Jer 14 | ESV | STEP | The word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah concerning the drought :

2 ^b“Judah mourns,
and ^cher gates languish;
her people lament on the ground,
and ^dthe 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 ^eashamed and confounded
and ^fcover their heads.
4 Because of the ground that is dismayed,
since there is ^gno rain on the land,
the farmers are ashamed;
they cover their heads.
5 Even ^hthe doe in the field forsakes her newborn fawn
because there is no grass.
6 ⁱThe 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, ^jfor your name’s sake;
^kfor our backslidings are many;
^lwe have sinned against you.
8 ^mO 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,
ⁿlike a mighty warrior who cannot save?
Yet ^oyou, O Lord, are in the midst of us,
and ^pwe are called by your name;
^qdo not leave us.”
10 Thus says the Lord concerning this people:
“They have loved to wander thus;
they have not restrained their feet;
^rtherefore the Lord does not accept them;
^snow he will remember their iniquity
and punish their sins.”

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

Lying Prophets

13 Then I said: “Ah, Lord God, behold, the prophets ^wsay 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 ^xprophets are prophesying lies in my name. ^yI did not send them, nor did I command them or speak to them. They are prophesying to you a lying vision, ^zworthless divination, and ^aathe deceit of their own minds. 15 Therefore thus says the Lord concerning the prophets who prophesy in my name although ^abI did not send them, and who say, ^ac‘Sword and famine shall not come upon this land’: ^adBy 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, ^aewith 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:
^af‘Let my eyes run down with tears night and day,
and let them not cease,
for the virgin ^agdaughter of my people is shattered with a great wound,
^ahwith a very grievous blow.
18 ^aiIf I go out into the field,
behold, those pierced by the sword!
^ajAnd if I enter the city,
behold, the diseases of famine!
^akFor both prophet and priest ply their trade through the land
and have no knowledge.’”
19 ^alHave you utterly rejected Judah?
Does your soul loathe Zion?
Why have you struck us down
^amso that there is no healing for us?
^anWe looked for peace, but no good came;
^aofor a time of healing, but behold, terror.
20 ^apWe acknowledge our wickedness, O Lord,
and the iniquity of our fathers,
^aqfor we have sinned against you.
21 Do not spurn us, ^arfor your name’s sake;
do not dishonor your glorious throne;
^asremember and do not break your covenant with us.
22 Are there any among ^atthe false gods of the nations ^authat can bring rain?
Or can the heavens give showers?
Are you not he, O Lord our God?
We set our hope on you,
^avfor you do all these things.