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¹ That which has been the word of YHWH to Jeremiah concerning the matters of the scarcities:² "Judah has mourned, and her gates have languished, || They have mourned to the earth, || And the cry of Jerusalem has gone up.³ And their majestic ones have sent their little ones to the water, || They have come to ditches, || They have not found water, || They have turned back—their vessels empty! They have been ashamed, || And have blushed and covered their head.⁴ Because the ground has been broken, || For there has been no rain in the land, || Farmers have been ashamed, || They have covered their head.⁵ For even the doe in the field has brought forth—to forsake [it!] || For there has been no grass.⁶ And wild donkeys have stood on high places, || They have swallowed up wind like dragons, || Their eyes have been consumed, for there is no herb."⁷ Surely our iniquities have testified against us, || O YHWH, work for Your Name's sake, || For our backslidings have been many, || We have sinned against You.⁸ O Hope of Israel—its Savior in time of trouble, || Why are You as a sojourner in the land? And as a traveler turned aside to lodge?⁹ Why are You as one mute? As a mighty one not able to save? And You [are] in our midst, O YHWH, || And Your Name is called over us, || Do not leave us.

¹⁰ Thus said YHWH concerning this people: "They have loved to wander well, || They have not restrained their feet, || And YHWH has not accepted them, || Now He remembers their iniquity, || And inspects their sin."¹¹ And YHWH says to me: "You do not pray for this people for good.¹² When they fast, I do not listen to their cry, and when they cause burnt-offering and present to ascend, I do not accept them; for I am consuming them by sword, and by famine, and by pestilence."¹³ And I say, "Aah! Lord YHWH, behold, the prophets are saying to them: You do not see a sword, indeed, famine is not [on] you, for I give true peace to you in this place."¹⁴ And YHWH says to me: "The prophets are prophesying falsehood in My Name. I did not send them, nor command them, nor have I spoken to them. A false vision, and divination, and vanity—indeed, they are prophesying the deceit of their own heart to you.¹⁵ Therefore, thus said YHWH concerning the prophets who are prophesying in My Name and I have not sent them, and they are saying, Sword and famine is not in this land: By sword and by famine are these prophets consumed.¹⁶ And the people to whom they are prophesying are cast into out-places of Jerusalem, because of the famine and the sword, and they have none burying them—them, their wives, and their sons, and their daughters—and I have poured out their evil on them.

¹⁷ And you have said this word to them: Tears come down my eyes night and day, || And they do not cease, || For [with] a great breach, || The virgin daughter of my people has been broken, || A very grievous stroke.¹⁸ If I have gone forth to the field, || Then, behold, the pierced of the sword! And if I have entered the city, || Then, behold, the diseased of famine! For both prophet and priest have gone up and down || To a land that they did not know."¹⁹ Have You utterly rejected Judah? Has Your soul loathed Zion? Why have You struck us, || And there is no healing to us? Looking for peace, and there is no good, || And for a time of healing, and behold, terror.²⁰ We have known, O YHWH, our wickedness, || The iniquity of our fathers, || For we have sinned against You.²¹ Do not despise, for Your Name's sake, || Do not dishonor the throne of Your glory, || Remember, do not break Your covenant with us.²² Are there any among the vanities of the nations causing rain? And do the heavens give showers? Are You not He, O our God YHWH? And we wait for you, for You have done all these!