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Jeremiah 14
EasyEnglish Bible
Jeremiah 14
EasyEnglish Bible
Famine and wars
14 This is the Lord's message that he gave to Jeremiah about the famine:
2 ‘Judah's people are very sad and upset.
The people in Judah's cities are becoming weak.
They are sitting on the ground and they are weeping.
Jerusalem's people call to me for help.
3 Rich people send their servants to get water.
They go to the wells, but they do not find any water.
They return home with empty water jars.
They are ashamed and upset.
They hide their faces in their hands.
4 There has been no rain anywhere.
The ground is breaking apart.
The farmers too are very upset.
They hide their faces in their hands.
5 There is no grass in the fields for the deer to eat.
So the mother deer runs away from her new baby.
6 Wild donkeys stand on the empty hills.
They breathe very fast, like thirsty jackals.
Their eyes hurt as they look for grass,
but there is no food for them to eat.’
7 ‘Lord, our many sins show that we are guilty.[a]
But please help us, to show that you are our God.
We have turned away from you many times.
We have done bad things against you.
8 You are the one that we Israelites hope to give us help.
You are the one who saves us when we are in trouble.
But now you live among us like a foreigner.
You are like a visitor who stays for only one night.
9 You seem to be like a helpless person.
You are like a brave fighter who has lost his strength to save anyone.
But surely you are among us, Lord.
We belong to you as your own people.
Do not leave us alone!’
10 The Lord says this about his people:
‘These people love to go wherever they want.
They do not try to stay near to me.
So they do not please me.
Now I will remember the wrong things that they have done.
I will punish them for their sins.’
The lies of the false prophets
11 The Lord said to me, ‘Do not pray that I will do any more good things for these people. 12 Even if they fast, I will not listen when they ask me for help. I will not accept the burnt offerings or grain offerings that they offer to me. Instead, I will use war, famine and disease to destroy them.’
13 I said, ‘Lord God, the prophets are deceiving the people. They say that there will not be any war or famine or disease that will hurt the people. Instead, they say that you have promised peace in our land.’
14 The Lord said to me, ‘Those prophets say that they speak my messages, but they are telling lies. I did not send them. I did not give them my authority. I did not give them any messages. They are deceiving people with the visions that they talk about. When they prophesy about things, it means nothing. They only speak about their own foolish ideas. 15 They claim to speak with my authority, but I did not send them. They say that there will be no war or famine. So I tell you, this is what will happen to those prophets: War and famine will kill them. 16 And the people that they are speaking their messages to will also die because of war and famine. Their bodies will lie in Jerusalem's streets. Nobody will be there to bury them. This will happen to the men, their wives, their sons and their daughters. I will punish them as they deserve, because they are so wicked.
17 Say this to the people, Jeremiah:
“Tears pour from my eyes all the time.
I weep through each day and each night.
I am sad about my own dear people.
A great trouble has knocked them to the ground.
They have received a very bad wound.
18 When I go out into the fields,
I see the bodies of people who have died in war.
When I look in the city,
I see people who are dying from famine.
The prophets and the priests are busy with their work.
But they do not understand what is happening.” ’
A prayer that the Lord would save his people[b]
19 ‘Lord, have you completely turned away from the people of Judah?
Do you really hate the people of Zion?
You have knocked us down
so that we will never get better.
We hoped to live in peace,
but nothing good happened to us.
We hoped to have rest from our troubles,
but instead we live in fear.
20 Lord, we agree that we are wicked people.
Our ancestors also did bad things.
We have turned against you.
21 But please do not refuse to help us.
Show that you are a faithful God.
Jerusalem is the place where you have your beautiful throne.
So do not go away and leave us.
Remember the covenant that you made with us.
Please do what you promised to do for us.
22 The idols of other nations are useless.
None of them can cause rain to fall.
And the sky itself does not make rain.
No, it is you, Lord, our God, who sends rain.
You alone do all these things,
so we trust you to help us.’
Jeremiah 14
New International Version
Jeremiah 14
New International Version
Drought, Famine, Sword
14 This is the word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah concerning the drought:(A)
2 “Judah mourns,(B)
her cities languish;
they wail for the land,
and a cry goes up from Jerusalem.
3 The nobles send their servants for water;
they go to the cisterns
but find no water.(C)
They return with their jars unfilled;
dismayed and despairing,
they cover their heads.(D)
4 The ground is cracked
because there is no rain in the land;(E)
the farmers are dismayed
and cover their heads.
5 Even the doe in the field
deserts her newborn fawn
because there is no grass.(F)
6 Wild donkeys stand on the barren heights(G)
and pant like jackals;
their eyes fail
for lack of food.”(H)
7 Although our sins testify(I) against us,
do something, Lord, for the sake of your name.(J)
For we have often rebelled;(K)
we have sinned(L) against you.
8 You who are the hope(M) of Israel,
its Savior(N) in times of distress,(O)
why are you like a stranger in the land,
like a traveler who stays only a night?
9 Why are you like a man taken by surprise,
like a warrior powerless to save?(P)
You are among(Q) us, Lord,
and we bear your name;(R)
do not forsake(S) us!
10 This is what the Lord says about this people:
“They greatly love to wander;
they do not restrain their feet.(T)
So the Lord does not accept(U) them;
he will now remember(V) their wickedness
and punish them for their sins.”(W)
11 Then the Lord said to me, “Do not pray(X) for the well-being of this people. 12 Although they fast, I will not listen to their cry;(Y) though they offer burnt offerings(Z) and grain offerings,(AA) I will not accept(AB) them. Instead, I will destroy them with the sword,(AC) famine(AD) and plague.”(AE)
13 But I said, “Alas, Sovereign Lord! The prophets(AF) keep telling them, ‘You will not see the sword or suffer famine.(AG) Indeed, I will give you lasting peace(AH) in this place.’”
14 Then the Lord said to me, “The prophets are prophesying lies(AI) in my name. I have not sent(AJ) them or appointed them or spoken to them. They are prophesying to you false visions,(AK) divinations,(AL) idolatries[a] and the delusions of their own minds. 15 Therefore this is what the Lord says about the prophets who are prophesying in my name: I did not send them, yet they are saying, ‘No sword or famine will touch this land.’ Those same prophets will perish(AM) by sword and famine.(AN) 16 And the people they are prophesying to will be thrown out into the streets of Jerusalem because of the famine and sword. There will be no one to bury(AO) them, their wives, their sons and their daughters.(AP) I will pour out on them the calamity they deserve.(AQ)
17 “Speak this word to them:
“‘Let my eyes overflow with tears(AR)
night and day without ceasing;
for the Virgin(AS) Daughter, my people,
has suffered a grievous wound,
a crushing blow.(AT)
18 If I go into the country,
I see those slain by the sword;
if I go into the city,
I see the ravages of famine.(AU)
Both prophet and priest
have gone to a land they know not.(AV)’”
19 Have you rejected Judah completely?(AW)
Do you despise Zion?
Why have you afflicted us
so that we cannot be healed?(AX)
We hoped for peace
but no good has come,
for a time of healing
but there is only terror.(AY)
20 We acknowledge(AZ) our wickedness, Lord,
and the guilt of our ancestors;(BA)
we have indeed sinned(BB) against you.
21 For the sake of your name(BC) do not despise us;
do not dishonor your glorious throne.(BD)
Remember your covenant(BE) with us
and do not break it.
22 Do any of the worthless idols(BF) of the nations bring rain?(BG)
Do the skies themselves send down showers?
No, it is you, Lord our God.
Therefore our hope is in you,
for you are the one who does all this.(BH)
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 14:14 Or visions, worthless divinations
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