Jeremiah 12
12
Jeremiah’s Complaint
1 #
Ezra 9:15; Ps. 51:4; Lam. 1:18; Dan. 9:7 Righteous are you, O Lord,
when I complain to you;
yet I would plead my case before you.
#
Job 12:6; Ps. 37:1, 7; 92:7; Hab. 1:13; Mal. 3:15; See Job 21:7-15; Ps. 73:3-12 Why does the way of the wicked prosper?
Why do all #[Isa. 21:2]who are treacherous thrive?
2You plant them, and they take root;
they grow and produce fruit;
#
Isa. 29:13
you are near in their mouth
and far from their heart.
3 # ch. 15:15; Ps. 139:1 But you, O Lord, know me;
#
Ps. 17:3 you see me, and test my heart toward you.
# [2 Pet. 2:12] Pull them out like sheep for the slaughter,
and set them apart for #James 5:5the day of slaughter.
4 # ver. 11; ch. 9:10; 23:10 How long will the land mourn
and the grass of every field wither?
#
Ps. 107:34 For the evil of those who dwell in it
# ch. 4:25; 7:20; 9:10; Hos. 4:3; [Rom. 8:22] the beasts and the birds are swept away,
because they said, “He will not see our latter end.”
The Lord Answers Jeremiah
5“If you have raced with men on foot, and they have wearied you,
how will you compete with horses?
And if in a safe land you are so trusting,
what will you do in #ch. 49:19; 50:44; Zech. 11:3; [Josh. 3:15]the thicket of the Jordan?
6For #ch. 9:4; [ch. 11:19, 21] even your brothers and the house of your father,
# [See ver. 1 above] even they have dealt treacherously with you;
they are in full cry after you;
#
Prov. 26:25
do not believe them,
though they speak friendly words to you.”
7“I have forsaken my house;
I have abandoned #Isa. 19:25 my heritage;
I have given #ch. 11:15the beloved of my soul
into the hands of her enemies.
8 # [See ver. 7 above] My heritage has become to me
like a lion in the forest;
she has lifted up her voice against me;
therefore I hate her.
9Is #[See ver. 7 above] my heritage to me like #Isa. 46:11 a hyena’s lair?
Are the #Isa. 46:11 birds of prey against her all around?
Go, #ch. 7:33; Isa. 56:9; [Ezek. 39:17; Rev. 19:17]assemble all the wild beasts;
bring them to devour.
10Many shepherds have destroyed my vineyard;
#
Isa. 63:18
they have trampled down my portion;
they have made my pleasant portion
a desolate wilderness.
11They have made it a desolation;
desolate, #[See ver. 4 above] it mourns to me.
The whole land is made desolate,
#
Isa. 42:25
but no man lays it to heart.
12Upon all the bare heights in the desert
destroyers have come,
for the sword of the Lord devours
from one end of the land to the other;
no flesh has peace.
13 # [Lev. 26:16; Deut. 28:38; Mic. 6:15; Hag. 1:6] They have sown wheat and have reaped thorns;
#
Isa. 55:2; Hab. 2:13 they have tired themselves out but profit nothing.
They shall be ashamed of their#12:13 Hebrew your harvests
# ch. 4:8, 26; 25:37, 38; 30:24; 49:37; 51:45; Lam. 1:12; 4:11 because of the fierce anger of the Lord.”
14Thus says the Lord concerning all #[Ps. 137:7]; See Ezek. 25 my evil neighbors #Zech. 2:8 who touch the heritage that #ch. 3:18I have given my people Israel to inherit: “Behold, I will 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, #ch. 48:47; 49:6and I will bring them again each to his heritage and each to his land. 16And it shall come to pass, if they will diligently learn the ways of my people, #ch. 4:2 to swear by my name, ‘As the Lord lives,’ even as they taught my people to swear by Baal, #ch. 24:6; [1 Pet. 2:5]then they shall be built up in the midst of my people. 17#[Isa. 60:12]But if any nation will not listen, then I will utterly pluck it up and destroy it, declares the Lord.”
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The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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Jeremiah 12
12
Jeremiah’s First Complaint
1Lord, if I complain to you,
you are always right.
But I want to ask you about the justice you give.
Why are evil people successful?
Why do dishonest people have such easy lives?
2You have put the evil people here.
They are like plants with strong roots.
They grow and produce fruit.
With their mouths they speak well of you.
But their hearts are really far away from you.
3But you know my heart, Lord.
You see me and test my mind.
Drag the evil people away like sheep to be butchered.
Set them aside for the day of killing.
4How much longer will the land stay dried up?
How long will the grass in every field be dead?
The animals and birds in the land have died.
And it is because the people are evil.
Yet, they are saying,
“God does not see what happens to us!”
God’s Answer to Jeremiah
5“If you get tired racing against men,
how can you race against horses?
You stumble in a country that is safe.
What will you do in the thick thornbushes along the Jordan River?
6These men are your own brothers.
Members of your own family are making plans against you.
People from your own family are crying out against you.
Don’t trust them,
even when they speak to you like friends!
7“I have left Israel.
I have left my people.
I have given the people I love
to their enemies.
8My people have become
like a lion in the forest to me.
They roar at me.
So I hate them.
9My people have become to me
like a speckled bird attacked by hawks.
Go, gather the wild animals!
Bring them to get something to eat.
10Many shepherds will ruin my vineyards.
They will walk on the plants in my field.
They will turn my beautiful field
into an empty desert.
11They will turn my field into a desert.
It will be wilted and dead.
The whole country is an empty desert.
This is because no one who lives there cares.
12Many soldiers will march over those barren hills.
The Lord will use the armies to punish that land.
People from one end of the land to the other will be punished.
No one will be safe.
13The people will plant wheat.
But they will harvest only thorns.
They will work hard until they are very tired.
But they will get nothing for all their work.
You will be ashamed of your poor harvest.
The Lord’s terrible anger has caused this.”
14This is what the Lord said to me: “Here is what I will do to those wicked people who take the land I gave my people, the Israelites. I will pull them up and throw them out of their land. And I will pull up the people of Judah from among them. 15But after I pull them up, I will feel sorry for them. I will bring each person back to his own property. And I will bring him back to his own land. 16I want them to learn their lessons well. In the past they taught my people to use Baal’s name to make promises. Now I want them to learn to use my name! I want them to say, ‘As surely as the Lord lives . . .’ If they do, I will allow them to be successful. And I will let them live among my people. 17But a nation might not listen to my message. If it doesn’t, I will pull it up completely and destroy it,” says the Lord.
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