Jeremiah 12

Jeremiah’s Question

1 Righteous *Ezra 9:15; Ps. 51:4; Jer. 11:20are You, O Lord, when I plead with You;

Yet let me talk with You about Your judgments.

*Job 12:6; Jer. 5:27, 28; Hab. 1:4; Mal. 3:15Why does the way of the wicked prosper?

Why are those happy who deal so treacherously?

2 You have planted them, yes, they have taken root;

They grow, yes, they bear fruit.

*Is. 29:13; Ezek. 33:31; Matt. 15:8; Mark 7:6You are near in their mouth

But far from their mind.

3 But You, O Lord, *Ps. 17:3know me;

You have seen me,

And You have *Ps. 7:9; 11:5; Jer. 11:20tested my heart toward You.

Pull them out like sheep for the slaughter,

And prepare them for *Jer. 17:18; 50:27; James 5:5the day of slaughter.

4 How long will *Jer. 23:10; Hos. 4:3the land mourn,

And the herbs of every field wither?

*Jer. 9:10; Hos. 4:3; Hab. 3:17The beasts and birds are consumed,

*Ps. 107:34For the wickedness of those who dwell there,

Because they said, "He will not see our final end."

The Lord Answers Jeremiah

5 "If you have run with the footmen, and they have wearied you,

Then how can you contend with horses?

And if in the land of peace,

Inwhich you trusted, theyweariedyou,

Then how will you do in *Josh. 3:15; 1 Chr. 12:15the floodplain of the Jordan?

6 For even *Gen. 37:4–11; Job 6:15; Ps. 69:8; Jer. 9:4, 5your brothers, the house of your father,

Even they have dealt treacherously with you;

Yes, they have called a multitude after you.

*Ps. 12:2; Prov. 26:25Do not believe them,

Even though they speak smooth words to you.

7 "I have forsaken My house, I have left My heritage;

I have given the dearly beloved of My soul into the hand of her enemies.

8 My heritage is to Me like a lion in the forest;

It cries out against Me;

Therefore I have *Hos. 9:15; Amos 6:8hated it.

9 My heritage is to Me like a speckled vulture;

The vultures all around are against her.

Come, assemble all the beasts of the field,

*Lev. 26:22Bring them to devour!

10 "Many *Jer. 6:3; 23:1rulers have destroyed *Ps. 80:8–16; Is. 5:1–7My vineyard,

They have *Is. 63:18trodden My portion underfoot;

They have made My pleasant portion a desolate wilderness.

11 They have made it *Jer. 10:22; 22:6desolate;

Desolate, it mourns to Me;

The whole land is made desolate,

Because *Is. 42:25no one takes it to heart.

12 The plunderers have come

On all the desolate heights in the wilderness,

For the sword of the Lord shall devour

From one end of the land to the other end of the land;

No flesh shall have peace.

13 *Lev. 26:16; Deut. 28:38; Mic. 6:15; Hag. 1:6They have sown wheat but reaped thorns;

They have put themselves to pain but do not profit.

But be ashamed of your harvest

Because of the fierce anger of the Lord."

14 Thus says the Lord: "Against all My evil neighbors who *Jer. 2:3; 50:11, 12; Zech. 2:8touch the inheritance which I have caused My people Israel to inherit—behold, I will *Deut. 30:3; Ps. 106:47; Is. 11:11–16; Jer. 32:37pluck them out of their land and pluck out the house of Judah from among them. 15 *Jer. 31:20; Lam. 3:32; Ezek. 28:25Then it shall be, after I have plucked them out, that I will return and have compassion on them *Amos 9:14and bring them back, everyone to his heritage and everyone to his land. 16 And it shall be, if they will learn carefully the ways of My people, *(Jer. 4:2); Zeph. 1:5to swear by My name, ‘As the Lord lives,’ as they taught My people to swear by Baal, then they shall be *(Eph. 2:20, 21; 1 Pet. 2:5)established in the midst of My people. 17 But if they do not *Ps. 2:8–12; Is. 60:12obey, I will utterly pluck up and destroy that nation," says the Lord.