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Jeremiah 12
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1Righteous art thou, O Jehovah, when I contend with thee; yet would I reason the cause with thee: wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper? wherefore are all they at ease that deal very treacherously?
1LORD, you are always right when I bring a case before you. Yet, I want to argue justice with you: Why do wicked people succeed? Why are those who are completely untrustworthy so comfortable?
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 heart.
2You planted them, and they have taken root; they grow and even produce fruit. You are always on their lips, but you are far from their hearts.
3But thou, O Jehovah, knowest me; thou seest me, and triest my heart toward thee: pull them out like sheep for the slaughter, and prepare them for the day of slaughter.
3But you, LORD, know me; you see me and test how my heart feels toward you. Drag the wicked away like sheep to be slaughtered, and set them aside for the day of killing.
4How long shall the land mourn, and the herbs of the whole country wither? for the wickedness of them that dwell therein, the beasts are consumed, and the birds; because they said, He shall not see our latter end.
4How long must the land grieve and the grass in every field wither? Because of the evil of those who live there, the animals and birds are dying. The people even say, 'God won't see what happens to us in the end.'
5If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? and though in a land of peace thou art secure, yet how wilt thou do in the pride of the Jordan?
5If you have raced against men on foot and they have worn you out, how can you compete with horses? If you only feel safe in open country, what will you do in the thickets of the Jordan River?
6For even thy brethren, and the house of thy father, even they have dealt treacherously with thee; even they have cried aloud after thee: believe them not, though they speak fair words unto thee.
6Even your own brothers and your father’s family have betrayed you; they have raised a loud cry against you. Do not trust them, even when they say kind things to you.
7I have forsaken my house, I have cast off my heritage; I have given the dearly beloved of my soul into the hand of her enemies.
7I have abandoned my house and left my special possession; I have handed over the people I love dearly to their enemies.
8My heritage is become unto me as a lion in the forest: she hath uttered her voice against me; therefore I have hated her.
8The people I chose have become like a lion in the forest to me; they growl and roar at me, so now I treat them as if I hate them.
9Is my heritage unto me as a speckled bird of prey? are the birds of prey against her round about? go ye, assemble all the beasts of the field, bring them to devour.
9Is my chosen land like a colorful bird of prey that other birds circle and attack? Go, gather all the wild animals and bring them to eat their fill.
10Many shepherds have destroyed my vineyard, they have trodden my portion under foot, they have made my pleasant portion a desolate wilderness.
10Many rulers have ruined my vineyard and trampled my field; they have turned my beautiful land into a desolate desert.
11They have made it a desolation; it mourneth unto me, being desolate; the whole land is made desolate, because no man layeth it to heart.
11They have made it a wasteland; it lies parched and crying out to me. The whole land is ruined because no one truly cares.
12Destroyers are come upon all the bare heights in the wilderness; for the sword of Jehovah devoureth from the one end of the land even to the other end of the land: no flesh hath peace.
12Destructive armies have come across the bare hills in the wilderness; for the sword of the LORD devours the land from one end to the other, and no one is safe.
13They have sown wheat, and have reaped thorns; they have put themselves to pain, and profit nothing: and ye shall be ashamed of your fruits, because of the fierce anger of Jehovah.
13My people have planted wheat but harvested thorns; they have exhausted themselves for nothing. You will be ashamed of your harvest because of the LORD's fierce anger.
14Thus saith Jehovah against all mine evil neighbors, that touch the inheritance which I have caused my people Israel to inherit: Behold, I will pluck them up from off their land, and will pluck up the house of Judah from among them.
14This is what the LORD says about all the evil neighbors who damage the land I gave to my people Israel: 'I am going to uproot them from their lands, and I will pull Judah out from among them.'
15And it shall come to pass, after that I have plucked them up, I will return and have compassion on them; and I will bring them again, every man to his heritage, and every man to his land.
15But after I have uprooted them, I will have many feelings of mercy again. I will bring them back, each person to their own inheritance and their own land.
16And it shall come to pass, if they will diligently learn the ways of my people, to swear by my name, As Jehovah liveth; even as they taught my people to swear by Baal; then shall they be built up in the midst of my people.
16And if they carefully 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 local and established among my people.