Jeremiah 12

1 O Lord, if I dispute with thee, thou art righteous: yet let mee talke with thee of thy iudgements: wherefore doeth the way of the wicked prosper? why are all they in wealth that rebelliously transgresse?

You are in the right, O Lord, when I put my cause before you: still let me take up with you the question of your decisions: why does the evil-doer do well? why are the workers of deceit living in comfort?

2 Thou hast planted them, and they haue taken roote: they grow, and bring forth fruite: thou art neere in their mouth, and farre from their reines.

They have been planted by you, they have taken root; they go on and give fruit: you are near in their mouths but far from their thoughts.

3 But thou, Lord, knowest me: thou hast seene me, and tried mine heart towarde thee: pull them out like sheepe for the slaughter, and prepare them for the day of slaughter.

But you, O Lord, have knowledge of me; you see me, searching and testing how my heart is with you: let them be pulled out like sheep to be put to death, make them ready for the day of death.

4 Howe long shall the lande mourne, and the herbes of euery fielde wither, for the wickednesse of them that dwell therein? the beastes are consumed and the birdes, because they sayd, He wil not see our last ende.

How long will the land have grief, and the plants of all the land be dry? because of the sins of the people living in it, destruction has overtaken the beasts and the birds; because they said, God does not see our ways.

5 If thou hast runne with the footemen and they haue wearied thee, then howe canst thou match thy selfe with horses? and if thou thoughtest thy selfe safe in a peaceable lande, what wilt thou do in the swelling of Iorden?

If running with the fighting-men has made you tired, how will you be able to keep up with horses? and if in a land of peace you go in flight, what will become of you in the thick growth of Jordan?

6 For euen thy brethren, and the house of thy father, euen they haue delt vnfaithfully with thee, and they haue cryed out altogether vpon thee: but beleeue them not, though they speake faire to thee.

For even your brothers, your father's family, even they have been untrue to you, crying loudly after you: have no faith in them, though they say fair words to you.

7 I haue forsaken mine house: I haue left mine heritage: I haue giuen the dearely beloued of my soule into the hands of her enemies.

I have given up my house, I have let my heritage go; I have given the loved one of my soul into the hands of her haters.

8 Mine heritage is vnto mee, as a lion in the forest: it crieth out against mee, therefore haue I hated it.

My heritage has become like a lion in the woodland to me; her voice has been loud against me; so I have hate for her.

9 Shall mine heritage bee vnto mee, as a bird of diuers colours? are not the birdes about her, saying, Come, assemble all ye beastes of the fielde, come to eate her?

My heritage is like a brightly coloured bird to me; the cruel birds are attacking her on every side: go, get together all the beasts of the field, make them come for destruction.

10 Many pastors haue destroyed my vineyarde, and troden my portion vnder foote: of my pleasant portion they haue made a desolate wildernesse.

The keepers of sheep have been the destruction of my vine-garden, crushing my heritage under their feet; they have made my fair heritage an unplanted waste;

11 They haue layde it waste, and it, being waste, mourneth vnto me: and the whole lande lyeth waste, because no man setteth his minde on it.

They have made it waste; it is weeping to me, being wasted; all the land is made waste, because no man takes it to heart.

12 The destroyers are come vpon all the high places in the wildernesse: for the sworde of the Lord shall deuoure from the one end of the land, euen to the other ende of the lande: no flesh shall haue peace.

Those who make waste have come on all the open hilltops in the waste land; for the sword of the Lord sends destruction from one end of the land to the other end of the land: no flesh has peace.

13 They haue sowen wheate, and reaped thornes: they were sicke, and had no profite: and they were ashamed of your fruites, because of the fierce wrath of the Lord.

Though good grain was planted, they have got in thorns: they have given themselves pain without profit: they will be shamed on account of their produce, because of the burning wrath of the Lord.

14 Thus sayeth the Lord against all mine euill neighbours, that touch the inheritance, which I haue caused my people Israel to inherite, Beholde, I will plucke them out of their lande, and plucke out the house of Iudah from among them.

This is what the Lord has said against all my evil neighbours, who put their hands on the heritage which I gave my people Israel: See, I will have them uprooted from their land, uprooting the people of Judah from among them.

15 And after that I haue plucked them out, I will returne, and haue compassion on them, and will bring againe euery man to his heritage, and euery man to his land.

And it will come about that, after they have been uprooted, I will again have pity on them; and I will take them back, every man to his heritage and every man to his land.

16 And if they will learne the wayes of my people, to sweare by my Name, (The Lord liueth, as they taught my people to sweare by Baal) then shall they be built in the middes of my people.

And it will be that, if they give their minds to learning the ways of my people, using my name in their oaths, By the living Lord; as they have been teaching my people to take oaths by the Baal; then their place will be made certain among my people.

17 But if they will not obey, then will I vtterly plucke vp, and destroy that nation, sayeth the Lord.

But if they will not give ear, then I will have that nation uprooted, and given to destruction, says the Lord.