1  The word of YHWH that came to Jeremiah concerning the droughts.

1  AND THE WORD OF THE LORD CAME TO JEREMIAS CONCERNING THE DROUGHT.

2  Judah mourneth, and the gates thereof languish, they bow down in black unto the ground; and the cry of Jerusalem is gone up.

2  Judea has mourned, and her gates are emptied, and are darkened upon the earth; and the cry of Jerusalem is gone up.

3  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.

3  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.

3  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.

4  Because of the ground which is cracked, for there hath been no rain in the land, the plowmen are ashamed, they cover their heads.

4  And the labours of the land failed, because there was no rain: the husbandmen were ashamed, they covered their heads.

4  Because of the devastation of the earth, because rain did not fall upon the earth, the farmers were confounded; they covered their heads.

5  Yea, the hind also in the field calveth, and forsaketh her young, because there is no grass,

5  And hinds calved in the field, and forsook it, because there was no grass.

5  For even the doe has given birth in the field, and then left it behind. For there was no grass.

6  And the wild asses stand on the high hills, they gasp for air like jackals; their eyes fail, because there is no herbage.

6  The wild asses stood by the forests, and snuffed up the wind; their eyes failed, because there was no grass.

6  And the wild donkeys stood upon the rocks; like dragons, they drew in the wind, but their eyes failed. For there was no grass.”

7  Though our iniquities testify against us, O YHWH, work Thou for Thy name's sake; for our backslidings are many, we have sinned against Thee.

7  Our sins have risen up against us: O Lord, do thou for us for thine own sake; for our sins are many before thee; for we have sinned against thee.

7  “O Lord, if our iniquities have responded against us, let it be for the sake of your name. For our rebellions are many; we have sinned against you.

8  O Thou hope of Israel, the Saviour thereof in time of trouble, why shouldest Thou be as a stranger in the land, and as a wayfaring man that turneth aside to tarry for a night?

8  O Lord, thou art the hope of Israel, and deliverest us in time of troubles; why art thou become as a sojourner upon the land, or as one born in the land, yet turning aside for a resting-place?

8  O Hope of Israel, its Savior in time of tribulation, why would you be like a sojourner in the land, and like a traveler turning aside for lodging?

9  Why shouldest thou be as a man overcome, as a mighty man that cannot save? Yet Thou, O YHWH, art in the midst of us, and Thy name is called upon us; leave us not.

9  Why would you be like a wandering man, like a strong man who is unable to save? But you, O Lord, are with us, and your name is invoked over us, so do not abandon us!”

10  Thus saith YHWH unto this people: Even so have they loved to wander, they have not refrained their feet; therefore the YHWH doth not accept them, now will He remember their iniquity, and punish their sins.

10  Thus saith the Lord to this people, They have loved to wander, and they have not spared, therefore God has not prospered them; now will he remember their iniquity.

10  Thus says the Lord to this people, who have loved to move their feet, and who have not rested, but who have not pleased the Lord: “Now he will remember their iniquities, and now he will visit against their sins.”

11  And YHWH said unto me: 'Pray not for this people for their good.

11  And the Lord said to me, Pray not for this people for their good

12  When they fast, I will not hear their cry; and when they offer burnt-offering and meal-offering, I will not accept them; but I will consume them by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence.'

12  for though they fast, I will not hear their supplication; and though they offer whole-burnt-offerings and sacrifices, I will take no pleasure in them: for I will consume them with sword, and with famine, and with pestilence.

13  Then said I: 'Ah, Lord GOD! behold, the prophets say unto them: Ye shall not see the sword, neither shall ye have famine; but I will give you assured peace in this place.'

13  And I said, O ever living Lord! behold, their prophets prophesy, and say, Ye shall not see a sword, nor shall famine be among you; for I will give truth and peace on the land, and in this place.

13  Then I said, Hear me, I beseech thee, O LORD God! Behold, the prophets say to the people, You shall not see the sword, neither shall you have famine, but I will give you assured peace and justice in this country.

14  Then YHWH said unto me: 'The prophets prophesy lies in My name; I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spoke I unto them; they prophesy unto you a lying vision, and divination, and a thing of nought, and the deceit of their own heart.

14  Then the Lord said to me, The prophets prophesy lies in my name: I sent them not, and I commanded them not, and I spoke not to them: for they prophesy to you false visions, and divinations, and auguries, and devices of their own heart.

14  And the Lord said to me: “The prophets prophesy falsely in my name. I did not send them, and I did not instruct them, and I have not spoken to them. They prophesy to you a lying vision, and a divination, and a fraud, and a seduction from their own heart.

15  Therefore thus saith YHWH: As for the prophets that prophesy in My name, and I sent them not, yet they say: Sword and famine shall not be in this land, by sword and famine shall those prophets be consumed;

15  For this reason, thus says the Lord about the prophets who prophesy in my name, whom I have not sent, who say: ‘Sword and famine will not be in this land.’ By sword and famine those prophets will be consumed.

16  and the people to whom they prophesy shall be cast out in the streets of Jerusalem because of the famine and the sword; and they shall have none to bury them, them, their wives, nor their sons, nor their daughters; for I will pour their evil upon them.'

17  And thou shalt say this word unto them: Let mine eyes run down with tears night and day, and let them not cease; for the virgin daughter of my people is broken with a great breach, with a very grievous blow.

18  If I go forth into the field, then behold the slain with the sword! And if I enter into the city, then behold them that are sick with famine! For both the prophet and the priest are gone about to a land, and knew it not.

18  “If I go out into the fields: behold, those slain by the sword. And if I enter into the city: behold, those weakened by famine. Likewise, the prophet, too, and the priest, have gone into a land that they did not know.

19  Hast Thou utterly rejected Judah? Hath Thy soul loathed Zion? Why hast Thou smitten us, and there is no healing for us? We looked for peace, but no good came; and for a time of healing, and behold terror!

19  Could you have utterly cast out Judah? Or has your soul abhorred Zion? Then why have you struck us, so much so that there is no health for us? We have waited for peace, but there is nothing good, and for the time of healing, and behold, trouble.

20  We acknowledge, O YHWH, our wickedness, even the iniquity of our fathers; for we have sinned against Thee.

20  We know, O Lord, our sins, and the iniquities of our fathers: for we have sinned before thee.

20  O Lord, we acknowledge our impieties, the iniquities of our fathers, that we have sinned against you.

21  Do not contemn us, for Thy name's sake, do not dishonour the throne of Thy glory; remember, break not Thy covenant with us.

21  Refrain for thy name’s sake, destroy not the throne of thy glory: remember, break not thy covenant with us.

21  For the sake of your name, do not give us over into disgrace. And do not dishonor in us the throne of your glory. Remember, do not make void, your covenant with us.

22  Are there any among the vanities of the nations that can cause rain? or can the heavens give showers? Art not Thou He, O YHWH our God, and do we not wait for Thee? For Thou hast made all these things.

15:1  Then said YHWH unto me: 'Though Moses and Samuel stood before Me, yet My mind could not be toward this people; cast them out of My sight, and let them go forth.

1  And the Lord said to me, Though Moses and Samuel stood before my face, my soul could not be toward them: dismiss this people, and let them go forth.

1  THEN the LORD said to me, Though Moses and Samuel stood before me pleading, yet my soul would not be pleased with this people; but I will cast them out of my sight and let them go.

15:2  And it shall come to pass, when they say unto thee: Whither shall we go forth? then thou shall tell them: Thus saith YHWH: Such as are for death, to death; and such as are for the sword, to the sword; and such as are for the famine, to the famine; and such as are for captivity, to captivity.

2  And it shall be, if they say to thee, Whither shall we go forth? then thou shalt say to them, Thus saith the Lord; As many as are for death, to death; and as many as are for famine, to famine; and as many as are for the sword, to the sword; and as many as are for captivity, to captivity.

2  And if they say to you, ‘Where shall we go?’ you shall say to them: Thus says the Lord: Those who go to death, shall go to death. And those who go to the sword, shall go to the sword, and those go to famine, shall go to famine, and those who go to captivity, shall go to captivity.

15:3  And I will appoint over them four kinds, saith YHWH: the sword to slay, and the dogs to drag, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of the earth, to devour and to destroy.

3  And I will visit against them in four ways, says the Lord: by the sword, to kill; and by dogs, to tear apart; and by the birds of the air and by the beasts of the earth, to devour and to scatter.

3  And I will decree against them four kinds of afflictions, says the LORD: The sword to slay, the dogs to tear, and the fowls of the air and the wild beasts of the earth to devour and destroy.

15:4  And I will cause them to be a horror among all the kingdoms of the earth, because of Manasseh the son of Hezekiah king of Judah, for that which he did in Jerusalem.

15:5  For who shall have pity upon thee, O Jerusalem? Or who shall bemoan thee? Or who shall turn aside to ask of thy welfare?

5  Who will spare thee, O Jerusalem? and who will fear for thee? or who will turn back to ask for thy welfare?

5  For who will take pity on you, O Jerusalem? Or who will feel sorrow for you? Or who will go to prayer for the sake of your peace?

15:6  Thou hast cast Me off, saith YHWH, thou art gone backward; Therefore do I stretch out My hand against thee, and destroy thee; I am weary with repenting.

6  You have abandoned me, says the Lord. You have gone backwards. And so, I will extend my hand over you, and I will destroy you. I have labored to plead with you.

6  You have forsaken me, says the LORD, you are gone backward; therefore I will stretch out my hand against you and destroy you; and I shall not spare you again.

15:7  And I fan them with a fan in the gates of the land; I bereave them of children, I destroy My people, since they return not from their ways.

7  And I will completely scatter them; in the gates of my people they are bereaved of children: they have destroyed my people because of their iniquities.

7  And I will scatter them with a winnowing fan at the gates of the land. I have killed and dispersed my people, and yet they have not turned back from their ways.

15:8  Their widows are increased to Me above the sand of the seas; I bring upon them, against the mother, a chosen one, even a spoiler at noonday; I cause anguish and terrors to fall upon her suddenly.

8  Their widows have been multiplied more than the sand of the sea: I have brought young men against the mother, even distress at noon-day: I have suddenly cast upon her trembling and anxiety.

15:9  She that hath borne seven languisheth; her spirit droopeth; her sun is gone down while it was yet day, she is ashamed and confounded; and the residue of them will I deliver to the sword before their enemies, saith YHWH.'

9  She who gave birth to seven has become weak. Her life has faded away. Her sun has set while it was still daytime. She has been confounded and shamed. And the remainder of them I will give over to the sword in the sight of their enemies, says the Lord.”

9  She who has borne seven children languishes; her pride is gone; her sun has gone down while it was yet day; she has been ashamed and confounded; and the rest of them I will deliver to the sword before their enemies, says the LORD.

15:10  Woe is me, my mother, that thou hast borne me a man of strife and a man of contention to the whole earth! I have not lent, neither have men lent to me; yet every one of them doth curse me.

10  “O my mother, woe to me! Why did you conceive me, a man of strife, a man of discord to all the earth? I have not lent money at interest, nor has anyone lent money at interest to me. Yet everyone is cursing me.”

10  Woe is me, my mother, that you have borne me a judge, a rebuker to the whole earth. I am neither a debtor, nor a creditor; yet all of them curse me.

15:11  YHWH said: 'Verily I will release thee for good; verily I will cause the enemy to make supplication unto thee in the time of evil and in the time of affliction.

11  Be it so, Lord, in their prosperity; surely I stood before thee in the time of their calamities, and in the time of their affliction, for their good against the enemy.

11  The Lord says: “Certainly, it will be well with your remnant. Certainly, I will run to meet you, in the time of affliction and in the time of tribulation, against the enemy.

15:12  Can iron break iron from the north and brass?

12  Will iron be known? whereas thy strength is a brazen covering.

12  For he is hard as iron and as brass.

15:13  Thy substance and thy treasures will I give for a spoil without price, and that for all thy sins, even in all thy borders.

13  Your riches and your treasures I will give over to be freely despoiled, because of all your sins, even throughout all your borders.

15:14  And I will make thee to pass with thine enemies into a land which thou knowest not; for a fire is kindled in My nostril, which shall burn upon you.'

14  And I will lead in your enemies from a land that you do not know. For a fire has been kindled in my fury; it will burn upon you.”

15:15  Thou, O YHWH, knowest; Remember me, and think of me, and avenge me of my persecutors; take me not away because of Thy long-suffering; know that for Thy sake I have suffered taunts.

15  O Lord, remember me, and visit me, and vindicate me before them that persecute me; do not bear long with them; know how I have met with reproach for thy sake, from those who set at nought thy words;

15  “You know me, O Lord. Remember me, and visit me, and watch over me, because of those who persecute me. In your patience, do not choose to let me endure. You know I have suffered reproach because of you.

15:16  Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and Thy words were unto me a joy and the rejoicing of my heart; because Thy name was called on me, O YHWH God of hosts.

16  consume them; and thy word shall be to me for the joy and gladness of my heart: for thy name has been called upon me, O Lord Almighty.

15:17  I sat not in the assembly of them that make merry, nor rejoiced; I sat alone because of Thy hand; for Thou hast filled me with indignation.

17  I did not sit in the company of mockers, nor did I glorify myself before the presence of your hand. I sat alone, because you filled me with threats.

17  O LORD God of hosts, I did not sit in the assembly of the mockers, but I was afraid because of thy hand, and I sat alone; for thou hast filled me with indignation.

15:18  Why is my pain perpetual, and my wound incurable, so that it refuseth to be healed? Wilt Thou indeed be unto me as a deceitful brook, as waters that fail?

18  Why do they that grieve me prevail against me? my wound is severe; whence shall I be healed? it is indeed become to me as deceitful water, that has no faithfulness.

18  Why has my sorrow become never-ending, and why has my wound become so dire that it refuses to be cured? It has become for me like the deception of untrustworthy waters.”

15:19  Therefore thus saith YHWH: If thou return, and I bring thee back, thou shalt stand before Me; and if thou bring forth the precious out of the vile, thou shalt be as My mouth; let them return unto thee, but thou shalt not return unto them.

19  Because of this, thus says the Lord: “If you will be converted, I will convert you. And you will stand before my face. And you will separate what is precious from what is vile. You will be my mouthpiece. They will be converted to you, but you will not be converted to them.

15:20  And I will make thee unto this people a fortified brazen wall; and they shall fight against thee, but they shall not prevail against thee; for I am with thee to save thee and to deliver thee, saith YHWH.

20  And I will present you to this people as a strong wall of brass. And they will fight against you, and they will not prevail. For I am with you, so as to save you and to rescue you, says the Lord.

15:21  And I will deliver thee out of the hand of the wicked, and I will redeem thee out of the hand of the terrible.

21  for I am with thee to save thee, and to deliver thee out of the hand of wicked men; and I will ransom thee out of the hand of pestilent men.

21  And I will free you from hand of those who are most wicked, and I will redeem you from the hand of the powerful.”

16:1  The word of YHWH came also unto me, saying

1  And thou shalt not take a wife, saith the Lord God of Israel

1  And the word of the Lord came to me, saying

16:2  Thou shalt not take thee a wife, neither shalt thou have sons or daughters in this place.

2  and there shall be no son born to thee, nor daughter in this place.

2  “You shall not take a wife, and there shall be no sons or daughters for you in this place.

16:3  For thus saith YHWH concerning the sons and concerning the daughters that are born in this place, and concerning their mothers that bore them, and concerning their fathers that begot them in this land

3  For thus says the Lord concerning the sons and daughters who are conceived in this place, and concerning their mothers who give birth to them, and concerning their fathers, from whose stock they have been born in this land

16:4  They shall die of grievous deaths; they shall not be lamented, neither shall they be buried, they shall be as dung upon the face of the ground; and they shall be consumed by the sword, and by famine; and their carcasses shall be meat for the fowls of heaven, and for the beasts of the earth.

4  They will die from grievous mortal illnesses. They will not be mourned, and they will not be buried. They will be like manure on the face of the earth. And they will be consumed by sword and by famine. And their dead bodies will be food for the birds of the air and the beasts of the land.”

16:5  For thus saith YHWH: Enter not into the house of mourning, neither go to lament, neither bemoan them; for I have taken away My peace from this people, saith the YHWH, even mercy and compassion.

5  Thus saith the Lord, Enter not into their mourning feast, and go not to lament, and mourn not for them: for I have removed my peace from this people.

5  For thus says the Lord: “You shall not enter the house of feasting, and you shall not go to mourn or to console them. For I have taken away from this people, says the Lord, my peace, my mercy, and my pity.

16:6  Both the great and the small shall die in this land; they shall not be buried; neither shall men lament for them, nor cut themselves, nor make themselves bald for them;

6  They shall not bewail them, nor make cuttings for them, and they shall not shave themselves for them

16:7  neither shall men break bread for them in mourning, to comfort them for the dead; neither shall men give them the cup of consolation to drink for their father or for their mother.

7  and there shall be no bread broken in mourning for them for consolation over the dead: they shall not give one to drink a cup for consolation over his father or his mother.

7  And they will not break bread among themselves for the sake of him who mourns, so as to console him over the dead. And they will not give them a chalice to drink, so as to console them over their father and mother.

16:8  And thou shalt not go into the house of feasting to sit with them, to eat and to drink.

8  Thou shalt not enter into the banquet-house, to sit with them to eat and to drink.

8  And so, you shall not enter the house of feasting, so as to sit with them, and to eat and drink.”

16:9  For thus saith YHWH of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will cause to cease out of this place, before your eyes and in your days, the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride.

16:10  And it shall come to pass, when thou shalt tell this people all these words, and they shall say unto thee: 'Wherefore hath YHWH pronounced all this great evil against us? or what is our iniquity? or what is our sin that we have committed against the YHWH our God?'

10  And when you announce all these words to this people, they will say to you: ‘Why would the Lord pronounce all this great evil against us? What is our iniquity and what is our sin that we have committed against the Lord our God?’

16:11  then shalt thou say unto them: 'Because your fathers have forsaken Me, saith YHWH, and have walked after other gods, and have served them, and have worshipped them, and have forsaken Me, and have not kept My law;

11  Then thou shalt say to them, Because your fathers forsook me, saith the Lord, and went after strange gods and served them, and worshipped them, and forsook me, and kept not my law;

11  And you shall say to them: It is because your fathers abandoned me, says the Lord. And they went after strange gods, and they served them and adored them. And they abandoned me, and they did not keep my law.

16:12  and ye have done worse than your fathers; for, behold, ye walk every one after the stubbornness of his evil heart, so that ye hearken not unto Me;

12  But you have acted even worse than your fathers. For behold, each one walks after the depravity of his own evil heart, so that he does not listen to me.

12  And you have done worse than your fathers; for, behold, you walk away every one after the imagination of his evil heart, that you may not hearken to me;

16:13  therefore will I cast you out of this land into a land that ye have not known, neither ye nor your fathers; and there shall ye serve other gods day and night; forasmuch as I will show you no favour.'

13  And so, I will cast you out of this land, into a land that you do not know, and that your fathers did not know. And in that place, you will serve, day and night, strange gods who will not give you rest.

16:14  Therefore, behold, the days come, saith YHWH, that it shall no more be said: 'As the YHWH liveth, that brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt,'

14  Now, behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when it shall no more be said, The LORD lives who brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt;

16:15  but: 'As YHWH liveth, that brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north, and from all the countries whither He had driven them'; and I will bring them back into their land that I gave unto their fathers.

15  but, The Lord lives, who brought up the house of Israel from the land of the north, and from all countries whither they were thrust out: and I will restore them to their own land, which I gave to their fathers.

15  but instead, ‘As the Lord lives, who led the sons of Israel away from the land of the north,’ and from all the lands to which I have cast them out. And I will lead them back into their own land, which I gave to their fathers.

16:16  Behold, I will send for many fishers, saith YHWH, and they shall fish them; and afterward I will send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain, and from every hill, and out of the clefts of the rocks.

16:17  For Mine eyes are upon all their ways, they are not hid from My face; Neither is their iniquity concealed from Mine eyes.

17  For my eyes are upon all their ways. They have not been hidden from my face, and their iniquity has not been concealed from my eyes.

16:18  And first I will recompense their iniquity and their sin double; because they have profaned My land; they have filled Mine inheritance with the carcasses of their detestable things and their abominations.

18  And I will recompense their mischiefs doubly, and their sins, whereby they have profaned my land with the carcases of their abominations, and with their iniquities, whereby they have trespassed against mine inheritance.

18  But first, I will repay their double iniquities and their sins. For they have defiled my land with the dead bodies of their idols, and they have filled my inheritance with their abominations.”

16:19  O YHWH, my strength, and my stronghold, and my refuge, in the day of affliction, unto Thee shall the nations come from the ends of the earth, and shall say: 'Our fathers have inherited nought but lies, vanity and things wherein there is no profit.'

19  O Lord, thou art my strength, and mine help, and my refuge in days of evil: to thee the Gentiles shall come from the end of the earth, and shall say, How vain were the idols which our fathers procured to themselves, and there is no help in them.

19  “O Lord, my strength, and my health, and my refuge in the day of tribulation: the Gentiles will approach you from the ends of the earth, and they will say: ‘Truly, our fathers possessed a lie, an emptiness that has not benefited them.’

16:20  Shall a man make unto himself gods, and they are no gods?

20  Will a man make gods for himself, whereas these are no gods?

20  Behold, men make gods to themselves, and they are no gods.

16:21  Therefore, behold, I will cause them to know, this once will I cause them to know My hand and My might; and they shall know that My name is YHWH.

21  “Concerning this, behold: I will make it clear to them, in this turn. I will reveal to them my hand and my virtue. And they will know that the Lord is my name.”