Jeremiah 8:14-22

14The people say: ‘We should not sit here and do nothing. We must all go together into our strong cities. If we have to die, we will die there! The Lord our God has said that we must die. We have done bad things against him. He has decided to punish us with death. He has given us water to drink that has poison in it.

15We wanted to have peace, but nothing good has happened to us. We wanted to rest without trouble, but instead we are afraid.

16In the city of Dan, people can already hear the noise of the enemy's horses. They are coming to attack our land, so everyone shakes with fear. They will destroy the whole land and everything in it. They will destroy the cities and all the people who live in them.’

17The Lord says, ‘Yes! I am sending an enemy's army to attack you. They will be like dangerous snakes that have poison. Nobody can stop them! They will bite you and kill you.’

18I said, ‘I am very sad and upset. I will never get better again.

19Listen to my dear people! They are calling out for help everywhere in the land. They are saying, “Is the Lord still with us in Zion? Is he still there to rule us as our King?” ’ The Lord replies, ‘They worship images of false gods. and useless foreign idols. That has made me very angry.’

20The people say, ‘We have taken in all our crops from the fields. The summer has finished. And still nobody has rescued us.’

21I am very upset because my dear people have so much pain. I weep and I cry, as if a friend had died.

22Surely there is a medicine in Gilead. There is a doctor there who can make my dear people better. But my people are still ill. Why are they not better?