"Their nobleshave senttheir servantsfor water;They have cometo the cisternsand foundnowater.They have returnedwith their vesselsempty;They have beenputto shameand humiliated,And they covertheir heads.
And Davidwentup the ascentof the [Mount of] Olives,and weptas he went,and his headwas coveredand he walkedbarefoot.Then allthe peoplewhowere with him eachcoveredhis headand wentup weepingas they went.
The kingcoveredhis faceand criedout with a loudvoice,"O my sonAbsalom,O Absalom,my son,my son!"
It happenedaftera whilethat the brookdriedup, becausethere was norainin the land.
Do not listento Hezekiah,for thussaysthe kingof Assyria,"Makeyour peacewith me and comeout to me, and eateachof his vineand eachof his figtreeand drinkeachof the watersof his own cistern,
Then Mordecaireturnedto the king'sgate.But Hamanhurriedhome,mourning,with [his] headcovered.
"They were disappointedfor they had trusted,They camethereand were confounded.
Let my accusersbe clothedwith dishonor,And let them coverthemselves with their own shameas with a robe.
Let those be ashamedand humiliatedtogetherWho seekmy lifeto destroyit; Let those be turnedbackand dishonoredWhodelightin my hurt.
"Becausethe groundis cracked,For there has beennorainon the land;The farmershave beenputto shame,They have coveredtheir heads.
Whyhas my painbeenperpetualAnd my woundincurable,refusingto be healed?Will You indeedbe to me likea deceptive[stream] With waterthat is unreliable?
"For My peoplehave committedtwoevils:They have forsakenMe, The fountainof livingwaters,To hewfor themselves cisterns,BrokencisternsThat canholdnowater.
"From this[place] alsoyou will goout With your handson your head;For the LORDhas rejectedthose in whomyou trust,And you will not prosperwith them."
But the LORDis with me like a dreadchampion;Thereforemy persecutorswill stumbleand not prevail.They will be utterlyashamed,becausethey have failed,With an everlastingdisgracethat will not be forgotten.
"Therefore the showershave been withheld,And there has beennospringrain.Yet you hada harlot'sforehead;You refusedto be ashamed.
The tongueof the infantcleavesTo the roofof its mouthbecause of thirst;The littleonesaskfor bread,[But] noonebreaks[it] for them.
OrI will stripher nakedAnd exposeher as on the daywhen she was born.I will also makeher like a wilderness,Makeher like desertlandAnd slayher with thirst.
Eventhe beastsof the fieldpantfor You; For the waterbrooksare driedup And firehas devouredthe pasturesof the wilderness.
"Furthermore,I withheldthe rainfrom you While [there were] stillthreemonthsuntil harvest.Then I would sendrainon onecityAnd on anothercityI would not sendrain;Onepartwould be rainedon, While the partnot rainedon would dryup.
"So twoor threecitieswould staggerto anothercityto drinkwater,But would not be satisfied;Yet you have not returnedto Me," declaresthe LORD.
And it will be that whicheverof the familiesof the earthdoes not goup to Jerusalemto worshipthe King,the LORDof hosts,there will be norainon them.
