Jeremiah, 12

1. 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?

1. Yahweh, you are always right when I complain to you; nevertheless, where is your justice? Why do the wicked prosper? And why do traitors live in peace?

2. 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.

2. You plant them and they take root; they grow and are fruitful; they honor you with words but their heart is far from you.

3. 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.

3. But you, Yahweh, you know me and see me; you search my heart - it is close to you. Send them off like sheep to be butchered; put them aside for the day of slaughter.

4. 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.

4. How long will the land be in mourning and the grass of the fields remain withered? The birds and the beasts have perished because of the wickedness of the inhabitants, for they say: 'God does not see what we do.'

5. 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?

5. "If you tire when running with those on foot, how can you compete with horses? If you do not feel secure in a peaceful land, what will you do in the thickets of the Jordan?"

6. 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.

6.

7. 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.

7. I have abandoned my house, I have given up my own people; I have given over those I most cherished into the hands of their enemies.

8. Mine heritage is unto me as a lion in the forest; it crieth out against me: therefore have I hated it.

8. My own have been for me like a lion in the forest; they have roared against me - now I hate them.

9. 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.

9. My own have become for me like a bird of prey. Let all the birds of prey attack them. Come here, all you wild beasts and devour them!

10. Many pastors have destroyed my vineyard, they have trodden my portion under foot, they have made my pleasant portion a desolate wilderness.

10. Many shepherds have ravaged my vine; they have trampled my beloved field and made it a desolate wasteland,

11. 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.

11. parched and mournful in my sight. But no one cares!

12. 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.

12. To every height in the desert destroyers have come, for Yahweh has a devouring sword. It reaches from one end of the land to the other; no one is safe!

13. 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.

13. They have sown grain and reaped thorns; they have toiled for nothing. Your harvests bring shame on you because of Yahweh's anger.

14. 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.

14. Yahweh declares, "Because all my wicked neighbors have laid hands on the land I gave my people Israel, I will uproot them from their own land, and I will uproot the people of Judah from among them.

15. 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.

15. But after I have done this, I will have compassion on them and bring them back to their possession, each one to his own land.

16. 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.

16. If then they learn the ways I taught my people and call upon my name when taking an oath, they who once taught my people to swear by Baal, may settle among my people.

17. But if they will not obey, I will utterly pluck up and destroy that nation, saith the LORD.

17. But if then any nation does not obey me, I will uproot and destroy it - it is Yahweh who speaks."