Jeremiah, 12

1. Your uprightness is too great, Yahweh, for me to dispute with you. But I should like to discuss some points of justice with you: Why is it that the way of the wicked prospers? Why do all treacherous people thrive?

1. Righteous art thou, O LORD, when I complain to thee; yet I would plead my case before thee. Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all who are treacherous thrive?

2. You plant them, they take root, they flourish, yes, and bear fruit. You are on their lips, yet far from their heart.

2. Thou plantest them, and they take root; they grow and bring forth fruit; thou art near in their mouth and far from their heart.

3. You know me, Yahweh, you see me, you probe my heart, which is close to yours. Drag them off like sheep for the slaughterhouse, reserve them for the day of butchery.

3. But thou, O LORD, knowest me; thou seest me, and triest my mind toward thee. Pull them out like sheep for the slaughter, and set them apart for the day of slaughter.

4. (How long will the land be in mourning, and the grass wither all over the countryside? The animals and birds are dying as a result of the wickedness of the inhabitants.) For they say, 'God does not see our fate.'

4. How long will the land mourn, and the grass of every field wither? For the wickedness of those who dwell in it the beasts and the birds are swept away, because men said, "He will not see our latter end."

5. 'If you find it exhausting to race against me on foot, how will you compete against horses? In a country at peace you feel secure, but how will you fare in the thickets of the Jordan?

5. "If you have raced with men on foot, and they have wearied you, how will you compete with horses? And if in a safe land you fall down, how will you do in the jungle of the Jordan?

6. 'For even your brothers and your own family will betray you. They will pursue you in full cry. Put no faith in them when they speak you fair!'

6. For even your brothers and the house of your father, even they have dealt treacherously with you; they are in full cry after you; believe them not, though they speak fair words to you."

7. I have abandoned my house, left my heritage, I have delivered what I dearly loved into the clutches of its enemies.

7. "I have forsaken my house, I have abandoned my heritage; I have given the beloved of my soul into the hands of her enemies.

8. To me, my heritage has behaved like a lion in the forest, it roared at me ferociously: so I now hate it.

8. My heritage has become to me like a lion in the forest, she has lifted up her voice against me; therefore I hate her.

9. I see my heritage as a brightly-coloured bird of prey attacked by birds of prey on every side! Go, assemble all the wild animals, make them come and dine!

9. Is my heritage to me like a speckled bird of prey? Are the birds of prey against her round about? Go, assemble all the wild beasts; bring them to devour.

10. Many shepherds have laid my vineyard waste, have trampled over my plot of land, the plot of land which was my joy, reducing my favourite estate to a deserted wilderness.

10. Many shepherds have destroyed my vineyard, they have trampled down my portion, they have made my pleasant portion a desolate wilderness.

11. They have made it a waste; wasted, it mourns before me. The whole country has been devastated and no one takes it to heart.

11. They have made it a desolation; desolate, it mourns to me. The whole land is made desolate, but no man lays it to heart.

12. The devastators have arrived on all the bare heights of the desert (for Yahweh wields a devouring sword); from one end of the country to the other, there is no peace for any living thing.

12. Upon all the bare heights in the desert destroyers have come; for the sword of the LORD devours from one end of the land to the other; no flesh has peace.

13. Wheat they have sown, thorns they reap: they have worn themselves out, to no profit. They are disappointed in their harvests, because of Yahweh's burning anger.

13. They have sown wheat and have reaped thorns, they have tired themselves out but profit nothing. They shall be ashamed of their harvests because of the fierce anger of the LORD."

14. Yahweh says this, 'As regards all my evil neighbours who have laid hands on the heritage I granted my people Israel, look, I shall uproot them from their soil, (though I shall uproot the House of Judah from among them).

14. Thus says the LORD concerning all my evil neighbors who touch the heritage which I have given my people Israel to inherit: "Behold, I will pluck them up from their land, and I will pluck up the house of Judah from among them.

15. But having uprooted them, I shall take pity on them again and bring them back each to its own heritage, each to its own country,

15. And after I have plucked them up, I will again have compassion on them, and I will bring them again each to his heritage and each to his land.

16. and if they carefully learn my people's ways and swear by my name, "As Yahweh lives", as they have taught my people to swear by Baal, then they will be re-established among my people.

16. And it shall come to pass, if they will diligently learn the ways of my people, to swear by my name, `As the LORD lives,' even as they taught my people to swear by Ba'al, then they shall be built up in the midst of my people.

17. But if any nation refuses to listen, I shall uproot it for ever and destroy it, Yahweh declares.'

17. But if any nation will not listen, then I will utterly pluck it up and destroy it, says the LORD."