Jeremiah 12
12
1 UNCOMPROMISINGLY RIGHTEOUS and rigidly just are You, O Lord, when I complain against and contend with You. Yet let me plead and reason the case with You: Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why are all they at ease and thriving who deal very treacherously and deceitfully?
2 You have planted them, yes, they have taken root; they grow, yes, they bring forth fruit. You are near in their mouths but far from their hearts.
3 But You, O Lord, know and understand me and my devotion to You; You see me and try my heart toward You. [O Lord] pull [these rebellious ones] out like sheep for the slaughter and devote and prepare them for the day of slaughter.
4 How long must the land mourn and the grass and herbs of the whole country wither? Through the wickedness of those who dwell in it, the beasts and the birds are consumed and are swept away [by the drought], because men [mocked] me, saying, He shall not [live to] see our final end.
5 [But the Lord rebukes Jeremiah's impatience, saying] If you have raced with men on foot and they have tired you out, then how can you compete with horses? And if [you take to flight] in a land of peace where you feel secure, then what will you do [when you tread the tangled maze of jungle haunted by lions] in the swelling and flooding of the Jordan?
6 For even your brethren and the house of your father–even they have dealt treacherously with you; yes, even they are [like a pack of hounds] in full cry after you. Believe them not, though they speak fair words and promise good things to you.
7 I have forsaken My house, I have cast off My heritage; I have given the dearly beloved of My life into the hands of her enemies.
8 My heritage has become to Me like a lion in the forest; she has uttered her voice against Me; therefore I have [treated her as if I] hated her.
9 Is My heritage to Me like a speckled bird of prey? Are the birds of prey against her round about? Go, assemble all the wild beasts of the field; bring them to devour.
10 Many shepherds [of an invading host] have destroyed My vineyard, they have trampled My portion underfoot; they have made My pleasant portion a desolate wilderness.
11 They have made it a desolation, and desolate it mourns before Me; the whole land has been made desolate, but no man lays it to heart.
12 Destroyers have come upon all the bare heights in the desert, for the sword of the Lord devours from one end of the land even to the other; no flesh has peace or can find the means to escape.
13 They have sown wheat but have reaped thorns; they have worn themselves out but without profit. And they shall be ashamed of your [lack of] harvests and revenues because of the fierce and glowing anger of the Lord.
14 Thus says the Lord against all My evil neighbor [nations] who touch the inheritance which I have caused 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.
15 And after I have plucked them up, I will return and have compassion on them and will bring them back again, every man to his heritage and every man to his land.
16 And if these [neighbor nations] will diligently learn the ways of My people, to swear by My name, saying, As the Lord lives–even as they taught My people to swear by Baal–then will they be built up in the midst of My people.
17 But if any nation will not hear and obey, I will utterly pluck up and destroy that nation, says the Lord.
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Jeremiah 12: AMPC
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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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