Jeremiah’s Prayer
12 (A)Righteous are You, Lord, when I plead my case with You;
Nevertheless I would (B)discuss matters of justice with You:
Why has the (C)way of the wicked prospered?
Why are all those who (D)deal in treachery at ease?
2 You have (E)planted them, they have also taken root;
They grow, they have also produced fruit.
You are (F)near to their lips
But far from their mind.
3 But You (G)know me, Lord;
You see me
And (H)examine my heart’s attitude toward You.
Drag them off like sheep for the slaughter,
And set them apart for a (I)day of slaughter!
4 How long is the (J)land to mourn,
And the (K)vegetation of the countryside to dry up?
Due to the (L)wickedness of those who live in it,
(M)Animals and birds have been snatched away,
Because people have said, “He will not see our final (N)end.”
5 “If you have run with infantrymen and they have tired you out,
How can you compete with horses?
If you fall down in a land of peace,
How will you do in the (O)thicket by the Jordan?
6 For even your (P)brothers and the household of your father,
Even they have dealt treacherously with you,
Even they have called aloud after you.
Do not believe them, though they say (Q)nice things to you.”
God’s Answer
7 “I have (R)forsaken My house,
I have abandoned My inheritance;
I have handed the (S)beloved of My soul
Over to her enemies.
8 My inheritance has become to Me
Like a lion in the forest;
She has (T)roared against Me;
Therefore I have come to (U)hate her.
9 Is My inheritance like a speckled bird of prey to Me?
Are the (V)birds of prey against her on every side?
Go, gather all the (W)animals of the field,
Bring them to devour!
10 Many (X)shepherds have ruined My (Y)vineyard,
They have (Z)trampled down My field;
They have made My (AA)pleasant field
A desolate wilderness.
11 It has been made a desolation;
Desolate, it (AB)mourns before Me;
The (AC)whole land has been made desolate,
Because no one (AD)takes it to heart.
12 On all the (AE)bare heights in the wilderness
Destroyers have come,
For the (AF)sword of the Lord is devouring
From one end of the land even to the other;
There is (AG)no peace for anyone.
13 They have (AH)sown wheat but have harvested thorns,
They have (AI)strained themselves to no profit.
So be ashamed of your (AJ)produce
Because of the (AK)fierce anger of the Lord.”
14 This is what the Lord says concerning all My (AL)wicked neighbors who (AM)do harm to the inheritance with which I have endowed My people Israel: “Behold, I am going to drive them out of their land, and I will (AN)drive the house of Judah out from among them. 15 And it will come about that after I have driven them out, I will (AO)again have compassion on them; and I will (AP)bring them back, each one to his inheritance and each one to his land. 16 Then, if they will really (AQ)learn the ways of My people, to (AR)swear by My name, ‘As the Lord lives,’ just as they taught My people to (AS)swear by Baal, they will be (AT)built up in the midst of My people. 17 But if they do not listen, then I will (AU)drive out that nation, drive it out and destroy it,” declares the Lord.
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 12:2
- Jeremiah 12:2
- Jeremiah 12:3
- Jeremiah 12:4
- Jeremiah 12:8
- Jeremiah 12:11
- Jeremiah 12:11
- Jeremiah 12:12
- Jeremiah 12:12
- Jeremiah 12:12
- Jeremiah 12:13
Cross references
- Jeremiah 12:1 : Ezra 9:15; Ps 51:4; 129:4; Jer 11:20
- Jeremiah 12:1 : Job 13:3
- Jeremiah 12:1 : Job 12:6; Jer 5:27, 28; Hab 1:4; Mal 3:15
- Jeremiah 12:1 : Jer 3:7, 20; 5:11
- Jeremiah 12:2 : Jer 11:17; 45:4; Ezek 17:5-10
- Jeremiah 12:2 : Is 29:13; Jer 3:10; Ezek 33:31; Titus 1:16
- Jeremiah 12:3 : Ps 139:1-4
- Jeremiah 12:3 : Ps 7:9; 11:5; Jer 11:20
- Jeremiah 12:3 : Jer 17:18; 50:27; James 5:5
- Jeremiah 12:4 : Jer 4:28; 9:10; 23:10
- Jeremiah 12:4 : Joel 1:10-17
- Jeremiah 12:4 : Ps 107:34
- Jeremiah 12:4 : Jer 4:25; 7:20; 9:10; Hos 4:3; Hab 3:17
- Jeremiah 12:4 : Jer 5:31; Ezek 7:2
- Jeremiah 12:5 : Jer 49:19; 50:44
- Jeremiah 12:6 : Gen 37:4-11; Job 6:15; Ps 69:8; Jer 9:4, 5
- Jeremiah 12:6 : Ps 12:2; Prov 26:25
- Jeremiah 12:7 : Is 2:6; Jer 7:29; 23:39
- Jeremiah 12:7 : Jer 11:15; Hos 11:1-8
- Jeremiah 12:8 : Is 59:13
- Jeremiah 12:8 : Hos 9:15; Amos 6:8
- Jeremiah 12:9 : 2 Kin 24:2; Ezek 23:22-25
- Jeremiah 12:9 : Is 56:9; Jer 7:33; 15:3; 34:20
- Jeremiah 12:10 : Jer 6:3; 23:1
- Jeremiah 12:10 : Ps 80:8-16; Is 5:1-7
- Jeremiah 12:10 : Is 63:18
- Jeremiah 12:10 : Jer 3:19
- Jeremiah 12:11 : Jer 12:4; 14:2; 23:10
- Jeremiah 12:11 : Jer 4:20, 27; 25:11
- Jeremiah 12:11 : Is 42:25
- Jeremiah 12:12 : Jer 3:2, 21
- Jeremiah 12:12 : Is 34:6; Jer 47:6; Amos 9:4
- Jeremiah 12:12 : Jer 16:5; 30:5
- Jeremiah 12:13 : Lev 26:16; Deut 28:38; Mic 6:15; Hag 1:6
- Jeremiah 12:13 : Is 55:2; Jer 9:5
- Jeremiah 12:13 : Jer 17:10
- Jeremiah 12:13 : Jer 4:26; 25:37, 38
- Jeremiah 12:14 : Jer 49:1, 7; Zeph 2:8-10
- Jeremiah 12:14 : Jer 2:3; 50:11, 12; Zech 2:8
- Jeremiah 12:14 : Deut 30:3; Ps 106:47; Is 11:11-16
- Jeremiah 12:15 : Jer 48:47; 49:6, 39
- Jeremiah 12:15 : Amos 9:14
- Jeremiah 12:16 : Is 42:6; 49:6
- Jeremiah 12:16 : Jer 4:2; Zeph 1:5
- Jeremiah 12:16 : Josh 23:7; Jer 5:7
- Jeremiah 12:16 : Jer 3:17; 4:2; 16:19
- Jeremiah 12:17 : Ps 2:8-12; Is 60:12
