The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

 1 The word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah concerning the ^adearth.

 2 Judah mourneth, and the gates thereof languish; they are ^ablack unto the ground; and the cry of Jerusalem is gone up.

 3 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.

 4 Because the ground is chapt, for there was no ^arain in the earth, the plowmen were ashamed, they covered their heads.

 5 Yea, the hind also calved in the field, and forsook it, because there was no grass.

 6 And the wild asses did stand in the high places, they snuffed up the wind like ^adragons; their eyes did fail, because there was no grass.

 7 ¶O Lord, though our iniquities testify against us, do thou it for thy name’s sake: for our backslidings are many; we have sinned against thee.

 8 O the 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?

 9 Why shouldest thou be as a man astonied, as a mighty man that cannot save? yet thou, O Lord, art in the midst of us, and we are called by thy name; leave us not.

 10 ¶Thus saith the Lord unto this people, Thus have they loved to wander, they have not ^arefrained their feet, therefore the Lord doth not accept them; he will now remember their ^biniquity, and visit their sins.

 11 Then said the Lord unto me, ^aPray not for this people for their good.

 12 When they fast, I will not ^ahear their cry; and when they offer burnt offering and an oblation, I will not accept them: but I will ^bconsume them by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence.

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

 14 Then the Lord said unto me, The ^aprophets prophesy ^blies in my name: I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spake unto them: they prophesy unto you a false ^cvision and divination, and a thing of nought, and the ^ddeceit of their heart.

 15 Therefore thus saith the Lord concerning the prophets that prophesy in my name, and I ^asent them not, yet they say, Sword and famine shall not be in this land; By sword and famine shall those prophets be ^bconsumed.

 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 ^abury them, them, their wives, nor their sons, nor their daughters: for I will pour their wickedness upon them.

 17 ¶Therefore 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 ^aslain with the sword! and if I enter into the city, then behold them that are sick with famine! yea, both the prophet and the priest go about into a ^bland that they know not.

 19 Hast thou utterly rejected Judah? hath thy soul lothed Zion? why hast thou smitten us, and there is no healing for us? we looked for ^apeace, and there is no good; and for the time of healing, and behold trouble!

 20 We ^aacknowledge, O Lord, our wickedness, and the iniquity of our fathers: for we have ^bsinned against thee.

 21 Do not abhor us, for thy name’s sake, do not disgrace the throne of thy glory: remember, break not thy ^acovenant with us.

 22 Are there any among the ^avanities of the Gentiles that can cause rain? or can the heavens give ^bshowers? art not thou he, O Lord our God? therefore we will wait upon thee: for thou hast ^cmade all these things.