Jer 12:2 | NET2full | STEP | You plant them like trees, and they put down their roots . They grow prosperous and are very fruitful . They always talk about you , but they really care nothing about you.

‏ Jeremiah 12:2

2 You plant them like trees, and they put down their roots. ^{▼▼tn Heb “You planted them, and they took root.”}
They grow prosperous and are very fruitful. ^{▼▼tn Heb “they grow and produce fruit.” For the nuance “grow” for the verb, which normally means “go, walk,” see BDB 232 s.v. חָלַךְ Qal.I.3 and compare Hos 14:7.}
They always talk about you,
but they really care nothing about you. ^{▼▼tn Heb “You are near in their mouths, but far from their kidneys.” The figure of substitution is being used here, “mouth” for “words” and “kidneys” for passions and affections. A contemporary equivalent might be, “your name is always on their lips, but their hearts are far from you.”}