Jeremias 12

1 You are righteous, Yahweh,

when I contend with you;

yet I would like to plead a case with you.

Why does the way of the wicked prosper?

Why are they all at ease who deal very treacherously?

2 You have planted them. Yes, they have taken root.

They grow. Yes, they produce fruit.

You are near in their mouth,

and far from their heart.

3 But you, Yahweh, know me.

You see me, and test my heart toward you.

Pull them out like sheep for the slaughter,

and prepare them for the day of slaughter.

4 How long will the land mourn,

and the herbs of the whole country wither?

Because of the wickedness of those who dwell therein,

the animals and birds are consumed;

because they said,

"He won’t see our latter end."

5 "If you have run with the footmen,

and they have wearied you,

then how can you contend with horses?

Though in a land of peace you are secure,

yet how will you do in the pride of the Jordan?

6 For even your brothers, and the house of your father,

even they have dealt treacherously with you!

Even they have cried aloud after you!

Don’t believe them,

though they speak beautiful words to you.

7 "I have forsaken my house.

I have cast off my heritage.

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

8 My heritage has become to me as a lion in the forest.

She has uttered her voice against me.

Therefore I have hated her.

9 Is my heritage to me as a speckled bird of prey?

Are the birds of prey against her all around?

Go, assemble all the animals 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.

It mourns to me, being desolate.

The whole land is made desolate,

because no one cares.

12 Destroyers have come on all the bare heights in the wilderness;

for the sword of Yahweh devours from the one end of the land even to the other end of the land.

No flesh has peace.

13 They have sown wheat,

and have reaped thorns.

They have exhausted themselves,

and profit nothing.

You will be ashamed of your fruits,

because of Yahweh’s fierce anger."

14 Yahweh says, "Concerning all my evil neighbors, who touch the inheritance which I have caused my people Israel to inherit: Behold, I will pluck them up from off their land, and will pluck up the house of Judah from among them. 15 It will happen that after I have plucked them up, I will return and have compassion on them. I will bring them again, every man to his heritage, and every man to his land. 16 It will happen, if they will diligently learn the ways of my people, to swear by my name, ‘As Yahweh lives;’ even as they taught my people to swear by Baal, then they will be built up in the middle of my people. 17 But if they will not hear, then I will pluck up that nation, plucking up and destroying it," says Yahweh.

Ka Uiuia e Heremaia a Ihowā

1 Tika tonu koe, e Ihowā,

ina totohe ahau ki a koe;

otiia, kia kōrerotia e ahau ki a koe ngā whakaritenga.

He aha i whai pai ai te ara o te hunga kino?

He aha i noho hūmārie ai te hunga katoa

he nui rawa nei tō rātou tinihanga?

2 Whakatōkia ana rātou e koe, āe rā kua whai pakiaka rātou;

kei te tupu ake, āe rā kua whai hua;

i ō rātou māngai e tata ana koe;

i ō rātou whatumanawa ia kei tawhiti koe.

3 Otiia e mōhio ana koe ki ahau, e Ihowā,

kua kite koe i ahau, e whakamātautau ana hoki koe i tōku ngākau ki a koe.

Tōia mai rātou ānō he hipi e patua ana,

motuhia atu rātou mō te rā o te parekura.

4 Kia pēhea te roa o te whenua ka tangi nei,

o te otaota o ngā māra katoa ka maroke nei?

Hei mea mō te kino o ōna tāngata,

kua pau ōna kararehe me ngā manu;

nō te mea i kī rātou,

"E kore ia e kite i tō tātou mutunga iho."

Ka Whakautu a Ihowā ki a Heremaia

5 "Nā, mehemea i rere koe i roto i te hunga haere i raro,

ā, ka ngenge i a rātou,

ka pēhea rā tāu whakataetae ki ngā hōiho?

Nā, ahakoa ū tōu noho i te whenua rangatira,

ka pēhea rā koe i te whakapehapeha o Horano?

6 Ko ōu tuākana nei hoki, ko ōu tēina, me te whare o tōu pāpā,

kei te tinihanga ki a koe,

ko rātou anō kei te karanga nui i muri i a koe.

Kaua e whakapono ki tā rātou,

ina kōrero pai ki a koe.

7 "Kua mahue i ahau tōku whare,

whakarērea ake tōku kāinga pūmau;

tukua ana e ahau te wahine i arohaina

e tōku wairua ki te ringa o ōna hoariri.

8 Ko tōku kāinga tupu,

tōna rite ki ahau kei te raiona i roto i te ngahere.

Hāmama ana ia ki ahau;

nā reira kino iho ahau ki a ia.

9 Ko tōku kāinga tupu, ki ahau

he rite ki te manu kōtingotingo;

hei hoariri mōna ngā manu i tētahi taha, i tētahi taha.

Haere mai koutou, huihuia mai ngā kīrehe katoa o te pārae,

mauria mai ki te horo kai.

10 Mōtī ake tāku māra wāina i ngā hēpara tokomaha,

kua takatakahia e rātou tōku wāhi,

kua meinga hoki e rātou tāku wāhi

i matenui ai hei koraha, ururua rawa.

11 Kua meinga e rātou hei ururua,

ā, i a ia e ururua nei, tangi ana ia ki ahau.

Kua ururua katoa te whenua,

nō te mea kāhore he tangata e mahara ake ana tōna ngākau.

12 Kua tae ngā kaipāhua

ki ngā wāhi tiketike katoa o te koraha;

ka kai hoki te hoari a Ihowā

i tētahi pito o te whenua ā tae noa ki tētahi pito o te whenua;

ki ngā kikokiko katoa kāhore he maunga rongo.

13 He wīti tā rātou i rui ai, he tātarāmoa tā rātou i kokoti ai;

kua whakamamae rātou i a rātou, ā, kāhore he pai ki a rātou.

Ka whakamā anō koutou ki ā koutou hua

i te riri o Ihowā ka mura nei."

14 Ko te kupu tēnei a Ihowā: "Mō ōku hoa tata katoa e kino nei, kua pā nei ki te wāhi tupu i hoatu e ahau mō tāku iwi, mō Īharaira: Tēnei ahau te huhuti atu nei i a rātou i runga i tō rātou whenua, ka hūtia atu anō e ahau te whare o Hūrā i waenganui i a rātou. 15 Ā tēnei ake, kua mutu tāku huhuti atu i a rātou, ka hoki ahau, ka aroha ki a rātou, ka whakahoki anō i a rātou ki tōna wāhi, ki tōna wāhi, ki tōna whenua, ki tōna whenua. 16 Ā tēnei ake, ki te ako mārie rātou ki ngā ara o tāku iwi, ā, ka oatitia tōku ingoa, arā, ‘E ora ana a Ihowā,’ ki te pērā rātou me rātou i whakaako rā i tāku iwi kia oatitia a Paara; kātahi ka hanga rātou ki waenganui i tāku iwi. 17 Tēnā ko tēnei, e kore rātou e rongo, kātahi taua iwi ka hūtia rawatia atu e ahau, ka whakangaromia," e ai tā Ihowā.