Jeremiah 14

Brendaonline.com

Jeremiah 14:1-22 (KJV) 1 The word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah concerning the dearth. 

God spoke to Jeremiah during the time of lack.

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

The people of Judah are crying.   The city has fallen apart; what they were once used to has been destroyed right in front of their faces.

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. 

The rich sent their children to the waters: where water wants were now only a pit.  The children came back with empty vessels; they were ashamed and confused, so they covered their faces.

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

The ground was very dry.   The farmers did not know what to do, they were ashamed and they covered their heads. Perhaps people covered their heads because they felt responsible,  they felt like failures or it could have been that they owed so much money to others that they did not want to be identified.  Perhaps at one time, they boast of all they owned.  It could have been that they crying so hard.

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

 

Even the deers abandoned their young because there was nothing for them to eat.

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

The wild donkeys were starving because there was no grass while they stood on the highlands.

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. 

People begin to cry out to God and confessed that they were the reason that the land was not producing. They acknowledged that their sins caused all of the trouble they were in. They begged God to change his wrath against them to save His good name.

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? 

The people asked God saying, you are a stranger to us but yet you are our savior, why are you treating us like a visitor who is only going to stay for one 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. 

Lord, why are you responding like a man who Is confused? Yes you are God and you are our God; Lord, we are called by your name, please don’t leave us now.

Yeah you are God and we are your people, help us, Lord.

10 Thus saith the LORD unto this people, Thus have they loved to wander, they have not refrained their feet, therefore the LORD doth not accept them; he will now remember their iniquity, and visit their sins. 

The Lord responded to the people's cry, He said you love to do what I ask you not to do; now I am going to make you pay for the things that you have done wrong and I will not change my mind.

11 Then said the LORD unto me, Pray not for this people for [their] good. 

God commanded Jerimiah saying do not pray for these people.

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

Because of their continuous sin, I will not accept anything that they try to do that is right. I will destroy them using war and pestilence or diseases.

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. 

Then Jerimiah said lower the prophets told these people that they will not die and that You will give them peace in this place!

14 Then the LORD said unto me, The prophets prophesy lies in my name: I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spake unto them: they prophesy unto you a false vision and divination, and a thing of nought, and the deceit of their heart. 

The prophets used My name and lied to the people. I did not tell them what they told the people. What they said was only lies because of the deception in their own hearts and imaginations.

15 Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning 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. 

The very thing that the prophets lied about concerning me, our use against them. If they cried peace they were in return get death.

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 wickedness upon them. 

The people who listen to those prophets will die. The whole family will die and there will be nobody to bury 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. 

Jeremiah said let my eyes cry Lord, because of the sins of these people, and what will happen to them will be very hard because of their sins.

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! yea, both the prophet and the priest go about into a land that they know not. 

If I go to the city I will see dead bodies if I go to the country I will see dead bodies. The prophet and the priest in the land will not know what to do.

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 peace, and [there is] no good; and for the time of healing, and behold trouble! 

The people cried out to God and asked why was he killing them? We look for peas and we do not find them we want to be healed and all we have is trouble.

20 We acknowledge, O LORD, our wickedness, [and] the iniquity of our fathers: for we have sinned against thee.

 

The people try to repent again, they Reminded God of all of their sins against him.

21 Do not abhor [us], for thy name's sake, do not disgrace the throne of thy glory: remember, break not thy covenant with us. 

They again asked God to remember His good name and that we are your people; They said Lord, don’t break your promise to us.

22 Are there [any] among the vanities of the Gentiles that can cause rain? or can the heavens give showers? [art] not thou he, O LORD our God? therefore we will wait upon thee: for thou hast made all these [things].

We acknowledge that the false gods cannot give us rain. You are the Lord God therefore we will wait on you to make things good.