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1. GOD's Message that came to Jeremiah regarding the drought:
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1. The word H1697 of the LORD H3068 that H834 came H1961 to H413 Jeremiah H3414 concerning H5921 H1697 the dearth H1226 .
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2. "Judah weeps, her cities mourn. The people fall to the ground, moaning, while sounds of Jerusalem's sobs rise up, up.
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2. Judah H3063 mourneth H56 , and the gates H8179 thereof languish H535 ; they are black H6937 unto the ground H776 ; and the cry H6682 of Jerusalem H3389 is gone up H5927 .
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3. The rich people sent their servants for water. They went to the cisterns, but the cisterns were dry. They came back with empty buckets, wringing their hands, shaking their heads.
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3. And their nobles H117 have sent H7971 their little ones H6810 to the waters H4325 : they came H935 to H5921 the pits H1356 , and found H4672 no H3808 water H4325 ; they returned H7725 with their vessels H3627 empty H7387 ; they were ashamed H954 and confounded H3637 , and covered H2645 their heads H7218 .
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4. All the farm work has stopped. Not a drop of rain has fallen. The farmers don't know what to do. They wring their hands, they shake their heads.
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4. Because H5668 the ground H127 is chapped H2865 , for H3588 there was H1961 no H3808 rain H1653 in the earth H776 , the plowmen H406 were ashamed H954 , they covered H2645 their heads H7218 .
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5. Even the doe abandons her fawn in the field because there is no grass--
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5. Yea H1571 , the hind H365 also calved H3205 in the field H7704 , and forsook H5800 it , because H3588 there was H1961 no H3808 grass H1877 .
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6. Eyes glazed over, on her last legs, nothing but skin and bones."
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6. And the wild asses H6501 did stand H5975 in H5921 the high places H8205 , they snuffed up H7602 the wind H7307 like dragons H8577 ; their eyes H5869 did fail H3615 , because H3588 there was no H369 grass H6212 .
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7. We know we're guilty. We've lived bad lives-- but do something, GOD. Do it for your sake! Time and time again we've betrayed you. No doubt about it--we've sinned against you.
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7. O LORD H3068 , though H518 our iniquities H5771 testify H6030 against us, do H6213 thou it for thy name's sake H4616 H8034 : for H3588 our backslidings H4878 are many H7231 ; we have sinned H2398 against thee.
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8. Hope of Israel! Our only hope! Israel's last chance in this trouble! Why are you acting like a tourist, taking in the sights, here today and gone tomorrow?
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8. O the hope H4723 of Israel H3478 , the savior H3467 thereof in time H6256 of trouble H6869 , why H4100 shouldest thou be H1961 as a stranger H1616 in the land H776 , and as a wayfaring man H732 that turneth aside H5186 to tarry H3885 for a night?
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9. Why do you just stand there and stare, like someone who doesn't know what to do in a crisis? But GOD, you are, in fact, here, here with us! You know who we are--you named us! Don't leave us in the lurch.
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9. Why H4100 shouldest thou be H1961 as a man H376 astonished H1724 , as a mighty man H1368 that cannot H3201 H3808 save H3467 ? yet thou H859 , O LORD H3068 , art in the midst H7130 of us , and we are called H7121 by thy name H8034 ; leave H5117 us not H408 .
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10. Then GOD said of these people: "Since they loved to wander this way and that, never giving a thought to where they were going, I will now have nothing more to do with them-- except to note their guilt and punish their sins."
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10. Thus H3541 saith H559 the LORD H3068 unto this H2088 people H5971 , Thus H3651 have they loved H157 to wander H5128 , they have not H3808 refrained H2820 their feet H7272 , therefore the LORD H3068 doth not H3808 accept H7521 them ; he will now H6258 remember H2142 their iniquity H5771 , and visit H6485 their sins H2403 .
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11. GOD said to me, "Don't pray that everything will turn out all right for this people.
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11. Then said H559 the LORD H3068 unto H413 me, Pray H6419 not H408 for H1157 this H2088 people H5971 for their good H2896 .
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12. When they skip their meals in order to pray, I won't listen to a thing they say. When they redouble their prayers, bringing all kinds of offerings from their herds and crops, I'll not accept them. I'm finishing them off with war and famine and disease."
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12. When H3588 they fast H6684 , I will not H369 hear H8085 H413 their cry H7440 ; and when H3588 they offer H5927 burnt offering H5930 and an oblation H4503 , I will not H369 accept H7521 them: but H3588 I H595 will consume H3615 them by the sword H2719 , and by the famine H7458 , and by the pestilence H1698 .
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13. I said, "But Master, GOD! Their preachers have been telling them that everything is going to be all right--no war and no famine--that there's nothing to worry about."
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13. Then said H559 I, Ah H162 , Lord H136 GOD H3069 ! behold H2009 , the prophets H5030 say H559 unto them , Ye shall not H3808 see H7200 the sword H2719 , neither H3808 shall ye have H1961 famine H7458 ; but H3588 I will give H5414 you assured H571 peace H7965 in this H2088 place H4725 .
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14. Then GOD said, "These preachers are liars, and they use my name to cover their lies. I never sent them, I never commanded them, and I don't talk with them. The sermons they've been handing out are sheer illusion, tissues of lies, whistlings in the dark.
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14. Then the LORD H3068 said H559 unto H413 me , The prophets H5030 prophesy H5012 lies H8267 in my name H8034 : I sent H7971 them not H3808 , neither H3808 have I commanded H6680 them, neither H3808 spoke H1696 unto H413 them: they H1992 prophesy H5012 unto you a false H8267 vision H2377 and divination H7081 , and a thing of naught H434 , and the deceit H8649 of their heart H3820 .
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15. "So this is my verdict on them: All the preachers who preach using my name as their text, preachers I never sent in the first place, preachers who say, 'War and famine will never come here'--these preachers will die in war and by starvation.
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15. Therefore H3651 thus H3541 saith H559 the LORD H3068 concerning H5921 the prophets H5030 that prophesy H5012 in my name H8034 , and I H589 sent H7971 them not H3808 , yet they H1992 say H559 , Sword H2719 and famine H7458 shall not H3808 be H1961 in this H2063 land H776 ; By sword H2719 and famine H7458 shall those H1992 prophets H5030 be consumed H8552 .
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16. And the people to whom they've been preaching will end up as corpses, victims of war and starvation, thrown out in the streets of Jerusalem unburied--no funerals for them or their wives or their children! I'll make sure they get the full brunt of all their evil.
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16. And the people H5971 to whom H834 they H1992 prophesy H5012 shall be H1961 cast out H7993 in the streets H2351 of Jerusalem H3389 because H4480 H6440 of the famine H7458 and the sword H2719 ; and they shall have none H369 to bury H6912 them H1992 , them H1992 , their wives H802 , nor their sons H1121 , nor their daughters H1323 : for I will pour H8210 H853 their wickedness H7451 upon H5921 them.
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17. "And you, Jeremiah, will say this to them: "'My eyes pour out tears. Day and night, the tears never quit. My dear, dear people are battered and bruised, hopelessly and cruelly wounded.
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17. Therefore thou shalt say H559 H853 this H2088 word H1697 unto H413 them ; Let mine eyes H5869 run down H3381 with tears H1832 night H3915 and day H3119 , and let them not H408 cease H1820 : for H3588 the virgin H1330 daughter H1323 of my people H5971 is broken H7665 with a great H1419 breach H7667 , with a very H3966 grievous H2470 blow H4347 .
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18. I walk out into the fields, shocked by the killing fields strewn with corpses. I walk into the city, shocked by the sight of starving bodies. And I watch the preachers and priests going about their business as if nothing's happened!'"
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18. If H518 I go forth H3318 into the field H7704 , then behold H2009 the slain H2491 with the sword H2719 ! and if H518 I enter H935 into the city H5892 , then behold H2009 them that are sick H8463 with famine H7458 ! yea H3588 , both H1571 the prophet H5030 and H1571 the priest H3548 go about H5503 into H413 a land H776 that they know H3045 not H3808 .
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19. God, have you said your final No to Judah? Can you simply not stand Zion any longer? If not, why have you treated us like this, beaten us nearly to death? We hoped for peace-- nothing good came from it; We looked for healing-- and got kicked in the stomach.
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19. Hast thou utterly rejected H3988 H3988 H853 Judah H3063 ? hath thy soul H5315 loathed H1602 Zion H6726 ? why H4069 hast thou smitten H5221 us , and there is no H369 healing H4832 for us? we looked H6960 for peace H7965 , and there is no H369 good H2896 ; and for the time H6256 of healing H4832 , and behold H2009 trouble H1205 !
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20. We admit, O GOD, how bad we've lived, and our ancestors, how bad they were. We've sinned, they've sinned, we've all sinned against you!
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20. We acknowledge H3045 , O LORD H3068 , our wickedness H7562 , and the iniquity H5771 of our fathers H1 : for H3588 we have sinned H2398 against thee.
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21. Your reputation is at stake! Don't quit on us! Don't walk out and abandon your glorious Temple! Remember your covenant. Don't break faith with us!
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21. Do not H408 abhor H5006 us , for thy name's sake H4616 H8034 , do not H408 disgrace H5034 the throne H3678 of thy glory H3519 : remember H2142 , break H6565 not H408 thy covenant H1285 with H854 us.
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22. Can the no-gods of the godless nations cause rain? Can the sky water the earth by itself? You're the one, O GOD, who does this. So you're the one for whom we wait. You made it all, you do it all.
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22. Are there H3426 any among the vanities H1892 of the Gentiles H1471 that can cause rain H1652 ? or H518 can the heavens H8064 give H5414 showers H7241 ? art not H3808 thou H859 he H1931 , O LORD H3068 our God H430 ? therefore we will wait H6960 upon thee: for H3588 thou H859 hast made H6213 H853 all H3605 these H428 things .
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