Jeremiah 12
Jeremiah's Complaint
and God's Answer |
1 |
Righteous art thou, O LORD, when I plead with thee: yet let me talk with
thee of thy judgments: Wherefore doth the way of the wicked
prosper? wherefore are all they happy that deal very
treacherously?
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2 |
Thou hast planted them, yea, they have
taken root: they grow, yea, they bring forth fruit: thou art near in their mouth, and far from their reins.
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3 |
But thou, O LORD,
knowest me: thou hast seen me, and tried mine heart toward thee:
pull them out like sheep for the slaughter, and prepare them for the
day of slaughter.
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4 |
How long shall the land mourn, and the
herbs of every field wither, for the wickedness of them that dwell
therein? the beasts are consumed, and the birds; because they said,
He shall not see our last end.
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5 |
If thou hast run with the footmen, and
they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? and if in the land of peace, wherein thou trustedst, they wearied thee, then how wilt thou do in the swelling of
Jordan?
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6 |
For even thy brethren, and the house of
thy father, even they have dealt treacherously with thee; yea, they
have called a multitude after thee: believe them not, though they
speak fair words unto thee.
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7 |
I have forsaken mine house, I have left
mine heritage; I have given the dearly beloved of my soul into the
hand of her enemies.
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8 |
Mine heritage is unto me as a lion in the
forest; it crieth out against me: therefore have I hated
it.
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9 |
Mine heritage is unto me as a speckled bird, the birds round about are against her; come
ye, assemble all the beasts of the field, come to devour.
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10 |
Many pastors have destroyed my vineyard,
they have trodden my portion under foot, they have made my pleasant
portion a desolate wilderness.
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11 |
They have made it desolate, and
being desolate it mourneth unto me; the whole land is made
desolate, because no man layeth it to heart.
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12 |
The spoilers are come upon all high
places through the wilderness: for the sword of the LORD shall devour from the one end of the land
even to the other end of the land: no flesh shall have
peace.
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13 |
They have sown wheat, but shall reap
thorns: they have put themselves to pain, but shall not
profit: and they shall be ashamed of your revenues because of the
fierce anger of the LORD.
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14 |
Thus saith the LORD against all mine evil neighbors, that touch the
inheritance which I have caused my people Israel to inherit; Behold,
I will pluck them out of their land, and pluck out the house of
Judah from among them.
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15 |
And it shall come to pass, after that I
have plucked them out I will return, and have compassion on them,
and will bring them again, every man to his heritage, and every man
to his land.
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16 |
And it shall come to pass, if they will
diligently learn the ways of my people, to swear by my name, The
LORD liveth; as they taught my people to swear
by Ba'al; then shall they be built in the midst of my
people.
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17 |
But if they will not obey, I will utterly
pluck up and destroy that nation, saith the LORD.
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