Jeremiah 12

1 You are righteous, YHWH, when I contend with you; yet I would reason the cause with you: why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why are they all at ease who deal very treacherously?

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 You have planted them, yes, they have taken root; they grow, yes, they bring forth fruit: you are near in their mouth, and far from their heart.

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 you, YHWH, know me; you see me, and try my heart toward you: pull them out like sheep 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 How long shall the land be parched, and the grass of every field wither? For the wickedness of those who dwell in it, the animals are consumed, and the birds; because they said, "He shall not see our latter end."

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 you have run with the footmen, and they have wearied you, then how can you contend with horses? And though in a land of peace you are secure, yet how will you do in the pride of the Jordan?

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 even your brothers, and the house of your father, even they have dealt treacherously with you; even they have cried aloud after you: do not believe them, though they speak beautiful words to you.

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 have forsaken my house, I have cast off my heritage; I have given the dearly beloved of my soul into the hand 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 My heritage has become to me as a lion in the forest: she has uttered her voice against me; therefore I have hated her.

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 Is my heritage to me as a speckled bird of prey? Are the birds of prey against her all around? Go, assemble all the animals of the field, bring them to devour.

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 shepherds have destroyed my vineyard, they have trodden my portion under foot, they have made my pleasant portion a desolate wilderness.

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 have made it a desolation; it mourns to me, being desolate; the whole land is made desolate, because no man lays it to heart.

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 Destroyers have come on all the bare heights in the wilderness; for the sword of YHWH devours from the one end of the land even to the other end of the land: no flesh has 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 have sown wheat, and have reaped thorns; they have put themselves to pain, and profit nothing: and you shall be ashamed of your fruits, because of the fierce anger of YHWH.

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 says YHWH against all my evil neighbors, who touch the inheritance which I have caused my people Israel to inherit: 'look, I will pluck them up from off their land, and will pluck up the house of Judah 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 It shall happen, after that I have plucked them up, I will return and have compassion on them; and I will bring them again, every man to his heritage, and every 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 It shall happen, if they will diligently learn the ways of my people, to swear by my name, "As YHWH lives;" even as they taught my people to swear by Baal; then shall they be built up in the midst 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 hear, then will I pluck up that nation, plucking up and destroying it,'" says YHWH.

But if they will not hearken, Then will I Uproot that nation, Uproot, that I may destroy, —Declareth Yahweh.