Jeremiah 12

Jeremiah’s Question

1Righteous #Ezra 9:15; Ps. 51:4; Jer. 11:20are You, O Lord, when I plead with You;

Yet let me talk with You about Your judgments.

#Job 12:6; Jer. 5:27, 28; Hab. 1:4; Mal. 3:15Why does the way of the wicked prosper?

Why are those happy who deal so treacherously?

2You have planted them, yes, they have taken root;

They grow, yes, they bear fruit.

#Is. 29:13; Ezek. 33:31; Matt. 15:8; Mark 7:6You are near in their mouth

But far from their mind.

3But You, O Lord, #Ps. 17:3know me;

You have seen me,

And You have #Ps. 7:9; 11:5; Jer. 11:20tested my heart toward You.

Pull them out like sheep for the slaughter,

And prepare them for #Jer. 17:18; 50:27; James 5:5the day of slaughter.

4How long will #Jer. 23:10; Hos. 4:3the land mourn,

And the herbs of every field wither?

#Jer. 9:10; Hos. 4:3; Hab. 3:17The beasts and birds are consumed,

#Ps. 107:34For the wickedness of those who dwell there,

Because they said, “He will not see our final end.”

The Lord Answers Jeremiah

5“If you have run with the footmen, and they have wearied you,

Then how can you contend with horses?

And if in the land of peace,

In which you trusted, they wearied you,

Then how will you do in #Josh. 3:15; 1 Chr. 12:15the floodplain of the Jordan?

6For even #Gen. 37:4–11; Job 6:15; Ps. 69:8; Jer. 9:4, 5your brothers, the house of your father,

Even they have dealt treacherously with you;

Yes, they have called a multitude after you.

#Ps. 12:2; Prov. 26:25Do not believe them,

Even though they speak smooth words to you.

7“I have forsaken My house, I have left My heritage;

I have given the dearly beloved of My soul into the hand of her enemies.

8My heritage is to Me like a lion in the forest;

It cries out against Me;

Therefore I have #Hos. 9:15; Amos 6:8hated it.

9My heritage is to Me like a speckled vulture;

The vultures all around are against her.

Come, assemble all the beasts of the field,

#Lev. 26:22Bring them to devour!

10“Many #Jer. 6:3; 23:1rulers have destroyed #Ps. 80:8–16; Is. 5:1–7My vineyard,

They have #Is. 63:18trodden My portion underfoot;

They have made My pleasant portion a desolate wilderness.

11They have made it #Jer. 10:22; 22:6desolate;

Desolate, it mourns to Me;

The whole land is made desolate,

Because #Is. 42:25no one takes it to heart.

12The plunderers have come

On all the desolate heights in the wilderness,

For the sword of the Lord shall devour

From one end of the land to the other end of the land;

No flesh shall have peace.

13#Lev. 26:16; Deut. 28:38; Mic. 6:15; Hag. 1:6They have sown wheat but reaped thorns;

They have put themselves to pain but do not profit.

But be ashamed of your harvest

Because of the fierce anger of the Lord.”

14Thus says the Lord: “Against all My evil neighbors who #Jer. 2:3; 50:11, 12; Zech. 2:8touch the inheritance which I have caused My people Israel to inherit—behold, I will #Deut. 30:3; Ps. 106:47; Is. 11:11–16; Jer. 32:37pluck them out of their land and pluck out the house of Judah from among them. 15#Jer. 31:20; Lam. 3:32; Ezek. 28:25Then it shall be, after I have plucked them out, that I will return and have compassion on them #Amos 9:14and bring them back, everyone to his heritage and everyone to his land. 16And it shall be, if they will learn carefully the ways of My people, #(Jer. 4:2); Zeph. 1:5to swear by My name, ‘As the Lord lives,’ as they taught My people to swear by Baal, then they shall be #(Eph. 2:20, 21; 1 Pet. 2:5)established in the midst of My people. 17But if they do not #Ps. 2:8–12; Is. 60:12obey, I will utterly pluck up and destroy that nation,” says the Lord.

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Jeremiah 12: NKJV

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Jeremiah 12

Jeremiah’s Complaint

1You will be in the right, O Yahweh, when I complain to you.

Even so, let me speak my claims with you.

Why does the way of the wicked succeed?

All those who deal treacherously with treachery are at ease.

2Not only do you plant them, they take root.

They grow, but also they produce fruit.

You are near in their mouths,

but far from their inmost beings.#Literally “kidneys”

3But you, O Yahweh, you know me,

you see me, and you test that my heart is with you.

Tear them apart like sheep for the slaughtering,

and set them apart for the day of slaughter.

4How long#Literally “Until when” will the land mourn, and the vegetation of every field dry up,

because of the wickedness of those who live in it?

The animals and the birds#Hebrew “bird” are swept away,

because they have said, “He does not see our future.”

The Lord’s Reply

5“If you run with foot soldiers and they have made you weary,

then how will you compete with horses?

If you have fallen in a peaceful land,#Literally “a land of peace”

then how will you do in the thickets of the Jordan?

6For even your relatives, and the house of your father,

even they have dealt treacherously with you,

even they call loudly#Literally “full” after you.

You must not trust in them, though they speak kindly to you.

7I have forsaken my house, I have abandoned my inheritance.

I have given the beloved one of my heart#Literally “soul” into the hand of her enemies.

8My inheritance has become to me like a lion in the forest.

She has lifted up against me her voice; therefore#Literally “unto thus” I hate her.

9The lair of the hyena is my inheritance to me,

the birds of prey#Hebrew “bird of prey” are all around her.

Go, gather all of the animals#Hebrew “animal” of the field,

bring them to come and devour.#Literally “to food”

10Many shepherds have destroyed my vineyard,

they have trampled down my plot of land.

They have made my pleasant field#Literally “the plot of land of my desire”

like the desert#Or “wilderness” of desolation.

11They have made it a desolation.

Desolate, it mourns to me.

All the land is made desolate,

but there is no person taking it to heart.

12Upon all the barren heights in the desert#Or “wilderness” destroyers have come,

for the sword of Yahweh devours,

from one end of the land to the other end of the land,

there is no peace for all flesh.

13They have sown wheat and they have reaped thorns.

They are exhausted, they do not profit.

And they will be ashamed of your produce,

because of the burning anger#Literally “the blaze of the nose” of Yahweh.”

14Thus says Yahweh concerning all of the evil neighbors who touch the inheritance that I gave as an inheritance to my people Israel: “Look, I am about to drive them out from their land, and the house of Judah I will drive out from among them. 15And then#Literally “And it will happen” after my driving them out, I will once again have compassion on them, and I will bring them back, each one to his inheritance, and each one to his land. 16And then,#Literally “And it will happen” if they diligently learn the ways of my people, to swear by my name, ‘as Yahweh lives,’#Literally “the life of Yahweh” even as they taught my people to swear by Baal, then they will live in the midst of my people. 17But if they do not listen, then I will completely uproot and destroy that nation.”#Literally “I will drive out the nation that driving out and destroying” declares#Literally “declaration of” Yahweh.

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