| Christian Standard Bible | NET Bible |
| 1This is the word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah concerning the drought: | 1The LORD spoke to Jeremiah about the drought. |
| 2Judah mourns; her city gates languish. Her people are on the ground in mourning; Jerusalem's cry rises up. | 2"The people of Judah are in mourning. The people in her cities are pining away. They lie on the ground expressing their sorrow. Cries of distress come up to me from Jerusalem. |
| 3Their 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. | 3The 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. |
| 4The ground is cracked since no rain has fallen on the land. The farmers are ashamed; they cover their heads. | 4They are dismayed because the ground is cracked because there has been no rain in the land. The farmers, too, are dismayed and bury their faces in their hands. |
| 5Even the doe in the field gives birth and abandons her fawn since there is no grass. | 5Even the doe abandons her newborn fawn in the field because there is no grass. |
| 6Wild donkeys stand on the barren heights panting for air like jackals. Their eyes fail because there are no green plants. | 6Wild donkeys stand on the hilltops and pant for breath like jackals. Their eyes are strained looking for food, because there is none to be found." |
| 7Though our iniquities testify against us, LORD, act for your name's sake. Indeed, our rebellions are many; we have sinned against you. | 7Then I said, "O LORD, intervene for the honor of your name even though our sins speak out against us. Indeed, we have turned away from you many times. We have sinned against you. |
| 8Hope of Israel, its Savior in time of distress, why are you like a resident alien in the land, like a traveler stopping only for the night? | 8You have been the object of Israel's hopes. You have saved them when they were in trouble. Why have you become like a resident foreigner in the land? Why have you become like a traveler who only stops in to spend the night? |
| 9Why are you like a helpless man, like a warrior unable to save? Yet you are among us, LORD, and we bear your name. Don't leave us! | 9Why should you be like someone who is helpless, like a champion who cannot save anyone? You are indeed with us, and we belong to you. Do not abandon us!" |
| 10This is what the LORD says concerning these people: Truly they love to wander; they never rest their feet. So the LORD does not accept them. Now he will remember their iniquity and punish their sins. | 10Then the LORD spoke about these people. "They truly love to go astray. They cannot keep from running away from me. So I am not pleased with them. I will now call to mind the wrongs they have done and punish them for their sins." |
| 11Then the LORD said to me, "Do not pray for the well-being of these people. | 11Then the LORD said to me, "Do not pray for good to come to these people! |
| 12If they fast, I will not hear their cry of despair. If they offer burnt offering and grain offering, I will not accept them. Rather, I will finish them off by sword, famine, and plague." | 12Even if they fast, I will not hear their cries for help. Even if they offer burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them. Instead, I will kill them through wars, famines, and plagues." |
| 13And I replied, "Oh no, Lord GOD! The prophets are telling them, 'You won't see sword or suffer famine. I will certainly give you lasting peace in this place.'" | 13Then I said, "Oh, Lord GOD, look! The prophets are telling them that you said, 'You will not experience war or suffer famine. I will give you lasting peace and prosperity in this land.'" |
| 14But the LORD said to me, "These prophets are prophesying a lie in my name. I did not send them, nor did I command them or speak to them. They are prophesying to you a false vision, worthless divination, the deceit of their own minds. | 14Then the LORD said to me, "Those prophets are prophesying lies while claiming my authority! I did not send them. I did not commission them. I did not speak to them. They are prophesying to these people false visions, worthless predictions, and the delusions of their own mind. |
| 15"Therefore, this is what the LORD says concerning the prophets who prophesy in my name, though I did not send them, and who say, 'There will never be sword or famine in this land.' By sword and famine these prophets will meet their end. | 15I did not send those prophets, though they claim to be prophesying in my name. They may be saying, 'No war or famine will happen in this land.' But I, the LORD, say this about them: 'War and starvation will kill those prophets.' |
| 16The people they are prophesying to will be thrown into the streets of Jerusalem because of the famine and the sword. There will be no one to bury them--they, their wives, their sons, and their daughters. I will pour out their own evil on them." | 16The people to whom they are prophesying will die through war and famine. Their bodies will be thrown out into the streets of Jerusalem and there will be no one to bury them. This will happen to the men and their wives, their sons, and their daughters. For I will pour out on them the destruction they deserve." |
| 17You are to speak this word to them: Let my eyes overflow with tears; day and night may they not stop, for the virgin daughter of my people has been destroyed by a crushing blow, an extremely severe wound. | 17"Tell these people this, Jeremiah: 'My eyes overflow with tears day and night without ceasing. For my people, my dear children, have suffered a crushing blow. They have suffered a serious wound. |
| 18If I go out to the field, look--those slain by the sword! If I enter the city, look--those ill from famine! For both prophet and priest travel to a land they do not know. | 18If I go out into the countryside, I see those who have been killed in battle. If I go into the city, I see those who are sick because of starvation. For both prophet and priest go about their own business in the land without having any real understanding.'" |
| 19Have you completely rejected Judah? Do you detest Zion? Why do you strike us with no hope of healing for us? We hoped for peace, but there was nothing good; for a time of healing, but there was only terror. | 19Then I said, "LORD, have you completely rejected the nation of Judah? Do you despise the city of Zion? Why have you struck us with such force that we are beyond recovery? We hope for peace, but nothing good has come of it. We hope for a time of relief from our troubles, but experience terror. |
| 20We acknowledge our wickedness, LORD, the iniquity of our fathers; indeed, we have sinned against you. | 20LORD, we confess that we have been wicked. We confess that our ancestors have done wrong. We have indeed sinned against you. |
| 21For your name's sake, don't despise us. Don't disdain your glorious throne. Remember your covenant with us; do not break it. | 21For the honor of your name, do not treat Jerusalem with contempt. Do not treat with disdain the place where your glorious throne sits. Be mindful of your covenant with us. Do not break it! |
| 22Can any of the worthless idols of the nations bring rain? Or can the skies alone give showers? Are you not the LORD our God? We therefore put our hope in you, for you have done all these things. | 22Do any of the worthless idols of the nations cause rain to fall? Do the skies themselves send showers? Is it not you, O Lord our God, who does this? So we put our hopes in you because you alone do all this." |
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