This is not the first or the last time that the Lord tells Jeremiah to not pray for the people of Judah (see Jeremiah 11:14; Jeremiah 14:11). Yet Jeremiah continues to pray for the people (see Jeremiah 18:20; Jeremiah 21:12; Jeremiah 37:3). It seems that the command to stop praying is not intended to be a simple ban on Jeremiah praying for Judah, but is meant as a powerful warning to the people of the serious danger they face. They have reached the point where the Lord will no longer listen to the cries of his people, not even when his own prophet prays for them. This is certainly going to be the case when judgment comes in the form of the Babylonian invasion.
14 “Therefore do not pray for this people, or lift up a cry or prayer on their behalf, for I will not listen when they call to me in the time of their trouble.