Jeremías 14

Sequía, hambre y espada

1 Esta es la palabra del SEÑOR, que vino a Jeremías con motivo de la sequía:

2 «Judá está de lutoy sus ciudades desfallecen;hay lamentos en el país,y sube el clamor de Jerusalén.

3 Los nobles mandan por agua a sus siervos,y estos van a las cisternas,pero no la encuentran.Avergonzados y confundidos,vuelven con sus cántaros vacíosy agarrándose^[a] la cabeza.

4 El suelo está agrietado,porque no llueve en el país.Avergonzados están los campesinos,agarrándose la cabeza.

5 Aun las ciervas en el campoabandonan a sus crías por falta de pastos.

6 Parados sobre las lomas desiertas,y con los ojos desfallecientes,los asnos salvajes jadean como chacalesporque ya no tienen hierba».

7 Aunque nuestras iniquidades nos acusan,tú, SEÑOR, actúas en razón de tu nombre;muchas son nuestras infidelidades;¡contra ti hemos pecado!

8 Tú, esperanza y salvación de Israelen momentos de angustia,¿por qué actúas en el país como un peregrino,como un viajero que solo pasa la noche?

9 ¿Por qué te encuentras confundido,como un guerrero impotente para salvar?SEÑOR, tú estás en medio de nosotros,y se nos llama por tu nombre;¡no nos abandones!

10 Así dice el SEÑOR acerca de este pueblo:«Les encanta vagabundear;no refrenan sus pies.Por eso yo no los acepto,sino que voy a recordar sus iniquidadesy a castigar sus pecados».

11 Entonces el SEÑOR me dijo: «No ruegues por el bienestar de este pueblo.

12 Aunque ayunen, no escucharé sus clamores; aunque me ofrezcan holocaustos y ofrendas de cereal, no los aceptaré. En verdad, voy a exterminarlos con la espada, el hambre y la peste».

13 Pero yo respondí: «¡Ah, SEÑOR mi Dios! Los profetas les dicen que no se enfrentarán con la espada ni pasarán hambre, sino que tú les concederás una paz duradera en este lugar».

14 El SEÑOR me contestó: «Mentira es lo que están profetizando en mi nombre esos profetas. Yo no los he enviado, ni les he dado ninguna orden, y ni siquiera les he hablado. Lo que les están profetizando son visiones engañosas, adivinaciones vanas y delirios de su propia imaginación.

15 Por eso, así dice el SEÑOR: “En cuanto a los profetas que profetizan en mi nombre sin que yo los haya enviado, y que además dicen que no habrá espada ni hambre en este país, ellos mismos morirán de hambre y a filo de espada.

16 Y el pueblo al que profetizan será arrojado a las calles de Jerusalén a causa del hambre y de la espada, y no habrá quien los entierre, ni a ellos ni a sus esposas, ni a sus hijos, ni a sus hijas; también les echaré encima su propia maldad”.

17 »Tú les dirás lo siguiente:»“Que corran lágrimas de mis ojosdía y noche, sin cesar,porque la virginal hija de mi puebloha sufrido una herida terrible,¡un golpe muy duro!

18 Si salgo al campo, veo los cuerposde los muertos a filo de espada;si entro en la ciudad, veo los estragosque el hambre ha producido.Tanto el profeta como el sacerdoteandan errantes en el país sin saber lo que hacen.”»

19 ¿Has rechazado por completo a Judá?¿Detestas a Sión?¿Por qué nos has herido de tal modoque ya no tenemos remedio?Esperábamos tiempos de paz,pero nada bueno recibimos.Esperábamos tiempos de salud,pero solo nos llegó el terror.

20 Reconocemos, Señor, nuestra maldad,y la iniquidad de nuestros padres;¡hemos pecado contra ti!

21 En razón de tu nombre, no nos desprecies;no deshonres tu trono glorioso.¡Acuérdate de tu pacto con nosotros!¡No lo quebrantes!

22 ¿Acaso hay entre los ídolos falsosalguno que pueda hacer llover?SEÑOR y Dios nuestro,¿acaso no eres tú, y no el cielo mismo,el que manda los aguaceros?Tú has hecho todas estas cosas;por eso esperamos en ti.

Jeremías 14 Commentary

Chapter 14

A drought upon the land of Judah. (1-7) A confession of sin in the name of the people. (8-9) The Divine purpose to punish is declared. (10-16) The people supplicate. (17-22)

Verses 1-9 The people were in tears. But it was rather the cry of their trouble, and of their sin, than of their prayer. Let us be thankful for the mercy of water, that we may not be taught to value it by feeling the want of it. See what dependence husbandmen have upon the Divine providence. They cannot plough nor sow in hope, unless God water their furrows. The case even of the wild beasts was very pitiable. The people are not forward to pray, but the prophet prays for them. Sin is humbly confessed. Our sins not only accuse us, but answer against us. Our best pleas in prayer are those fetched from the glory of God's own name. We should dread God's departure, more than the removal of our creature-comforts. He has given Israel his word to hope in. It becomes us in prayer to show ourselves more concerned for God's glory than for our own comfort. And if we now return to the Lord, he will save us to the glory of his grace.

Verses 10-16 The Lord calls the Jews "this people," not "his people." They had forsaken his service, therefore he would punish them according to their sins. He forbade Jeremiah to plead for them. The false prophets were the most criminal. The Lord pronounces condemnation on them; but as the people loved to have it so, they were not to escape judgments. False teachers encourage men to expect peace and salvation, without repentance, faith, conversion, and holiness of life. But those who believe a lie must not plead if for an excuse. They shall feel what they say they will not fear.

Verses 17-22 Jeremiah acknowledged his own sins, and those of the people, but pleaded with the Lord to remember his covenant. In their distress none of the idols of the Gentiles could help them, nor could the heavens give rain of themselves. The Lord will always have a people to plead with him at his mercy-seat. He will heal every truly repenting sinner. Should he not see fit to hear our prayers on behalf of our guilty land, he will certainly bless with salvation all who confess their sins and seek his mercy.

Footnotes

• [a]. "agarrándose" . Lit. "cubriéndose" ; también en v. 4.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO JEREMIAH 14

This chapter contains prophecy of a drought, which produced a famine, Jer 14:1, and is described by the dismal effects of it; and general distress in the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem, Jer 14:2, even the nobles were affected with it, whose servants returned without water ashamed, when sent for it, Jer 14:3, the ploughmen could not use their plough, their ground was so hard, Jer 14:4 and the very beasts of the field suffered much, because there was no grass, Jer 14:5,6, upon this follows a prayer of the prophet to the Lord, that he would give rain for his name's sake; he confesses the sins of the people, that they were many, and against the Lord; and testified against them, that they deserved to be used as they were; and he addresses the Lord as the hope and Saviour of his people in time past, when it was a time of trouble with them; and expostulates with him, why he should be as a stranger and traveller, and like a mighty man astonished, that either had no regard to their land any more than a foreigner and a traveller; or no heart to help them, or exert his power, than a man at his wits' end, though he was among them, and they were called by his name; and therefore he begs he would not leave them, Jer 14:7-9, but he is told that it was for the sins of the people that all this was, which the Lord was determined to remember and visit; and therefore he is bid not to pray for them; if he did, it would not be regarded, nor the people's fasting and prayers also; for they should be consumed by the sword, famine, and pestilence, Jer 14:10-12, and though the prophet pleads, in excuse of the people, that the false prophets had deceived them; yet not only the vanity and falsehood of their prophecies are exposed, and they are threatened with destruction, but the people also, for hearkening unto them, Jer 14:13-16, wherefore the prophet, instead of putting up a prayer for them, has a lamentation dictated to him by the Lord, which he is ordered to express, Jer 14:17,18, and yet, notwithstanding this, he goes on to pray for them in a very pathetic manner; he expostulates with God, and pleads for help and healing; confesses the iniquities of the people; entreats the Lord, for the sake of his name, glory, and covenant, that he would not reject them and his petition; and observes, that the thing asked for (rain) was what none of the gods of the Heathens could give, or even the heavens themselves, only the Lord; and therefore determines to wait upon him for it, who made the heavens, the earth, and rain, Jer 14:19-22.