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Jeremiah 14

Jeremiah book home•Chapter 14 of 52•22 verses

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Jeremiah 14 Overview

A severe drought exposes Judah’s helplessness; Jeremiah confesses national sin and pleads for mercy, but the LORD says judgment must proceed and condemns prophets who promise peace without divine commission.

JeremiahBook

14Chapter

22Verses

Major ProphetsDivision

Before you read Jeremiah 14

Coming from

Jeremiah’s ruined linen girdle dramatizes Judah’s ruined pride, wine jars symbolize coming staggering judgment, and the prophet warns king and queen mother before lamenting Judah’s inability to change entrenched evil.

In this chapter

Leads into

The LORD says even Moses and Samuel would not turn away Judah’s appointed judgment; Jeremiah laments his lonely prophetic life, is corrected for despairing speech, and is recommissioned to stand as a fortified wall.

Key understandingExplore deeper

Natural disaster becomes a setting for covenant crisis. The chapter alternates between communal lament, prophetic intercession, and God’s refusal to endorse false optimism.

The interpretive center of Jeremiah 14 is the chapter’s own movement: disaster can reveal dependence on god. Read its poetry, signs, historical references, and later biblical connections from that center rather than treating isolated phrases as detached slogans.

Major truths in this chapterExplore deeper

Disaster can reveal dependence on God

People, animals, land, and water sources all fail under drought.

Confession does not make God manipulable

Jeremiah acknowledges sin, yet consequences long delayed may still arrive.

False prophets often offer what people most want to hear

Peace, safety, and exemption from famine are proclaimed without God’s word.

Connections to the rest of ScriptureExplore deeper

Deuteronomy 28:23-24

Drought is among the covenant curses for persistent disobedience.

Jeremiah 23

Jeremiah later gives a fuller exposure of prophets who speak visions from their own hearts.

1 Kings 17–18

Elijah’s drought during Ahab’s reign provides another historical example of drought as covenant judgment.

What is clear, and where care is neededExplore deeper

Do not assume every modern drought is direct punishment for specific national sins.

This drought is interpreted by inspired prophecy within Judah’s Mosaic covenant setting.

Do not treat all positive preaching as false.

The problem is claiming God promised peace when He had actually announced judgment.

Read Jeremiah 14 watching for…

the empty water pits

Jeremiah’s confession

God refusing easy intercession

false prophets promising peace

sword, famine, and pestilence

Chapter outline3 sections

1-9A severe drought causes national mourning, and Jeremiah pleads for the people 10-16The LORD rejects wandering Judah and condemns false prophets promising peace 17-22Jeremiah laments the people’s wounds and asks God to remember his covenant

The word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah concerning the dearth.

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

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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

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

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.

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Jeremiah 14:8

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