Jeremias 12

1 Herre, Retten er din, naar jeg trætter med dig, og dog maa jeg tale med dig om Ret. Hvi følger Lykken de gudløses Vej, hvi er alle troløse trygge?

[Too] righteous art thou, O Lord, that I could plead with thee; yet must I speak of [the principles of] justice with thee: Wherefore is the way of the wicked happy? do all those prosper that deal treacherously?

2 Du planter dem, og de slaar rod, de trives og bærer Frugt. De har dig i Munden, men ikke i Hjertet.

Thou hast planted them; they have also taken root; they grow; they also bring forth fruit: thou art near, in their mouth, and far from their mind.

3 Du, HERRE, du kender mig, ser mig og prøver mit Hjertelag mod dig. Riv dem bort som Faar til Slagtning, vi dem til Blodbadets Dag!

But thou, O Lord, knowest me; thou seest me, and probest my heart toward thee; set them apart like sheep for the slaughter, and destine them for the day of slaying.

4 (Hvor længe skal Landet sørge, al Markens Urter visne? For Indbyggernes Ondskabs Skyld omkommer Dyr og Fugle; thi man siger: »Han skuer ikke, hvorledes det vil gaa os.«)

How long shall the land mourn, and the herb of all the field wither? Because of the wickedness of those that dwell therein are wholly removed the beasts and the birds; because they said, He will not see our last end.

5 »Naar Fodgængere løber dig træt, hvor kan du da kappes med Heste? Og er du ej tryg i et fredeligt Land, hvad vil du saa gøre i Jordans Stolthed?

If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, how then canst thou contend with the horses? and if in the land of peace, [wherein] thou trustedst, [they wearied thee, ] how then wilt thou do in the swelling of the Jordan?

6 Thi selv dine Brødre og din Faders Hus er troløse imod dig, selv de skriger af fuld Hals efter dig; tro dem ikke, naar de giver dig gode Ord!«

For even thy brethren, and the house of thy father, even they have dealt treacherously with thee; yea, even they have called forth a crowd of men after thee: believe them not, though they speak kindly unto thee.

7 Mit Hus har jeg opgivet, bortstødt min Arvelod, givet min elskede hen i hendes Fjenders Haand.

I have forsaken my house, I have abandoned my heritage; I have given up the most dearly beloved of my soul into the hand of her enemies.

8 Min Arvelod blev for mig som en Løve i Skoven, den løftede Røsten imod mig, derfor maa jeg hade den.

My heritage is become unto me as a lion in the forest; it sent forth its voice against me: therefore do I hate it.

9 Er min Arvelod blevet mig en spraglet Fugl, omgivet af Fugle? Lad alle de vilde Dyr samles, hent dem hid for at æde!

Is my heritage become unto me as a bird of prey stained with blood? so that the birds of prey are all around it? Come ye, assemble all the beasts of the field, bring them hither to devour.

10 Hyrder i Mængde ødelægger min Vingaard, nedtramper min Arvelod, min yndige Arvelod gør de til øde Ørk;

Many shepherds have destroyed my vineyard, they have trodden under foot my field, they have rendered my pleasant field a desolate wilderness.

11 de lægger den øde, den sørger øde for mit Aasyn. Hele Landet er ødelagt, thi ingen brød sig om det.

They have made it a desert, and being desolate it mourneth before me: the whole land is made desolate, because no man laid it to heart.

12 Over alle Ørkenens nøgne Høje kom Hærværksmænd. Thi HERREN har et Sværd; det fortærer alt fra den ene Ende af Landet til den anden; intet Kød har Fred.

Over all the mountain-peaks in the wilderness did the destroyers come; for the sword of the Lord devoureth from the one end of the land even to the other end of the land: there is no peace to any flesh.

13 De saaede Hvede og høstede Torne, sled til ingen Gavn og blev til Skamme med deres Afgrøde for HERRENS glødende Vredes Skyld.

They have sown wheat, but they reap thorns; they have put themselves to pain [but] have no profit; be therefore ashamed of your products, because of the fierce anger of the Lord.

14 Saa siger HERREN om alle mine onde Naboer, der rører den Arvelod, jeg gav mit Folk Israel i Eje: Se, jeg rykker dem op af deres Land, og Judas Hus rykker jeg op midt iblandt dem.

Thus hath said the Lord against all my bad neighbors, that touch the inheritance which I have caused my people Israel to inherit, Behold, I will pluck them out of their land, and the house of Judah will I pluck out from the midst of them.

15 Men siden, naar jeg har rykket dem op, forbarmer jeg mig atter over dem og bringer dem hjem, hver til sin Arvelod og hver til sit Land.

And it shall come to pass, that, after I have plucked them out, and I will again have mercy on them, and will restore them, every man to his heritage, and every man to his land.

16 Hvis de da lærer mit Folks Veje, saa de sværger ved mit Navn: »Saa sandt HERREN lever!« ligesom de lærte mit Folk at sværge ved Ba'al, skal de opbygges iblandt mit Folk.

And it shall come to pass, if they will truly learn the ways of my people, to swear by my name, As the Lord liveth; as they had taught my people to swear by Ba'al: that they shall then be built up in the midst of my people.

17 Men hører de ikke, rykker jeg et saadant Folk helt op og tilintetgør det, lyder det fra HERREN.

But if they will not hearken, then will I pluck out that nation, plucking out and exterminating [them], saith the Lord.