13. Then I said, “Sovereign Lord, you know that the prophets are telling the people that there will be no war or starvation, because you have promised, they say, that there will be only peace in our land.”
14. But the Lord replied, “The prophets are telling lies in my name; I did not send them, nor did I give them any orders or speak one word to them. The visions they talk about have not come from me; their predictions are worthless things that they have imagined.
15. I, the Lord, tell you what I am going to do to those prophets whom I did not send but who speak in my name and say war and starvation will not strike this land — I will kill them in war and by starvation.
16. The people to whom they have said these things will be killed in the same way. Their bodies will be thrown out into the streets of Jerusalem, and there will be no one to bury them. This will happen to all of them — including their wives, their sons, and their daughters. I will make them pay for their wickedness.”
17. The Lord commanded me to tell the people about my sorrow and to say:“May my eyes flow with tears day and night,may I never stop weeping,for my people are deeply woundedand are badly hurt.
18. When I go out into the fields,I see the bodies of men killed in war;when I go into the towns,I see people starving to death.Prophets and priests carry on their work,but they don't know what they are doing.”
19. Lord, have you completely rejected Judah?Do you hate the people of Zion?Why have you hurt us so badlythat we cannot be healed?We looked for peace, but nothing good happened;we hoped for healing, but terror came instead.
20. We have sinned against you, Lord;we confess our own sinsand the sins of our ancestors.
21. Remember your promises and do not despise us;do not bring disgrace on Jerusalem,the place of your glorious throne.Do not break the covenant you made with us.
22. None of the idols of the nations can send rain;the sky by itself cannot make showers fall.We have put our hope in you, O Lord our God,because you are the one who does these things.