Jeremiah’s Prayer
12 (A)Righteous are You, O Lord, that I would plead my case with You;
Indeed I would (B)discuss matters of justice with You:
Why has the (C)way of the wicked prospered?
Why are all those who (D)deal in treachery at ease?
2 You have (E)planted them, they have also taken root;
They grow, they have even produced fruit.
You are (F)near [a]to their lips
But far from their [b]mind.
3 But You (G)know me, O Lord;
You see me;
And You (H)examine my heart’s attitude toward You.
Drag them off like sheep for the slaughter
And [c]set them apart for a (I)day of carnage!
4 How long is the (J)land to mourn
And the (K)vegetation of the countryside to wither?
For the (L)wickedness of those who dwell in it,
(M)Animals and birds have been snatched away,
Because men have said, “He will not see our latter (N)ending.”
5 “If you have run with footmen and they have tired you out,
Then how can you compete with horses?
If you fall down in a land of peace,
How will you do in the [d](O)thicket of the Jordan?
6 “For even your (P)brothers and the household of your father,
Even they have dealt treacherously with you,
Even they have cried aloud after you.
Do not believe them, although they may say (Q)nice things to you.”
God’s Answer
7 “I have (R)forsaken My house,
I have abandoned My inheritance;
I have given the (S)beloved of My soul
Into the hand of her enemies.
8 “My inheritance has become to Me
Like a lion in the forest;
She has [e](T)roared against Me;
Therefore I have come to (U)hate her.
9 “Is My inheritance like a speckled bird of prey to Me?
Are the (V)birds of prey against her on every side?
Go, gather all the (W)beasts of the field,
Bring them to devour!
10 “Many (X)shepherds have ruined My (Y)vineyard,
They have (Z)trampled down My field;
They have made My (AA)pleasant field
A desolate wilderness.
11 “[f]It has been made a desolation,
Desolate, it (AB)mourns [g]before Me;
The (AC)whole land has been made desolate,
Because no man (AD)lays it to heart.
12 “On all the [h](AE)bare heights in the wilderness
Destroyers have come,
For a (AF)sword of the Lord is devouring
From one end of the land even to the [i]other;
There is (AG)no peace for [j]anyone.
13 “They have (AH)sown wheat and have reaped thorns,
They have (AI)strained themselves [k]to no profit.
But be ashamed of your [l](AJ)harvest
Because of the (AK)fierce anger of the Lord.”
14 Thus says the Lord concerning all My (AL)wicked neighbors who (AM)strike at the inheritance with which I have endowed My people Israel, “Behold I am about to uproot them from their land and will (AN)uproot the house of Judah from among them. 15 And it will come about that after I have uprooted them, I will (AO)again have compassion on them; and I will (AP)bring them back, each one to his inheritance and each one to his land. 16 Then if they will really (AQ)learn the ways of My people, to (AR)swear by My name, ‘As the Lord lives,’ even as they taught My people to (AS)swear by Baal, they will be (AT)built up in the midst of My people. 17 But if they will not listen, then I will (AU)uproot that nation, uproot and destroy it,” declares the Lord.
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 12:2 Lit in their mouth
- Jeremiah 12:2 Lit kidneys
- Jeremiah 12:3 Lit sanctify them
- Jeremiah 12:5 Lit pride
- Jeremiah 12:8 Lit raised her voice
- Jeremiah 12:11 Lit One has made it
- Jeremiah 12:11 Or upon
- Jeremiah 12:12 Or caravan trails
- Jeremiah 12:12 Lit other end of the land
- Jeremiah 12:12 Lit all flesh
- Jeremiah 12:13 Lit they do not profit
- Jeremiah 12:13 Lit products
Cross references
- Jeremiah 12:1 : Ezra 9:15; Ps 51:4; 129:4; Jer 11:20
- Jeremiah 12:1 : Job 13:3
- Jeremiah 12:1 : Job 12:6; Jer 5:27, 28; Hab 1:4; Mal 3:15
- Jeremiah 12:1 : Jer 3:7, 20; 5:11
- Jeremiah 12:2 : Jer 11:17; 45:4; Ezek 17:5-10
- Jeremiah 12:2 : Is 29:13; Jer 3:10; Ezek 33:31; Titus 1:16
- Jeremiah 12:3 : Ps 139:1-4
- Jeremiah 12:3 : Ps 7:9; 11:5; Jer 11:20
- Jeremiah 12:3 : Jer 17:18; 50:27; James 5:5
- Jeremiah 12:4 : Jer 4:28; 9:10; 23:10
- Jeremiah 12:4 : Joel 1:10-17
- Jeremiah 12:4 : Ps 107:34
- Jeremiah 12:4 : Jer 4:25; 7:20; 9:10; Hos 4:3; Hab 3:17
- Jeremiah 12:4 : Jer 5:31; Ezek 7:2
- Jeremiah 12:5 : Jer 49:19; 50:44
- Jeremiah 12:6 : Gen 37:4-11; Job 6:15; Ps 69:8; Jer 9:4, 5
- Jeremiah 12:6 : Ps 12:2; Prov 26:25
- Jeremiah 12:7 : Is 2:6; Jer 7:29; 23:39
- Jeremiah 12:7 : Jer 11:15; Hos 11:1-8
- Jeremiah 12:8 : Is 59:13
- Jeremiah 12:8 : Hos 9:15; Amos 6:8
- Jeremiah 12:9 : 2 Kin 24:2; Ezek 23:22-25
- Jeremiah 12:9 : Is 56:9; Jer 7:33; 15:3; 34:20
- Jeremiah 12:10 : Jer 6:3; 23:1
- Jeremiah 12:10 : Ps 80:8-16; Is 5:1-7
- Jeremiah 12:10 : Is 63:18
- Jeremiah 12:10 : Jer 3:19
- Jeremiah 12:11 : Jer 12:4; 14:2; 23:10
- Jeremiah 12:11 : Jer 4:20, 27; 25:11
- Jeremiah 12:11 : Is 42:25
- Jeremiah 12:12 : Jer 3:2, 21
- Jeremiah 12:12 : Is 34:6; Jer 47:6; Amos 9:4
- Jeremiah 12:12 : Jer 16:5; 30:5
- Jeremiah 12:13 : Lev 26:16; Deut 28:38; Mic 6:15; Hag 1:6
- Jeremiah 12:13 : Is 55:2; Jer 9:5
- Jeremiah 12:13 : Jer 17:10
- Jeremiah 12:13 : Jer 4:26; 25:37, 38
- Jeremiah 12:14 : Jer 49:1, 7; Zeph 2:8-10
- Jeremiah 12:14 : Jer 2:3; 50:11, 12; Zech 2:8
- Jeremiah 12:14 : Deut 30:3; Ps 106:47; Is 11:11-16
- Jeremiah 12:15 : Jer 48:47; 49:6, 39
- Jeremiah 12:15 : Amos 9:14
- Jeremiah 12:16 : Is 42:6; 49:6
- Jeremiah 12:16 : Jer 4:2; Zeph 1:5
- Jeremiah 12:16 : Josh 23:7; Jer 5:7
- Jeremiah 12:16 : Jer 3:17; 4:2; 16:19
- Jeremiah 12:17 : Ps 2:8-12; Is 60:12