1 ARST After there had been no rain in Judah for a long time, Yahweh gave Jeremiah this message: BSB BSB: This is the word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah concerning the drought:
2 ARST The people in Judah are very distressed; people are sitting on the ground and mourning; in all of Jerusalem people are crying loudly. BSB BSB: “Judah mourns and her gates languish. Her people wail for the land, and a cry goes up from Jerusalem.
3 ARST The rich people send their servants to wells to get water, but all the wells are dry. The servants return with empty pitchers; they cover their heads because they are ashamed and humiliated. BSB BSB: The nobles send their servants for water; they go to the cisterns, but find no water; their jars return empty. They are ashamed and humiliated; they cover their heads.
4 ARST The ground is extremely dry and cracked open because there has been no rain. The farmers are ashamed that they cannot raise a crop, so they also cover their heads. BSB BSB: The ground is cracked because no rain has fallen on the land. The farmers are ashamed; they cover their heads.
5 ARST Even the does abandon their newborn babies, because there is no grass in the fields for them to eat. BSB BSB: Even the doe in the field deserts her newborn fawn because there is no grass.
6 ARST The wild donkeys stand on the barren hills, panting like thirsty jackals. They become blind because there is no grass to eat. BSB BSB: Wild donkeys stand on barren heights; they pant for air like jackals; their eyes fail for lack of pasture.”
7 ARST The people say,“Yahweh, if we have turned away from you and sinned many times, we now know that we are being punished because of our sins! Please help us in order that everyone can see that you are very great and keep your promises. BSB BSB: Although our iniquities testify against us, O LORD, act for the sake of Your name. Indeed, our rebellions are many; we have sinned against You.
8 ARST You are the one whom we Israelites confidently expect to do good things for us when we have many troubles. So, why do you not help us? You act as though you are a stranger in our land, like you are someone who is staying here for only one night. BSB BSB: O Hope of Israel, its Savior in times of distress, why are You like a stranger in the land, like a traveler who stays but a night?
9 ARST Are you also surprised about the terrible things that are happening to us? Why do you act like you are unable to save anyone, even though you are a strong warrior? Yahweh, you are here among us, and others know that we are your people, so do not abandon us!” BSB BSB: Why are You like a man taken by surprise, like a warrior powerless to save? Yet You are among us, O LORD, and we are called by Your name. Do not forsake us!
10 ARST And this is what Yahweh says to those people:“You love to wander away from me; you run from one idol to another. Therefore, now I will no longer accept you, and I will punish you for your sins.” BSB BSB: This is what the LORD says about this people: “Truly they love to wander; they have not restrained their feet. So the LORD does not accept them; He will now remember their iniquity and punish them for their sins.”
11 ARST Then Yahweh said to me,“Do not pray for these people anymore. BSB BSB: Then the LORD said to me, “Do not pray for the well-being of this people.
12 ARST When they fast, I will not pay any attention. When they bring to me their offerings of animals to be completely burned on the altar and their offerings of flour, I will not accept them. Instead, I will get rid of them by wars, by famines, and by diseases.” BSB BSB: Although they may fast, I will not listen to their cry; although they may offer burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them. Instead, I will finish them off by sword and famine and plague.”
13 ARST Then I replied to him,“Yahweh my God, their prophets are telling the people that they will not experience wars or famines. They are telling the people that you will surely allow us to have peace in our land for many years.” BSB BSB: “Ah, Lord GOD!” I replied, “Look, the prophets are telling them, ‘You will not see the sword or suffer famine, but I will give you lasting peace in this place.’”
14 ARST Yahweh replied to me,“Those prophets say that they are speaking what I tell them to say, but they are telling lies. I did not send them, so what they are saying is false. They say that they have received visions from me, and that they are telling things that I have revealed to them, but that is not true. They are saying foolish things that they have only thought of themselves. BSB BSB: “The prophets are prophesying lies in My name,” replied the LORD. “I did not send them or appoint them or speak to them. They are prophesying to you a false vision, a worthless divination, the futility and delusion of their own minds.
15 ARST So this is what I say about those prophets who are predicting what will happen, saying that I told them those things: They are saying that we Israelites will not die from wars or famines, but I did not send those prophets. And they themselves will die from wars or from famines. BSB BSB: Therefore this is what the LORD says about the prophets who prophesy in My name: I did not send them, yet they say, ‘No sword or famine will touch this land.’ By sword and famine these very prophets will meet their end!
16 ARST And the people to whom they are predicting these things, they and their wives and their sons and their daughters, will also die from wars or from famines. Their corpses will be thrown into the streets of Jerusalem, and there will not be anyone to bury them. I will punish them like they deserve to be punished. BSB BSB: And the people to whom they prophesy will be thrown into the streets of Jerusalem because of famine and sword. There will be no one to bury them or their wives, their sons or their daughters. I will pour out their own evil upon them.
17 ARST So, Jeremiah, tell this to them about yourself:‘Day and night my eyes are full of tears. I cannot stop crying. I cry for my people, who are very precious to me, as if they were my daughters. I cry for them because they have been severely wounded; and they will not recover or heal from this severe wound. BSB BSB: You are to speak this word to them: ‘My eyes overflow with tears; day and night they do not cease, for the virgin daughter of my people has been shattered by a crushing blow, a severely grievous wound.
18 ARST If I go out into the fields, I see corpses of people who have been slaughtered by our enemies. If I walk along the streets of the city, I see corpses of people who died from hunger. The prophets and the priests travel through the land, preaching to people, but they do not know what they are doing.’” BSB BSB: If I go out to the country, I see those slain by the sword; if I enter the city, I see those ravaged by famine! For both prophet and priest travel to a land they do not know.’”
19 ARST Then I prayed this:“Yahweh, have you completely rejected the people of Judah? Do you really despise the people of Jerusalem? Why have you wounded us very badly, with the result that we will never be healed? We hoped that we would have peace, but there was no peace. We hoped that there would be a time when we would be healed, but all that we received were things that terrified us. BSB BSB: Have You rejected Judah completely? Do You despise Zion? Why have You stricken us so that we are beyond healing? We hoped for peace, but no good has come, and for the time of healing, but there was only terror.
20 ARST Yahweh, we admit that we are wicked people, and that our ancestors also did many wicked things. We have all sinned against you. BSB BSB: We acknowledge our wickedness, O LORD, the guilt of our fathers; indeed, we have sinned against You.
21 ARST But Yahweh, in order that we may honor you, do not despise us. Do not dishonor the city where your glorious throne is. Please do not forget us, and do not break your agreement with us. BSB BSB: For the sake of Your name do not despise us; do not disgrace Your glorious throne. Remember Your covenant with us; do not break it.
22 ARST Those idols that have been brought from other nations certainly cannot bring rain to us, and the sky certainly cannot cause rain to fall. Yahweh our God, you are the only one who can do things like that. So we will confidently expect you to help us.” BSB BSB: Can the worthless idols of the nations bring rain? Do the skies alone send showers? Is this not by You, O LORD our God? So we put our hope in You, for You have done all these things.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.