Jeremiah 12

1Righteous art thou, O LORD, when I plead with thee: yet let me talk with thee of thy judgments: Wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper? wherefore are all they happy that deal very treacherously?footnote a

2Thou hast planted them, yea, they have taken root: they grow, yea, they bring forth fruit: thou art near in their mouth, and far from their reins.footnote b

3But thou, O LORD, knowest me: thou hast seen me, and tried mine heart toward thee: pull them out like sheep for the slaughter, and prepare them for the day of slaughter.footnote c

4How long shall the land mourn, and the herbs of every field wither, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein? the beasts are consumed, and the birds; because they said, He shall not see our last end.

5If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? and if in the land of peace, wherein thou trustedst, they wearied thee, then how wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan?

6For even thy brethren, and the house of thy father, even they have dealt treacherously with thee; yea, they have called a multitude after thee: believe them not, though they speak fair words unto thee.footnote dfootnote e

7I have forsaken mine house, I have left mine heritage; I have given the dearly beloved of my soul into the hand of her enemies.footnote f

8Mine heritage is unto me as a lion in the forest; it crieth out against me: therefore have I hated it.footnote g

9Mine heritage is unto me as a speckled bird, the birds round about are against her; come ye, assemble all the beasts of the field, come to devour.footnote hfootnote i

10Many pastors have destroyed my vineyard, they have trodden my portion under foot, they have made my pleasant portion a desolate wilderness.footnote j

11They have made it desolate, and being desolate it mourneth unto me; the whole land is made desolate, because no man layeth it to heart.

12The spoilers are come upon all high places through the wilderness: for the sword of the LORD shall devour from the one end of the land even to the other end of the land: no flesh shall have peace.

13They have sown wheat, but shall reap thorns: they have put themselves to pain, but shall not profit: and they shall be ashamed of your revenues because of the fierce anger of the LORD.footnote k

14Thus saith the LORD against all mine evil neighbours, that touch the inheritance which I have caused my people Israel to inherit; Behold, I will pluck them out of their land, and pluck out the house of Judah from among them.

15And it shall come to pass, after that I have plucked them out I will return, and have compassion on them, and will bring them again, every man to his heritage, and every man to his land.

16And it shall come to pass, if they will diligently learn the ways of my people, to swear by my name, The LORD liveth; as they taught my people to swear by Baal; then shall they be built in the midst of my people.

17But if they will not obey, I will utterly pluck up and destroy that nation, saith the LORD.

The Prosperity of the Wicked

1Righteous are You, O LORD,when I plead before You.Yet about Your judgmentsI wish to contend with You:Why does the way of the wicked prosper?Why do all the faithless live at ease? 2You planted them, and they have taken root.They have grown and produced fruit.You are ever on their lips,but far from their hearts.footnote a 3But You know me, O LORD;You see me and test my heart toward You.Drag away the wicked like sheep to the slaughterand set them apart for the day of carnage. 4How long will the land mournand the grass of every field be withered?Because of the evil of its residents,the animals and birds have been swept away,for the people have said,“He cannot see what our end will be.”

God’s Answer to Jeremiah

5“If you have raced with men on footand they have worn you out,how can you compete with horses?If you stumble in a peaceful land,how will you do in the thickets of the Jordan? 6Even your brothers—your own father’s household—even they have betrayed you;even they have cried aloud against you.Do not trust them,though they speak well of you.

7I have forsaken My house;I have abandoned My inheritance.I have given the beloved of My soulinto the hands of her enemies. 8My inheritance has become to Melike a lion in the forest.She has roared against Me;therefore I hate her. 9Is not My inheritance to Melike a speckled bird of preywith other birds of preyfootnote bcircling against her?Go, gather all the beasts of the field;bring them to devour her.

10Many shepherds have destroyed My vineyard;they have trampled My plot of ground.They have turned My pleasant fieldinto a desolate wasteland. 11They have made it a desolation;desolate before Me, it mourns.All the land is laid waste,but no man takes it to heart. 12Over all the barren heights in the wildernessthe destroyers have come,for the sword of the LORD devoursfrom one end of the earth to the other.No flesh has peace.

13They have sown wheat but harvested thorns.They have exhausted themselves to no avail.Bear the shame of your harvestbecause of the fierce anger of the LORD.”

A Message for Israel’s Neighbors

14This is what the LORD says: “As for all My evil neighbors who attack the inheritance that I bequeathed to My people Israel, I am about to uproot them from their land, and I will uproot the house of Judah from among them. 15But after I have uprooted them, I will once again have compassion on them and return each one to his inheritance and to his land.

16And if they will diligently learn the ways of My people and swear by My name, saying, ‘As surely as the LORD lives’—just as they once taught My people to swear by Baal—then they will be established among My people. 17But if they will not obey, then I will uproot that nation; I will uproot it and destroy it, declares the LORD.”