Jer 12 | NASB2020 | STEP | Righteous are You, Lord , when I plead my case with You; Nevertheless I would discuss matters of justice with You: Why has the way of the wicked prospered ? Why are all those who deal in treachery at ease ?

‏ Jeremiah 12

Jeremiah’s Prayer

1 ^aRighteous are You, Lord, when I plead my case with You;
Nevertheless I would ^bdiscuss matters of justice with You:
Why has the ^cway of the wicked prospered?
Why are all those who ^ddeal in treachery at ease?
2 You have ^eplanted them, they have also taken root;
They grow, they have also produced fruit.
You are ^fnear ^{▼▼Lit in their mouth}to their lips
But far from their ^{▼▼Lit kidneys}mind.
3 But You ⁱknow me, Lord;
You see me
And ^jexamine my heart’s attitude toward You.
Drag them off like sheep for the slaughter,
And ^{▼▼Lit sanctify them}set them apart for a ^lday of slaughter!
4 How long is the ^mland to mourn,
And the ⁿvegetation of the ^{▼▼Lit whole field}countryside to dry up?
Due to the ^pwickedness of those who live in it,
^qAnimals and birds have been snatched away,
Because people have said, “He will not see our final ^rend.”

5 “If you have run with infantrymen and they have tired you out,
How can you compete with horses?
If you fall down in a land of peace,
How will you do in the ^sthicket by the Jordan?
6 “For even your ^tbrothers and the household of your father,
Even they have dealt treacherously with you,
Even they have called aloud after you.
Do not believe them, though they say ^unice things to you.”

God’s Answer

7 “I have ^vforsaken My house,
I have abandoned My inheritance;
I have handed the ^wbeloved of My soul
Over to her enemies.
8 “My inheritance has become to Me
Like a lion in the forest;
She has ^{▼▼Lit raised her voice} ^yroared against Me;
Therefore I have come to ^zhate her.
9 “Is My inheritance like a speckled bird of prey to Me?
Are the ^aabirds of prey against her on every side?
Go, gather all the ^abanimals of the field,
Bring them to devour!
10 “Many ^acshepherds have ruined My ^advineyard,
They have ^aetrampled down My field;
They have made My ^afpleasant field
A desolate wilderness.
11 “ ^{▼▼Lit One has made it}It has been made a desolation;
Desolate, it ^ahmourns ^{▼▼Or upon}before Me;
The ^ajwhole land has been made desolate,
Because no one ^aktakes it to heart.
12 “On all the ^{▼▼Or caravan trails} ^ambare heights in the wilderness
Destroyers have come,
For the ^answord of the Lord is devouring
From one end of the land even to the ^{▼▼Lit other end of the land}other;
There is ^apno peace for ^{▼▼Lit all flesh}anyone.
13 “They have ^arsown wheat but have harvested thorns,
They have ^asstrained themselves ^{▼▼Lit they do not profit}to no profit.
So be ashamed of your ^auproduce
Because of the ^avfierce anger of the Lord.”

14 This is what the Lord says concerning all My ^awwicked neighbors who ^axdo harm to the inheritance with which I have endowed My people Israel: “Behold, I am going to drive them out of their land, and I will ^aydrive the house of Judah out from among them. 15 And it will come about that after I have driven them out, I will ^azagain have compassion on them; and I will ^babring them back, each one to his inheritance and each one to his land. 16 Then, if they will really ^bblearn the ways of My people, to ^bcswear by My name, ‘As the Lord lives,’ just as they taught My people to ^bdswear by Baal, they will be ^bebuilt up in the midst of My people. 17 But if they do not listen, then I will ^bfdrive out that nation, drive it out and destroy it,” declares the Lord.