Jeremias 12
Herre retten er din, når jeg trætter med dig om ret og dog må jeg tale med dig om Ret. Hvi følger Lykken de gudløses Vej, hvi er alle troløse trygge?
Du planter dem, og de slår rod, de trives og bærer Frugt. De har dig i Munden, men ikke i Hjertet.
Du, HERRE, du kender mig, ser mig og prøver mit Hjertelag mod dig. Riv dem bort som Får til Slagtning, vi dem til Blodbadets Dag!
Mit Hus har jeg opgivet, bortstødt min Arvelod, givet min elskede hen i hendes Fjenders Hånd.
Min Arvelod blev for mig som en Løve i Skoven, den løftede Røsten imod mig, derfor må jeg hade den.
Er min Arvelod blevet mig en spraglet Fugl, omgivet af Fugle? Lad alle de vilde Dyr samles, hent dem hid for af æde!
Hyrder i Mængde ødelægger min Vingård, nedtramper min Arvelod, min yndige Arvelod gør de til øde Ørk;
de lægger den øde, den sørger øde for mit Åsyn. Hele Landet er ødelagt, thi ingen brød sig om det.
Over alle Ørkenens nøgne Høje kom Hærværksmænd. Thi HERREN har et Sværd; det fortærer alt fra den ene Ende af Landet til den anden; intet Kød har Fred.
De såede Hvede og høstede Torne, sled til ingen Gavn og blev til Skamme med deres Afgrøde for HERRENs glødende Vredes Skyld.
Så siger HERREN om alle mine onde Naboer, der rører den Arvelod, jeg gav mit Folk Israel i Eje: Se, jeg rykker dem op af deres Land, og Judas Hus rykker jeg op midt iblandt dem.
Men siden, når jeg har rykket dem op, forbarmer jeg mig atter over dem og bringer dem hjem, hver til sin Arvelod og hver til sit Land.
Men hører de ikke, rykker jeg et sådant Folk helt op og tilintetgør det, lyder det fra HERREN.
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? {talk...: or, reason the case with thee}
Thou 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. {they grow: Heb. they go on}
But 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. {toward...: Heb. with thee}
How 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.
If 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?
For 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. {they have called...: or, they cried after thee fully} {fair...: Heb. good things}
I have forsaken mine house, I have left mine heritage; I have given the dearly beloved of my soul into the hand of her enemies. {the dearly...: Heb. the love}
Mine heritage is unto me as a lion in the forest; it crieth out against me: therefore have I hated it. {crieth...: or, yelleth: Heb. giveth out his voice}
Mine 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. {speckled: or, taloned} {come to: or, cause them to come to}
Many pastors have destroyed my vineyard, they have trodden my portion under foot, they have made my pleasant portion a desolate wilderness. {pleasant...: Heb. portion of desire}
They have made it desolate, {and being} desolate it mourneth unto me; the whole land is made desolate, because no man layeth {it} to heart.
The 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.
They 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. {they shall: or, ye shall}
Thus 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.
And 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.
And 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.
But if they will not obey, I will utterly pluck up and destroy that nation, saith the LORD.