Jeremiah 12
12
Jeremiah Complains to God
1You will be in the right, O Lord,
when I lay charges against you;
but let me put my case to you.
Why does the way of the guilty prosper?
Why do all who are treacherous thrive?
2You plant them, and they take root;
they grow and bring forth fruit;
you are near in their mouths
yet far from their hearts.
3But you, O Lord, know me;
You see me and test me—my heart is with you.
Pull them out like sheep for the slaughter,
and set them apart for the day of slaughter.
4How long will the land mourn,
and the grass of every field wither?
For the wickedness of those who live in it
the animals and the birds are swept away,
and because people said, “He is blind to our ways.”#12.4 Gk: Heb to our future
God Replies to Jeremiah
5If you have raced with foot-runners and they have wearied you,
how will you compete with horses?
And if in a safe land you fall down,
how will you fare in the thickets of the Jordan?
6For even your kinsfolk and your own family,
even they have dealt treacherously with you;
they are in full cry after you;
do not believe them,
though they speak friendly words to you.
7I have forsaken my house,
I have abandoned my heritage;
I have given the beloved of my heart
into the hands of her enemies.
8My heritage has become to me
like a lion in the forest;
she has lifted up her voice against me—
therefore I hate her.
9Is the hyena greedy#12.9 Cn: Heb Is the hyena, the bird of prey for my heritage at my command?
Are the birds of prey all around her?
Go, assemble all the wild animals;
bring them to devour her.
10Many shepherds have destroyed my vineyard,
they have trampled down my portion,
they have made my pleasant portion
a desolate wilderness.
11They have made it a desolation;
desolate, it mourns to me.
The whole land is made desolate,
but no one lays it to heart.
12Upon all the bare heights#12.12 Or the trails in the desert
spoilers have come;
for the sword of the Lord devours
from one end of the land to the other;
no one shall be safe.
13They have sown wheat and have reaped thorns,
they have tired themselves out but profit nothing.
They shall be ashamed of their#12.13 Heb your harvests
because of the fierce anger of the Lord.
14Thus says the Lord concerning all my evil neighbors who touch the heritage that I have given my people Israel to inherit: I am about to pluck them up from their land, and I will pluck up the house of Judah from among them. 15And after I have plucked them up, I will again have compassion on them, and I will bring them again to their heritage and to their land, everyone of them. 16And then, if they will diligently learn the ways of my people, to swear by my name, “As the Lord lives,” as they taught my people to swear by Baal, then they shall be built up in the midst of my people. 17But if any nation will not listen, then I will completely uproot it and destroy it, says the Lord.
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Jeremiah 12: NRSV
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New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1989 Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Jeremiah 12
12
Why do the Wicked Prosper
1Righteous are You, Adonai, when I plead my case with You. Yet I speak with You about justice. Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all the treacherous thrive?
2You planted them, so they have taken root. They are growing, bearing fruit. You are near in their mouth, yet far from their mind.
3But You have known me, Adonai. You see me, and examine my heart toward You. Drag them off like sheep for slaughter. Set them apart for the day of carnage.
4How long will the land mourn and the grass of all the field wither? Because those living in it are evil, beasts and birds are swept away. For they said, “He cannot see our end.”
5“If you raced with those on foot and they wore you out, how can you compete with horses? If you are secure in a land of peace, how will you do in Jordan’s thickets?
6For even your brothers —your father’s house— even they will betray you, even they will shout out after you. Have no confidence in them, even if they say nice words to you.”
7“I have abandoned My House. I have forsaken My inheritance. I have given the beloved of My soul Into the hand of her enemies.
8My inheritance became to Me like a lion in the forest— her voice roared against Me! Therefore I despised her.
9Is My inheritance a speckled vulture? Are vultures circling all around her? Go, gather all the wild beasts, bring them for devouring!
Adonai’s Vineyard in Ruins
10“Many shepherds ruined My vineyard. They trampled My property. They made My pleasant portion a desolate wilderness.
11They made it a wasteland. It mourns before Me, desolate. The whole land will be laid waste, because no one takes it to heart.”
12On all the bare hills in the wilderness destroyers have come. For the sword of Adonai is devouring from the one end of the land to the other end of the land. No flesh has shalom.
13They sowed wheat but reaped thorns. They wore themselves out, gaining nothing. So be ashamed of your harvest, because of Adonai’s fierce anger.
14Thus says Adonai, “As for all My evil neighbors who strike at the inheritance that I bequeathed to My people Israel—I am about to uproot them from their land and pluck the house of Judah from them.
15Yet it will come to pass, after I have uprooted them, that I will again have compassion on them and I will bring them back, each one to his inheritance and each one to his land.
16“So it will come to pass, if they will diligently learn the ways of My people—to swear by My Name, ‘As Adonai lives,’ just as they taught My people to swear by Baal—then they will be built up in the midst of My people.
17But if they will not obey, then I will uproot that nation, plucking it up and destroying it.” It is a declaration of Adonai.
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