1 The word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah concerningych. 17:8 the drought:
2 zLam. 1:4 “Judah mourns
andaIsa. 3:26; [Lam. 2:8] her gates languish;
her people lament on the ground,
andb[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 arecPs. 40:14 ashamed and confounded
andd[2 Sam. 15:30] cover their heads.
4 Because of the ground that is dismayed,
since there isech. 3:3 no rain on the land,
the farmers are ashamed;
they cover their heads.
5 EvenfJob 39:1; Ps. 29:9 the doe in the field forsakes her newborn fawn
because there is no grass.
6 gch. 2:24 The 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,hver. 21; Ps. 25:11 for your name's sake;
ich. 2:19 for our backslidings are many;
jver. 20 we have sinned against you.
8 kch. 17:13; 50:7; Ps. 71:5 O 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,
l[Isa. 59:1] like a mighty warrior who cannot save?
Yetm[Ex. 29:45] you, O Lord, are in the midst of us,
andnDan. 9:18; [Eph. 3:15] we are called by your name;
oPs. 119:121 do not leave us. ”
10 Thus says the Lord concerning this people:
“They have loved to wander thus;
they have not restrained their feet;
pHos. 8:13 therefore the Lord does not accept them;
qHos. 9:9 now he will remember their iniquity
and punish their sins. ”
11 The Lord said to me:rSee ch. 7:16 “Do not pray for the welfare of this people. 12 Though they fast, I will not hear their cry,sProv. 1:28; Isa. 1:15; Ezek. 8:18; Mic. 3:4; See ch. 6:20 and though they offer burnt offering and grain offering, I will not accept them. But I will consume themtch. 16:4; 24:10; 32:24; Ezek. 14:21 by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence. ”
13 Then I said: “Ah, Lord God, behold, the prophetsu[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: “ThevSee ch. 5:31 prophets are prophesying lies in my name.wch. 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,xEzek. 13:6; [ch. 27:9; 29:8] worthless divination, andych. 23:26 the deceit of their own minds. 15 Therefore thus says the Lord concerning the prophets who prophesy in my name althoughw[See ver. 14 above] I did not send them, and who say,t[See ver. 12 above] ‘Sword and famine shall not come upon this land ’ :z[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,aPs. 79:3 with 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:
bSee ch. 13:17 ‘Let my eyes run down with tears night and day,
and let them not cease,
for the virgincSee ch. 8:21 daughter of my people is shattered with a great wound,
dch. 10:19; 30:12 with a very grievous blow.
18 eEzek. 7:15 If I go out into the field,
behold, those pierced by the sword!
eEzek. 7:15 And if I enter the city,
behold, the diseases of famine!
f[ch. 5:31] For both prophet and priest ply their trade through the land
and have no knowledge. ’ ”
19 gLam. 5:22 Have you utterly rejected Judah?
Does your soul loathe Zion?
Why have you struck us down
h[ch. 15:18] so that there is no healing for us?
ich. 8:15 We looked for peace, but no good came;
ich. 8:15 for a time of healing, but behold, terror.
20 j[Ps. 106:6; Dan. 9:5, 8] We acknowledge our wickedness, O Lord,
and the iniquity of our fathers,
j[Ps. 106:6; Dan. 9:5, 8] for we have sinned against you.
21 Do not spurn us,kver. 7 for your name's sake;
do not dishonor your glorious throne;
lLev. 26:42; Ps. 106:45 remember and do not break your covenant with us.
22 Are there any amongmch. 10:15; [Deut. 32:21] the false gods of the nationsnJob 28:26; 38:26, 28; Zech. 10:1, 2 that can bring rain?
Or can the heavens give showers?
Are you not he, O Lord our God?
We set our hope on you,
oJob 12:9; Isa. 66:2 for you do all these things.