What does Jeremias Chapter 14 say, and which statements belong to its speaker?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

Drought leaves vessels empty and grassless animals distressed. Confession and rejected prayers lead to repudiated peace prophets. Tears, covenant requests and rain questions conclude the appeal.

Chapter breakdown

Jeremias 14 concerns drought. Mourning Judea and fallen, obscured gates accompany Jerusalem's cry. Great ones send inferiors to water; empty vessels and covered heads return. No rain confounds husbandmen; a hind leaves her field-born young for no grass, and wild asses on rocks snuff wind like dragons with failing eyes. Named reservoirs, baked soil and actual deaths of these animals are not supplied.

Confessed rebellions support a name's-sake plea to Israel's hope and saviour. Questions compare a stranger, lodging traveler, wandering man and mighty man unable to save, while asserting the Lord's presence and requesting no abandonment. Moving feet, no rest and failure to please receive remembered iniquities. Jeremias must not pray for their good; fasting and offerings are refused with sword, famine and pestilence. His report of prophets promising no sword or famine meets the Lord's repudiation of unsent lying visions, divination, deceit and heart seduction. Those prophets perish by sword and famine; hearers and families are cast into streets without burial.

Commanded night-and-day tears concern the virgin daughter's great affliction. Fields have sword-slain and city famine victims; prophet and priest go to unknown land. Questions ask whether Juda is utterly cast off and Sion abhorred, noting awaited peace and healing met trouble. Wickedness and fathers' sins are confessed; name, glory-throne and covenant motivate requests. Questions contrast Gentile graven things and heavens with the Lord who made all and is awaited. The conclusion is not reduced to rain alone or turned into a universal prayer-ineffectiveness rule.

The story inside

Opening: Drought leaves vessels empty and grassless animals distressed. Development: Confession and rejected prayers lead to repudiated peace prophets. Conclusion: Tears, covenant requests and rain questions conclude the appeal.

Lessons worth keeping

1
Drought leaves vessels empty and grassless animals distressed.
2
Confession and rejected prayers lead to repudiated peace prophets.
3
Tears, covenant requests and rain questions conclude the appeal.

Test your recall

Which images and requests does the speaker use, and what does the chapter leave unresolved?

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 85433–85435
14:7. If our iniquities have testified against us, O Lord, do thou it for thy name’s sake, for our rebellions are many, we have sinned against thee.
Lines 85460–85463
14:14. And the Lord said to me: The prophets prophesy falsely in my name: I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, nor have I spoken to them: they prophesy unto you a lying vision, and divination and deceit, and the seduction of their own heart.