your glorious throne.
Remember Your covenant with us—
do not break it!
22 Can any of the idols of the nations bring rain?
Or can the skies grant showers?
Is it not You, Adonai our God?
Do we not wait for You?
For You have done all these things.
Footnotes
Jeremiah 14
King James Version
14 The word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah concerning the dearth.
2 Judah mourneth, and the gates thereof languish; they are black unto the ground; and the cry of Jerusalem is gone up.
3 And their nobles have sent their little ones to the waters: they came to the pits, and found no water; they returned with their vessels empty; they were ashamed and confounded, and covered their heads.
4 Because the ground is chapt, for there was no rain in the earth, the plowmen were ashamed, they covered their heads.
5 Yea, the hind also calved in the field, and forsook it, because there was no grass.
6 And the wild asses did stand in the high places, they snuffed up the wind like dragons; their eyes did fail, because there was no grass.
7 O Lord, though our iniquities testify against us, do thou it for thy name's sake: for our backslidings are many; we have sinned against thee.
8 O the hope of Israel, the saviour thereof in time of trouble, why shouldest thou be as a stranger in the land, and as a wayfaring man that turneth aside to tarry for a night?
9 Why shouldest thou be as a man astonied, as a mighty man that cannot save? yet thou, O Lord, art in the midst of us, and we are called by thy name; leave us not.
10 Thus saith the Lord unto this people, Thus have they loved to wander, they have not refrained their feet, therefore the Lord doth not accept them; he will now remember their iniquity, and visit their sins.
11 Then said the Lord unto me, Pray not for this people for their good.
12 When they fast, I will not hear their cry; and when they offer burnt offering and an oblation, I will not accept them: but I will consume them by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence.
13 Then said I, Ah, Lord God! behold, the prophets say unto them, Ye shall not see the sword, neither shall ye have famine; but I will give you assured peace in this place.
14 Then the Lord said unto me, The prophets prophesy lies in my name: I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spake unto them: they prophesy unto you a false vision and divination, and a thing of nought, and the deceit of their heart.
15 Therefore thus saith the Lord concerning the prophets that prophesy in my name, and I sent them not, yet they say, Sword and famine shall not be in this land; By sword and famine shall those prophets be consumed.
16 And the people to whom they prophesy shall be cast out in the streets of Jerusalem because of the famine and the sword; and they shall have none to bury them, them, their wives, nor their sons, nor their daughters: for I will pour their wickedness upon them.
17 Therefore thou shalt say this word unto them; Let mine eyes run down with tears night and day, and let them not cease: for the virgin daughter of my people is broken with a great breach, with a very grievous blow.
18 If I go forth into the field, then behold the slain with the sword! and if I enter into the city, then behold them that are sick with famine! yea, both the prophet and the priest go about into a land that they know not.
19 Hast thou utterly rejected Judah? hath thy soul lothed Zion? why hast thou smitten us, and there is no healing for us? we looked for peace, and there is no good; and for the time of healing, and behold trouble!
20 We acknowledge, O Lord, our wickedness, and the iniquity of our fathers: for we have sinned against thee.
21 Do not abhor us, for thy name's sake, do not disgrace the throne of thy glory: remember, break not thy covenant with us.
22 Are there any among the vanities of the Gentiles that can cause rain? or can the heavens give showers? art not thou he, O Lord our God? therefore we will wait upon thee: for thou hast made all these things.
Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.