Jeremiah 12

Righteous 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?

1LORD, you are always right when I bring you my case. Still, I want to ask you about the way you judge. Why do bad people do so well? Why is life easy for people who lie and cheat?

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.

2You planted them, and they took root. They grew tall and made fruit. They talk about you all the time. But you are far from deep inside them.

NoteThe KJV says God is far from their "reins." In 1611 that word meant the deepest inside part of a person, the part we would call the heart.

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.

3But you know me, LORD. You see me. You have tested my heart to see if I love you. Drag those people away, like sheep taken off to be killed. Set them aside for the day of killing.

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.

4How long will the land be sad? How long will the grass in every field dry up? The people who live there do evil things. Because of them, the animals and the birds are gone. Those people said, "God will not see how we end up."

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?

5God said, "You raced against men on foot, and they wore you out. So how will you race against horses? You trip and fall in a safe, quiet land. What will you do in the thick bushes by the Jordan River?

NoteThe KJV says "the swelling of Jordan." That means the thick bushes and tangled trees along the Jordan River, a wild place where lions lived.

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.

6Even your own brothers have turned against you. Even your father's family has done it. They have shouted against you. Do not trust them. They may say kind words to your face."

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.

7God said, "I have left my own house. I have walked away from the people who are mine. I loved them dearly. Now I have handed them over to their enemies.

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

8My own people have become like a lion in the woods to me. She roars at me. So now I hate her.

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.

9My people are like a spotted bird that other birds do not like. Wild birds circle all around to attack her. Come, gather every wild animal of the field. Bring them to eat her up.

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

10Many shepherds have ruined my vineyard. They have stomped my field flat. They turned my good land into an empty desert.

NoteThe KJV word "pastors" here means shepherds, and it is used for kings and leaders who were supposed to take care of the people.

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.

11They have made it empty. It lies empty and sad in front of me. The whole land is ruined. But no one stops to care.

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.

12Destroyers have come over all the bare hills in the desert. The LORD's sword eats up the land from one end to the other. No one anywhere is safe.

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.

13They planted wheat, but they picked thorns. They wore themselves out and got nothing. Be ashamed of the little you gather in. The LORD's burning anger has come."

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.

14The LORD says this about the mean nations living near his people. They grabbed the land he gave to Israel to keep. He says, "I will pull those nations up out of their land. And I will pull the people of Judah out 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.

15After I have pulled them up, I will feel sorry for them. I will bring each one back home again. Every person will return to his own 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.

16Long ago they taught my people to make promises by Baal, a false god. Now they must carefully learn the ways of my people instead. They must promise by my name and say, "As surely as the LORD lives." If they do that, they will be built up among my people.

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

17But if they will not obey, I will pull that nation up by the roots. I will destroy it, says the LORD."