1 The word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah concerning the dearth.
2 Judah mourneth, and the gates thereof languish; they are black 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 rain 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 dragons; 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 refrained their feet, therefore the Lord doth not accept them; he will now remember their iniquity, and visit their sins.
11 Then said the Lord unto 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 an oblation, I will not accept them: but I will consume 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 sword, neither shall ye have famine; but I will give you assured 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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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!
20 We acknowledge, O Lord, our wickedness, and the iniquity of our fathers: for we have sinned against thee.
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.
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.
<html><b>concerning the droughts</b> that He would bring famine upon them, and Menahem (Machbereth p. 47) classified it as an expression of fortification (מִבְצָר) like (Isaiah 25:12) “And the fortress of (וּמִבְצַר) the strength of your walls.”</html>
<html><b>and her cities</b> Heb. וּשְעָרֶיהָ, lit., her gates. <b>and the cry of Jerusalem</b> Heb. צִוְחַת, the cry of Jerusalem. Comp. (Isaiah 42:11) “from the mountain peaks they shall shout (יִִִִִצְוָחוּ).</html>
<html><b>upon pits</b> Pits in which the water is usually gathered. <b>their vessels have returned empty</b> for no rain has fallen. <b>and have covered</b> an expression of covering.</html>
<html><b>farmers</b> bubirs [?] in O.F.</html>
<html><b>has borne and abandoned</b> her offspring, to hunt for pastureland for herself.</html>
<html><b>by the rivulets</b> rivulets of water (riveyres in O. F.).</html>
<html><b>have testified against us</b> Heb. עָנוּ. <b>do for Your name’s sake</b> Do what You will do with us for the sake of the great name that has spread about You that You rule over all and that we are Your people and the flock of Your pasture, and it is not fitting that You give Your victorious name to the idols. And the Midrash Aggadah explains: for the sake of Your name that is inherent in our name.</html>
<html><b>hope</b> מִקְוֵה</html>
<html><b>overcome</b> (d’cru in O.F.) diminished, waned, who withdraws his hand from the battle, and some say (recroyant in O.F.), tiring out, resigned. <b>and Your name is called upon us</b> Therefore, by doing this, it is no longer honor for you. <b>forsake us</b> Its explanation is like תַעַזְבֵנוּ, forsake us.</html>
<html><b>So have they loved to wander</b> So, just as I have decreed upon them exile (to Egypt and Babylon - Warsaw edition), they loved it there to go into exile to worship distant idols.</html>
<html><b>a thing of naught</b> an expression of אַל, not, a thing which is not.</html>
<html><b>very grievous</b> an expression of illness (חֹלִי).</html>
<html><b>have gone around</b> They have gone around to seek rescue. <b>to a land [which] they had not known</b> To another land about which they did not know until then.</html>
<html><b>or has Your soul despised Zion</b> with the intention of never returning, for, if You have in mind to return, why have You smitten us without a cure?</html>
<html><b>for Your name’s sake</b> that you are called merciful. <b>the throne of Your glory</b> The Temple. And according to Midrash Aggadah, Israel who is engraved on the throne of Your glory.</html>
<html><b>Does the heaven give raindrops?</b> by itself, except by Your command? This is the interrogative form. In every double question, the first question is preceded by a ‘heh’ and the second one with אִם, like (Num. 13:19) “Are they in open cities (הַבְּמַחֲנִים) or in fortresses (אִם בְּמִבְצָרִים)?”(Ibid. 13:19) “It is good (הֲטוֹבָה) or bad (אִם רָעָה)?” (verse 19) “Have You indeed rejected (הֲמָאֹס) Judah, or has Your soul despised (אִם…גָּעֲלָה) Zion?” Here, too, “are there among the vanities of the nations those who give rain? Does the heaven…?”</html>