Jeremiah 14:3
New International Version
The nobles send their servants for water; they go to the cisterns but find no water. They return with their jars unfilled; dismayed and despairing, they cover their heads.

New Living Translation
The nobles send servants to get water, but all the wells are dry. The servants return with empty pitchers, confused and desperate, covering their heads in grief.

English Standard Version
Her nobles send their servants for water; they come to the cisterns; they find no water; they return with their vessels empty; they are ashamed and confounded and cover their heads.

Berean Standard Bible
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.

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
Their nobles have sent their lads for water; They went to the cisterns and found no water. They returned with their vessels empty; They were ashamed and confounded And covered their heads.

New American Standard Bible
“Their nobles have sent their servants for water; They have come to the cisterns and found no water. They have returned with their containers empty; They have been put to shame and humiliated, And they cover their heads,

NASB 1995
“Their nobles have sent their servants for water; They have come to the cisterns and found no water. They have returned with their vessels empty; They have been put to shame and humiliated, And they cover their heads.

NASB 1977
“And their nobles have sent their servants for water; They have come to the cisterns and found no water. They have returned with their vessels empty; They have been put to shame and humiliated, And they cover their heads.

Legacy Standard Bible
Their mighty ones have sent their underlings for water; They have come to the trenches and found no water. They have returned with their vessels empty; They have been put to shame and dishonored, And they cover their heads.

Amplified Bible
“Their nobles have sent their servants for water; They have come to the cisterns and found no water. They have returned with empty vessels; They have been shamed and humiliated, And they cover their heads.

Christian Standard Bible
Their nobles send their servants for water. They go to the cisterns; they find no water; their containers return empty. They are ashamed and humiliated; they cover their heads.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Their nobles send their servants for water. They go to the cisterns; they find no water; their containers return empty. They are ashamed and humiliated; they cover their heads.

American Standard Version
And their nobles send their little ones to the waters: they come to the cisterns, and find no water; they return with their vessels empty; they are put to shame and confounded, and cover their heads.

Contemporary English Version
Rulers send their servants to the storage pits for water. But there's none to be found; they return in despair with their jars still empty.

English Revised Version
And their nobles send their little ones to the waters: they come to the pits, and find no water; they return with their vessels empty: they are ashamed and confounded, and cover their heads.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Important people send their assistants out for water. They go to the cisterns, but they don't find any water. They come back with their containers empty. They cover their heads, because they are ashamed and disgraced.

Good News Translation
The rich people send their servants for water; they go to the cisterns, but find no water; they come back with their jars empty. Discouraged and confused, they hide their faces.

International Standard Version
Their nobles send their young people for water. They go to the cisterns, but they find no water. They return with their vessels empty. They're disappointed and dismayed, and they cover their heads in shame.

Majority Standard Bible
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.

NET Bible
The leading men of the cities send their servants for water. They go to the cisterns, but they do not find any water there. They return with their containers empty. Disappointed and dismayed, they bury their faces in their hands.

New Heart English Bible
Their nobles send their little ones to the waters: they come to the cisterns, and find no water; they return with their vessels empty; they are disappointed and confounded, and cover their heads.

Webster's Bible Translation
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.

World English Bible
Their nobles send their little ones to the waters. They come to the cisterns, and find no water. They return with their vessels empty. They are disappointed and confounded, and cover their heads.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And their majestic ones have sent their little ones to the water, "" They have come to ditches, "" They have not found water, "" They have turned back—their vessels empty! They have been ashamed, "" And have blushed and covered their head.

Young's Literal Translation
And their honourable ones have sent their little ones to the water, They have come unto ditches, They have not found water, They have turned back -- their vessels empty! They have been ashamed, And have blushed and covered their head.

Smith's Literal Translation
And their great ones sent their small ones to the waters; they came to the wells, they found no water; they turned back their vessels empty; they were ashamed and disgraced, and they covered their head.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
The great ones sent their inferiors to the water: they came to draw, they found no water, they carried back their vessels empty: they were confounded and afflicted, and covered their heads.

Catholic Public Domain Version
The greater ones have sent their lesser ones to the water. They went to draw water; they did not find water; they carried their vessels back empty. They were confounded and afflicted, and so they covered their heads.

New American Bible
The nobles send their servants for water, but when they come to the cisterns They find no water and return with empty jars. Confounded, despairing, they cover their heads

New Revised Standard Version
Her nobles send their servants for water; they come to the cisterns, they find no water, they return with their vessels empty. They are ashamed and dismayed and cover their heads,
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And their nobles have sent their least ones for water; they came to the cistern, and found no water; they returned with their vessels empty; they were ashamed and confounded, and covered their heads.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Their Princes sent their wanting ones for water. They came to the pit and they did not find water. They returned their vessels empty; they were ashamed and they were stricken and they covered their heads
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And their nobles send their lads for water: They come to the pits, and find no water; Their vessels return empty; They are ashamed and confounded, and cover their heads.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And her nobles have sent their little ones to the water: they came to the wells, and found no water: and brought back their vessels empty.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Drought, Famine, Sword, Pestilence
2“Judah mourns and her gates languish. Her people wail for the land, and a cry goes up from Jerusalem. 3The 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. 4The ground is cracked because no rain has fallen on the land. The farmers are ashamed; they cover their heads.…

Cross References
Lamentations 4:4
The nursing infant’s tongue clings in thirst to the roof of his mouth. Little children beg for bread, but no one gives them any.

Isaiah 3:1
For behold, the Lord GOD of Hosts is about to remove from Jerusalem and Judah both supply and support: the whole supply of food and water,

Amos 4:6-8
“I afflicted all your cities with cleanness of teeth and all your towns with lack of bread, yet you did not return to Me,” declares the LORD. / “I also withheld the rain from you when the harvest was three months away. I sent rain on one city but withheld it from another. One field received rain; another without rain withered. / People staggered from city to city for water to drink, but they were not satisfied; yet you did not return to Me,” declares the LORD.

Joel 1:10-12
The field is ruined; the land mourns. For the grain is destroyed, the new wine is dried up, and the oil fails. / Be dismayed, O farmers, wail, O vinedressers, over the wheat and barley, because the harvest of the field has perished. / The grapevine is dried up, and the fig tree is withered; the pomegranate, palm, and apple—all the trees of the orchard—are withered. Surely the joy of mankind has dried up.

Isaiah 41:17
The poor and needy seek water, but there is none; their tongues are parched with thirst. I, the LORD, will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.

Ezekiel 4:16-17
Then He told me, “Son of man, I am going to cut off the supply of food in Jerusalem. They will anxiously eat bread rationed by weight, and in despair they will drink water by measure. / So they will lack food and water; they will be appalled at the sight of one another wasting away in their iniquity.

Hosea 4:3
Therefore the land mourns, and all who dwell in it will waste away with the beasts of the field and the birds of the air; even the fish of the sea disappear.

2 Kings 6:25
So there was a great famine in Samaria. Indeed, they besieged the city so long that a donkey’s head sold for eighty shekels of silver, and a quarter cab of dove’s dung sold for five shekels of silver.

Isaiah 5:13
Therefore My people will go into exile for their lack of understanding; their dignitaries are starving and their masses are parched with thirst.

Isaiah 50:2
Why was no one there when I arrived? Why did no one answer when I called? Is My hand too short to redeem you? Or do I lack the strength to deliver you? Behold, My rebuke dries up the sea; I turn the rivers into a desert; the fish rot for lack of water and die of thirst.

Revelation 6:5-6
And when the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come!” Then I looked and saw a black horse, and its rider held in his hand a pair of scales. / And I heard what sounded like a voice from among the four living creatures, saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius, and do not harm the oil and wine.”

Matthew 24:7
Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.

Luke 21:11
There will be great earthquakes, famines, and pestilences in various places, along with fearful sights and great signs from heaven.

Mark 13:8
Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, as well as famines. These are the beginning of birth pains.

Romans 8:22
We know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until the present time.


Treasury of Scripture

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.

their nobles.

1 Kings 18:5,6
And Ahab said unto Obadiah, Go into the land, unto all fountains of water, and unto all brooks: peradventure we may find grass to save the horses and mules alive, that we lose not all the beasts…

pits.

Jeremiah 2:13
For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.

1 Kings 17:7
And it came to pass after a while, that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land.

2 Kings 18:31
Hearken not to Hezekiah: for thus saith the king of Assyria, Make an agreement with me by a present, and come out to me, and then eat ye every man of his own vine, and every one of his fig tree, and drink ye every one the waters of his cistern:

they were.

Jeremiah 2:26,27
As the thief is ashamed when he is found, so is the house of Israel ashamed; they, their kings, their princes, and their priests, and their prophets, …

Jeremiah 20:11
But the LORD is with me as a mighty terrible one: therefore my persecutors shall stumble, and they shall not prevail: they shall be greatly ashamed; for they shall not prosper: their everlasting confusion shall never be forgotten.

Psalm 40:14
Let them be ashamed and confounded together that seek after my soul to destroy it; let them be driven backward and put to shame that wish me evil.

covered.

Jeremiah 14:4
Because the ground is chapt, for there was no rain in the earth, the plowmen were ashamed, they covered their heads.

2 Samuel 15:30
And David went up by the ascent of mount Olivet, and wept as he went up, and had his head covered, and he went barefoot: and all the people that was with him covered every man his head, and they went up, weeping as they went up.

2 Samuel 19:4
But the king covered his face, and the king cried with a loud voice, O my son Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son!

Jump to Previous
Ashamed Cisterns Confounded Cover Covered Covering Disappointed Empty Fear Find Found Great Heads Holes Honourable Humiliated Jars Little Nobles Ones Overcome Pits Servants Shame Turned Vessels Water Waters
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Ashamed Cisterns Confounded Cover Covered Covering Disappointed Empty Fear Find Found Great Heads Holes Honourable Humiliated Jars Little Nobles Ones Overcome Pits Servants Shame Turned Vessels Water Waters
Jeremiah 14
1. The grievous famine,
7. causes Jeremiah to pray.
10. The Lord will not be entreated for the people.
13. false prophets are no excuse for them.
17. Jeremiah is moved to complain for them.














The nobles
The term "nobles" refers to the leaders or aristocracy of Judah, those who held positions of power and influence. In the Hebrew context, these individuals were expected to provide for the people and ensure the well-being of the nation. Their inability to secure water highlights a failure in leadership and a divine judgment upon the land. Historically, the nobles were often seen as responsible for the spiritual and moral direction of the nation, and their actions had significant consequences for the people.

send their servants for water
This phrase indicates a sense of desperation and urgency. The act of sending servants suggests that the situation is dire enough to involve those who serve the household, reflecting the severity of the drought. In ancient times, water was a precious resource, and the need to send servants underscores the scarcity and the critical nature of the situation.

they go to the cisterns
Cisterns were essential structures in ancient Judah, used to collect and store rainwater. The reliance on cisterns indicates a lack of natural water sources, such as rivers or springs, which were more reliable. The mention of cisterns points to the infrastructure that was in place to manage water resources, and the failure of these cisterns to provide water signifies a breakdown in both natural and human systems.

but find no water
This stark reality emphasizes the severity of the drought. The absence of water in the cisterns is a physical manifestation of God's judgment on the land. In the Hebrew Bible, water is often symbolic of life and blessing, and its absence is a sign of divine displeasure and a call to repentance.

their jars return empty
The image of empty jars returning from the cisterns is a powerful symbol of unfulfilled needs and expectations. In the ancient Near East, jars were commonly used to transport and store water, and their emptiness represents the futility of human efforts without divine favor. This phrase serves as a metaphor for spiritual emptiness and the consequences of turning away from God.

They are ashamed and humiliated
Shame and humiliation are emotional responses to failure and disgrace. In the context of ancient Israel, these feelings are often associated with a recognition of sin and the need for repentance. The nobles' shame reflects their acknowledgment of their inability to provide for their people and their failure to lead them in righteousness.

they cover their heads
Covering the head is a traditional expression of mourning and repentance in the Hebrew culture. This act signifies a deep sense of sorrow and a recognition of one's lowly state before God. It is a physical manifestation of an inward acknowledgment of guilt and a plea for mercy. In the broader biblical narrative, such acts of humility are often precursors to divine intervention and restoration.

(3) Their little ones.--Not their children, but their menial servants. The word is peculiar to Jeremiah, and occurs only here and in Jeremiah 48:4. The vivid picture of the messengers running hither and thither to all wells, and springs, and tanks, reminds us of Ahab's search for wells or springs in the time of the great drought of his reign (1Kings 18:5), of the "two or three cities wandering" to the one city that was yet supplied with water of Amos 4:8.

The pits.--The tanks or reservoirs where, if anywhere, water might be looked for.

Covered their heads.--The extremest sign of a grief too great to utter itself to others, craving to be alone in its wretchedness (2Samuel 15:30; 2Samuel 19:4). The student will recollect it as occurring also in the account of the painting of Agamemnon at the Sacrifice of Iphigenia, ascribed to Timanthes. . . .

Verse 3. - Their nobles - i.e. the upper classes of Judah and Jerusalem - have sent their little ones; rather, their mean ones; i.e. their servants, or perhaps (as Naegelsbach and Payne Smith) simply, "the common people;" it was not a matter concerning the rich alone. To the pits; i.e. to the cisterns. Covered their heads; a sign of the deepest mourning (2 Samuel 15:30; 2 Samuel 19:4; Esther 6:12).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
The nobles
וְאַדִּ֣רֵיהֶ֔ם (wə·’ad·di·rê·hem)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 117: Wide, large, powerful

send
שָׁלְח֥וּ (šā·lə·ḥū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 7971: To send away, for, out

their servants
צְעִירֵיהֶ֖ם (ṣə·‘î·rê·hem)
Adjective - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 6810: Little, insignificant, young

for water;
לַמָּ֑יִם (lam·mā·yim)
Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 4325: Water, juice, urine, semen

they go
בָּ֣אוּ (bā·’ū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

to
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

the cisterns,
גֵּבִ֞ים (gê·ḇîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 1356: A log, well, cistern

but find
מָ֣צְאוּ (mā·ṣə·’ū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 4672: To come forth to, appear, exist, to attain, find, acquire, to occur, meet, be present

no
לֹא־ (lō-)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

water
מַ֗יִם (ma·yim)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 4325: Water, juice, urine, semen

their jars
כְלֵיהֶם֙ (ḵə·lê·hem)
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 3627: Something prepared, any apparatus

return
שָׁ֤בוּ (šā·ḇū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 7725: To turn back, in, to retreat, again

empty.
רֵיקָ֔ם (rê·qām)
Adverb
Strong's 7387: Emptily, ineffectually, undeservedly

They are ashamed
בֹּ֥שׁוּ (bō·šū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 954: To pale, to be ashamed, to be disappointed, delayed

and humiliated;
וְהָכְלְמ֖וּ (wə·hā·ḵə·lə·mū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hofal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 3637: To wound, to taunt, insult

they cover
וְחָפ֥וּ (wə·ḥā·p̄ū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 2645: To cover, to veil, to encase, protect

their heads.
רֹאשָֽׁם׃ (rō·šām)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 7218: The head


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OT Prophets: Jeremiah 14:3 Their nobles send their little ones (Jer.)
Jeremiah 14:2
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