JEREMIAH 14 [†]The word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah concerning  y the drought:

2[†]  z “Judah mourns,

and  a her gates languish;

her people lament on the ground,

and  b 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  c ashamed and confounded

and  d cover their heads.

4 Because of the ground that is dismayed,

since there is  e no rain on the land,

the farmers are ashamed;

they cover their heads.

5 Even  f the doe in the field forsakes her newborn fawn

because there is no grass.

6  g 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,  h for your name’s sake;

 i for our backslidings are many;

 j we have sinned against you.

8[†]  k 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 like a mighty warrior who cannot save?

Yet  m you, O LORD, are in the midst of us,

and  n we are called by your name;

 o do not leave us.”

10[†] Thus says the LORD concerning this people:

“They have loved to wander thus;

they have not restrained their feet;

 p therefore the LORD does not accept them;

 q now he will remember their iniquity

and punish their sins.”

11[†]The LORD said to me:  r “Do not pray for the welfare of this people. 12Though they fast, I will not hear their cry,  s and though they offer burnt offering and grain offering, I will not accept them. But I will consume them  t by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence.”

13[†]Then I said: “Ah, Lord GOD, behold, the prophets  u 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  v prophets are prophesying lies in my name.  w I did not send them, nor did I command them or speak to them. They are prophesying to you a lying vision,  x worthless divination, and  y the deceit of their own minds. 15[†]Therefore thus says the LORD concerning the prophets who prophesy in my name although  w I did not send them, and who say,  t ‘Sword and famine shall not come upon this land’:  z 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,  a 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:

 b ‘Let my eyes run down with tears night and day,

and let them not cease,

for the virgin  c daughter of my people is shattered with a great wound,

 d with a very grievous blow.

18  e If I go out into the field,

behold, those pierced by the sword!

 e And if I enter the city,

behold, the diseases of famine!

 f For both prophet and priest ply their trade through the land

and have no knowledge.’”

19[†]  g Have you utterly rejected Judah?

Does your soul loathe Zion?

Why have you struck us down

 h so that there is no healing for us?

 i We looked for peace, but no good came;

 i for a time of healing, but behold, terror.

20[†]  j We acknowledge our wickedness, O LORD,

and the iniquity of our fathers,

 j for we have sinned against you.

21 Do not spurn us,  k for your name’s sake;

do not dishonor your glorious throne;

 l remember and do not break your covenant with us.

22 Are there any among  m the false gods of the nations  n that can bring rain?

Or can the heavens give showers?

Are you not he, O LORD our God?

We set our hope on you,

 o for you do all these things.