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 Jehovah, when I contend with thee, Yet will I enter into controversy with thee. Why doth the way of the wicked prosper? Why are all the men of treachery 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 hast planted them; yea, they have taken root; They grow, yea, they bring forth fruit; Thou art near to their mouth, But far from their hearts.

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 Jehovah, knowest me; Thou hast seen me, and tried my heart, Whether it be devoted to thee. Tear them away, as sheep for slaughter; Separate them for the day of slaughter!

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 grass of every field wither? For the wickedness of them that dwell therein, The beasts are consumed, and the birds; For they say, “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 thou hast run with footmen, and they have wearied thee, Then how canst thou contend with horses? If it be so with thee in a land of peace, in which thou art secure, What wilt thou do in the glory 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 thy brethren and the house of thy father, Even these are treacherous toward thee, And raise a full cry after thee; Trust them not, though they speak fair words to thee!

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 my house, I have abandoned my inheritance, I have given the darling 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.

My inheritance is become to me like a lion of the forest; She lifteth up her voice against me; Therefore do I hate 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?

A rapacious beast, a hyena, is my inheritance become to me; Therefore shall the rapacious beasts rush upon her on all sides. Come, gather 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 destroyed my vineyard; They have trodden my portion under foot; My pleasant portion have they made a desolate wilderness.

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 a desolation; Desolate it mourneth on account of me; The whole land is desolate, Because no man layeth my word 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.

Upon all the high places in the desert do the plunderers come; Behold, the sword of Jehovah devoureth from one end of the land to the other; No man hath 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.

They sow wheat, but they reap thorns; They weary themselves, and are not profited; They shall be ashamed of their harvest, Because of the fierce anger of Jehovah.

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 Jehovah against all my evil neighbors, Who seize the inheritance which I gave my people, Israel: Behold, I will pluck them out of their land, And the house of Judah will I pluck out 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.

Yet after I have plucked them out of their land, I will again have compassion on them, and bring them back, Every one to his own possession, And every one 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 if they will indeed learn the ways of my people, And swear by my name, saying, As Jehovah liveth! As they taught my people to swear by Baal, Then shall they be built up 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, I will utterly pluck up and destroy that nation, saith Jehovah.