Yaram'Yahu (Jeremiah) — 14

Yahudah’s Terrible Drought

1 This message came to Yaramyahu from 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH, explaining why He was holding back the rain:

2 “Yahudah languish; commerce at the city gates grinds to a halt, all the people sit on the ground in mourning, and a great cry rises from Yahushalam.

3 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.

4 The ground is parched and cracked for lack of rain, the farmers are deeply troubled; they, too, cover their heads.

5 Even the deer abandons her newborn fawn because there is no grass in the field.

6 The wild donkeys stand on the bare hills panting like thirsty jackals, they strain their eyes looking for grass, but there is none to be found.”

7 The people say, “Our wickedness has caught up with us, O 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH help us for the sake of your own reputation, We have turned away from you and sinned against you again and again.

8 O Hope of Yashar'AL, our Savior in times of trouble, why are you like a stranger to us? why are you like a traveler passing through the land, stopping only for the night?

9 Are you also confused? Is our champion helpless to save us? You are right here among us, O 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH We are known as your people, Please do not abandon us now!”

10 So this is what 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH Dabar to His people: “You love to wander far from me and do not restrain yourselves, therefore, I will no longer accept you as my people, Now I will remember all your wickedness and will punish you for your sins.”

YAHUAH Forbids Yaramyahu to Intercede

11 Then 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH Dabar to me, “Do not pray for these people anymore. 

12 When they fast, I will pay no attention. When they present their burnt offerings and grain offerings to me, I will not accept them. Instead, I will devour them with war, famine, and disease.”

13 Then I said, “O 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH, their prophets are telling them, ‘all is well, no war or famine will come.  𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH will surely send you Shalum.’”

14 Then 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH Dabar, “These prophets are telling lies in my Name, I did not send them or tell them to speak, I did not give them any messages, They prophesy of visions and revelations they have never seen or heard, they speak foolishness made up in their own lying hearts. 

15 Therefore, this is what  𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH Dabar: I will punish these lying prophets, for they have spoken in my Name even though I never sent them. They say that no war or famine will come, but they themselves will die by war and famine! 

16 As for the people to whom they prophesy, their bodies will be thrown out into the streets of Yahushalam as victims of famine and war, there will be no one left to bury them, husbands, wives, sons, and daughters, all will be gone, For I will pour out their own wickedness on them. 

17 Now, Yaramyahu, say this to them: “Night and day my eyes overflow with tears. I cannot stop weeping, for my virgin daughter, my precious people has been struck down and lies mortally wounded.

18 If I go out into the fields, I see the bodies of people slaughtered by the enemy, If I walk the city streets, I see people who have died of starvation, the prophets and priests continue with their work, but they do not know what they are doing.”

A Prayer for Healing

19 O 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH, have you completely rejected Yahudah? Do you really hate Yahushalam? Why have you wounded us past all hope of healing? We hoped for Shalum, but no Shalum came, We hoped for a time of healing, but found only terror.

20 O 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH, we confess our wickedness and that of our ancestors. We all have sinned against you.

21 For the sake of your reputation, do not abandon us, Do not dishonor your own Esteemed throne, Please remember us O 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH, and do not break your covenant with us.

22 Can any of the worthless foreign idols send us rain? Does it fall from the sky by itself? No, you are the one, O 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH our 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH! Only you can do such things, So we will wait for you to help us.