1 Righteous art thou, Jehovah, when I plead with thee; yet will I speak with thee of {thy} judgments. Wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper? {wherefore} are all they at ease that deal very treacherously?2 Thou hast planted them, they also have taken root: they advance, yea, they bring forth fruit: thou art near in their mouth, but far from their reins.3 But thou, Jehovah, knowest me; thou hast seen me, and proved my heart toward thee. Drag them out like sheep for the slaughter, and set them apart for the day of slaughter.4 How long shall the land mourn, and the herbs of all the fields wither? Because of the wickedness of them that dwell therein, the beasts and the birds perish; for they say, He will not see our end.5 If thou hast run with footmen, and they have wearied thee, how wilt thou then contend with horses? And if in a land of peace thou thinkest thyself in security, how wilt thou then do in the swelling of the Jordan?6 For even thy brethren, and the house of thy father, even they have dealt treacherously with thee, even they have cried aloud after thee. Believe them not, though they speak good {words} unto thee.7 I have forsaken my house, I have cast off my heritage, I have given the beloved of my soul into the hand of her enemies.8 My heritage is become unto me as a lion in the forest; it hath raised its voice against me: therefore have I hated it.9 My heritage is unto me {as} a speckled bird of prey; the birds of prey round about are against her. Go, assemble all the beasts of the field, bring them to devour.10 Many shepherds have destroyed my vineyard, they have trodden my portion under foot, they have made my pleasant portion a desolate wilderness:11 they have made it a desolation; desolate, it mourneth unto me: the whole land is made desolate, for no man layeth it to heart.12 Spoilers are come upon all heights in the wilderness; for the sword of Jehovah devoureth from one end of the land even to the {other} end of the land: no flesh hath peace.13 They have sown wheat, and they reap thorns; they have put themselves to pain, {and} do not profit. Be ye therefore ashamed of your revenues, because of the fierce anger of Jehovah.14 Thus saith Jehovah against all mine evil neighbours, that touch the inheritance which I have caused my people Israel to inherit: Behold, I will pluck them up out of their land, and pluck out the house of Judah from among them.15 And it shall come to pass, after I have plucked them up, I will return, and have compassion on them, and will bring them back, each one to his inheritance, and each one to his land.16 And it shall come to pass, if they will diligently learn the ways of my people, to swear by my name, {As} Jehovah liveth-even as they taught my people to swear by Baal-they shall be built up in the midst of my people.17 And if they will not obey, I will utterly pluck up and destroy that nation, saith Jehovah.

1 Regverdig is U, o HERE, as ek met U sou twis. Tog wil ek oor regsake met U spreek: Waarom is die weg van die goddelose voorspoedig? Waarom lewe hulle rustig, almal wat ontrou bedrywe?2 U het hulle geplant, ook het hulle wortel geskiet; hulle groei, ook dra hulle vrugte. U is naby in hulle mond, maar ver van hulle niere.3 Maar U, o HERE, ken my; U sien my en toets my hart by U. Ruk hulle weg soos slagskape, en heilig hulle vir die dag van slagting.4 Hoe lank sal die land treur en die plante van die hele veld verdor? Vanweë die boosheid van die wat daarin woon, vergaan diere en voëls; omdat hulle sê: Hy sal ons einde nie sien nie!5 As jy met voetgangers loop, maak hulle jou moeg: hoe sal jy dan wedywer met die perde? En in 'n land van vrede voel jy jou veilig: hoe sal jy dan maak in die pronkbosse van die Jordaan?6 Want ook jou broers en die huis van jou vader, ook hulle het troueloos teen jou gehandel; ook hulle roep jou hardop agterna. Glo hulle nie as hulle vriendelik met jou spreek nie.7 Ek het my huis verlaat, Ek het my erfenis verwerp, Ek het die beminde van my siel in die hand van haar vyande gegee.8 My erfenis het vir My geword soos 'n leeu in die bos; dit het sy stem teen My verhef; daarom het Ek dit gehaat.9 Is my erfenis dan vir My 'n bont roofvoël? Is daar roofvoëls rondom teen hom? Kom, maak al die wilde diere van die veld bymekaar, laat hulle kom om te eet.10 Baie herders het my wingerd verniel, hulle het my stuk land vertrap, hulle het my begeerlike stuk land 'n woeste wildernis gemaak,11 hulle het dit 'n wildernis gemaak; dit treur voor My, verwoes; die hele land is verwoes, omdat daar niemand is wat dit ter harte neem nie.12 Op al die kaal heuwels in die woestyn het verwoesters gekom, want die swaard van die HERE verteer van die een end van die land tot die ander end van die land; daar is geen vrede vir enige vlees nie.13 Hulle het koring gesaai, maar dorings gemaai; hulle het hul uitgeput sonder om baat te vind. Staan dan beskaamd oor julle inkomste, vanweë die toorngloed van die HERE.14 So sê die HERE: Aangaande al my goddelose bure wat die erfenis aantas wat Ek my volk Israel laat erf het -- kyk, Ek ruk hulle uit hul land uit, en die huis van Juda sal Ek uit hulle midde wegruk.15 Maar nadat Ek hulle uitgeruk het, sal Ek My weer oor hulle ontferm; en Ek sal hulle terugbring, elkeen na sy erfenis en elkeen na sy land.16 En as hulle ywerig die weë van my volk leer om te sweer by my Naam: So waar as die HERE leef, soos hulle my volk geleer het om te sweer by Baäl -- dan sal hulle onder my volk gebou word.17 Maar as hulle nie luister nie, dan sal Ek die nasie heeltemal uitruk en tot niet maak, spreek die HERE.