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?

Righteous, art thou O Yahweh, when I present my pleading unto thee, —Yet, concerning the things that are right, let me speak with thee, —Wherefore hath, the way of the lawless, prospered? [Wherefore] have all, utter traitors, been at ease?

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.

Thou didst plant them, yea they took root, They have gone on yea they have borne fruit, —Near, art thou, in their mouth, But far off from their affections,

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 thou O Yahweh, knowest me, Wilt thou observe me and try my heart towards thee? Drag them away, as sheep for slaughter, And hallow them for the day when they are to be slain.

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, shall the land mourn, And, the herbage of the whole field, wither? For the wickedness of them that dwell therein, beast and bird, have perished, For say they, He will not see our latter end!

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, with the footmen, thou hast run and they have wearied thee, How then wilt thou hotly contend with horses? Though in a safe land thou art confident, Yet how wilt thou deal with the proud banks of the 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 thy brethren and the house of thy father, Even they! have betrayed thee, Even they, have cried after thee with full voice, —Do not trust in them, though they speak unto thee fair words.

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 forsaken mine own house, I have given up mine inheritance, —I have delivered the dearly beloved of my soul into the hand of her enemies:

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

Mine inheritance, hath become to me as a lion in a jungle, —She hath given forth against me her voice, For this cause, have I hated 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?

Is it, a variegated bird of prey, that mine inheritance is to me? The birds of prey, are round about against her! Go ye, assemble all the beasts of the field bring them to devour.

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

Many shepherds, have laid waste my vineyard, They have trampled down my portion, —They have turned my coveted portion into a desert of desolation:

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.

It hath been made a desolation, It hath mourned unto me as desolate, —All the land hath become a desolation, For, no man, layeth 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.

On all the bare heights in the wilderness, have come despoilers, For the sword of Yahweh hath devoured from one end of the land unto the other, —There is peace for no flesh!

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.

They sowed, wheat, but thorns, have they reaped, They have put themselves to pain they shall not be profited, —Yea turn ye pale at your produce, Because of the glow of the anger of Yahweh.

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.

Thus, saith Yahweh, Concerning all my wicked neighbours, who have been touching the inheritance which I gave as an inheritance unto my people Israel, —Behold me! uprooting them from off their own soil, Whereas the house of Judah, will I uproot out of their midst.

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 shall come to pass after I bare uprooted them, I will again have compassion upon them, —and will bring them back—Every man—to his own inheritance and Every man—to his own 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 shall come to pass—If they will, diligently learn, the ways of my people—To swear by my Name saying, By the life of Yahweh, As they taught my people to swear by Baal, Then shall they be built in the midst of 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 hearken, Then will I Uproot that nation, Uproot, that I may destroy, —Declareth Yahweh.