Jeremiah 13 is composed of five sets of warning. While intended to urge the people to change their ways, these warnings also speak to the reasons for the exile. They depict the dramatic reversal of all the promises they had received from the LORD. The stark pictures presented in this chapter are intended to shock the listeners and thereby motivate them to return to the LORD in obedience to all his commands, not just the ones concerning sacrificial rituals and worship.

Jeremiah 14 challenges the people’s attitudes and expectations concerning prayer and rituals in the temple. It includes a series of protests and responses between Jeremiah, Judah, and the LORD. The language of the chapter is characterized by confrontation and warning, focusing on attitudes and beliefs about the LORD’s covenant responsibilities regarding the land.