THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET
JEREMIAH
Jeremiah 12 ©
The prophet complains to God of the prosperity of his wicked country men, and prays Him to take them away, and that the land may not suffer any longer for their wickedness, v. 1, etc. Against which the Lord instructs him, and foretells him yet more persecution, 5. Complaining of the desperate rebellion of His own heritage, which He must therefore lay waste by the Babylonians, and to punish it with barrenness, 7. Not intending that the pagan neighbor nations would go unpunished, who upon this occasion would likewise be ready to fall upon Israel; with the promise of the deliverance of His people, and grace unto the Gentiles, who with His own people would turn unto Him, 14.
RIGHTEOUS art 1thou, O LORD, when I plead with thee: 2yet let me talk with thee of thy judgments: Whereforea doth the 3way of the wicked prosper? wherefore are all they happy that deal very treacherously?
Thou hast planted them, yea, they have taken root: they 4grow, yea, they 5bring forth fruit: thou art 6near in their mouth,b and far from their 7reins.
8But thou, O LORD, knowestc me: thou hast seen me, and triedd mine heart 9toward thee: 10pull them out like sheep for the slaughter, and 11prepare them for the day of slaughter.
How long shall the land 12mourn, and the herbs of every field wither, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein? the beastse are consumed, and the birds; because they said, 13He shall not see our last 14end.
¶ 15If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou 16contend with horses? and if in the land of 17peace, wherein thou trustedst, they wearied thee, then how wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan?
For even thy brethren, and the house of thy father, even they have dealt treacherously with thee; yea, they have called a 18multitude after thee: 19believef them not, though they speak 20fair words unto thee.
¶I have forsaken mine 21house, I have left mine 22heritage; I have given the 23dearly beloved of my soul into the hand of her enemies.
Mine heritage is unto me as a lion in the forest; it 24crieth out against me: therefore have I 25hated it.
Mine heritage is unto me as a 26speckled bird, the birds round about are against her; come ye, assemble all the beasts of the field, come to devour.g
Many 27pastorsh have destroyed my 28vineyard, they have trodden my 29portion under foot, they have made my 30pleasant portion a 31desolate wilderness.
32They have made 33it desolate, and being desolate it mourneth unto me; the whole land is made desolate, because no man layeth it 34to heart.
The spoilers are come upon all 35high places through the wilderness: for the 36sword of the LORD shall devour from the one end of the land even to the other end of the land: 37no flesh shall have 38peace.
39They have sowni wheat, but shall reap thorns: they have put themselves to 40pain, but shall not profit: and they 41shall be ashamed 42of your revenues because of the fierce anger of the LORD.
¶Thus saith the LORD against all 43mine evil neighbours, that 44touch the 45inheritance which I have caused my people Israel to inherit; Behold, I will 46pluck them out of their land, andj47pluck out the house of Judah from among them.
And it shall come to pass, after that I have plucked 48them out I will return, and have 49compassion on them, and will bring them again, every man to his heritage, and every man to his land.
And it shall come to pass, if they will 50diligently learn 51the ways of my people, 52to swear by my name, The LORD liveth; as they taught my people to swear by Baal; then shall they be 53built in the midst of my people.
Butk if they will not obey, I will 54utterly pluck up and destroy that nation, saith the LORD.