If past chapters have emphasized God’s punishment of his people through the sword, these two deal primarily with drought. Famine pushes the people to pray, even to acknowledge their sinfulness. God refuses to help; no relief is in sight. The prophet is pained by the people’s plight, and, in a different way, by his own. Chapter divisions here obscure two symmetrical halves (14:2–16 and 14:17–15:9). In each there is a description of the famine (14:2–6; 14:17–18), a prayer (14:7–9; 14:19–22), and a divine response (14:10–16; 15:1–9).

The droughts (plural) are vividly depicted in their effect on high-ranking people, farmers, and animals (14:1–9). City gates, more like open areas comparable to modern malls, were places for merchandizing and legal transactions. All has come to a standstill bec…