New King James Version

English Standard Version

Jeremiah’s Question

Righteous are You, O Lord, when I plead with You;
Yet let me talk with You about Your judgments.
Why does the way of the wicked prosper?
Why are those happy who deal so treacherously?

1

Jeremiah’s Complaint

Righteous are you, O Lord,
when I complain to you;
yet I would plead my case before you.
Why does the way of the wicked prosper?
Why do all who are treacherous thrive?

2

You have planted them, yes, they have taken root;
They grow, yes, they bear fruit.
You are near in their mouth
But far from their [a]mind.

2

You plant them, and they take root;
they grow and produce fruit;
you are near in their mouth
and far from their heart.

3

But You, O Lord, know me;
You have seen me,
And You have tested my heart toward You.
Pull them out like sheep for the slaughter,
And prepare them for the day of slaughter.

3

But you, O Lord, know me;
you see me, and test my heart toward you.
Pull them out like sheep for the slaughter,
and set them apart for the day of slaughter.

4

How long will the land mourn,
And the herbs of every field wither?
The beasts and birds are consumed,
For the wickedness of those who dwell there,
Because they said, “He will not see our final end.”

4

How long will the land mourn
and the grass of every field wither?
For the evil of those who dwell in it
the beasts and the birds are swept away,
because they said, “He will not see our latter end.”

5

The Lord Answers Jeremiah

“If you have run with the footmen, and they have wearied you,
Then how can you contend with horses?
And if in the land of peace,
In which you trusted, they wearied you,
Then how will you do in the [b]floodplain of the Jordan?

5

The Lord Answers Jeremiah

“If you have raced with men on foot, and they have wearied you,
how will you compete with horses?
And if in a safe land you are so trusting,
what will you do in the thicket of the Jordan?

6

For even your brothers, the house of your father,
Even they have dealt treacherously with you;
Yes, they have called [c]a multitude after you.
Do not believe them,
Even though they speak [d]smooth words to you.

6

For even your brothers and the house of your father,
even they have dealt treacherously with you;
they are in full cry after you;
do not believe them,
though they speak friendly words to you.”

7

“I have forsaken My house, I have left My heritage;
I have given the dearly beloved of My soul into the hand of her enemies.

7

“I have forsaken my house;
I have abandoned my heritage;
I have given the beloved of my soul
into the hands of her enemies.

8

My heritage is to Me like a lion in the forest;
It cries out against Me;
Therefore I have hated it.

8

My heritage has become to me
like a lion in the forest;
she has lifted up her voice against me;
therefore I hate her.

9

My [e]heritage is to Me like a speckled vulture;
The vultures all around are against her.
Come, assemble all the beasts of the field,
Bring them to devour!

9

Is my heritage to me like a hyena’s lair?
Are the birds of prey against her all around?
Go, assemble all the wild beasts;
bring them to devour.

10

“Many rulers[f] have destroyed My vineyard,
They have trodden My portion underfoot;
They have made My [g]pleasant portion a desolate wilderness.

10

Many shepherds have destroyed my vineyard;
they have trampled down my portion;
they have made my pleasant portion
a desolate wilderness.

11

They have made it desolate;
Desolate, it mourns to Me;
The whole land is made desolate,
Because no one takes it to heart.

11

They have made it a desolation;
desolate, it mourns to me.
The whole land is made desolate,
but no man lays it to heart.

12

The plunderers have come
On all the desolate heights in the wilderness,
For the sword of the Lord shall devour
From one end of the land to the other end of the land;
No flesh shall have peace.

12

Upon all the bare heights in the desert
destroyers have come,
for the sword of the Lord devours
from one end of the land to the other;
no flesh has peace.

13

They have sown wheat but reaped thorns;
They have [h]put themselves to pain but do not profit.
But be ashamed of your harvest
Because of the fierce anger of the Lord.”

13

They have sown wheat and have reaped thorns;
they have tired themselves out but profit nothing.
They shall be ashamed of theira harvests
because of the fierce anger of the Lord.”

14

Thus says the Lord: “Against all My evil neighbors who 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.

14

Thus says the Lord concerning all my evil neighbors who touch the heritage that I have given my people Israel to inherit: “Behold, I will pluck them up from their land, and I will pluck up the house of Judah from among them.

15

Then it shall be, after I have plucked them out, that I will return and have compassion on them and bring them back, everyone to his heritage and everyone to his land.

15

And after I have plucked them up, I will again have compassion on them, and I will bring them again each to his heritage and each to his land.

16

And it shall be, if they will learn carefully the ways of My people, to swear by My name, ‘As the Lord lives,’ as they taught My people to swear by Baal, then they shall be established in the midst of My people.

16

And it shall come to pass, if they will diligently learn the ways of my people, to swear by my name, ‘As the Lord lives,’ even as they taught my people to swear by Baal, then they shall be built up in the midst of my people.

17

But if they do not obey, I will utterly pluck up and destroy that nation,” says the Lord.

17

But if any nation will not listen, then I will utterly pluck it up and destroy it, declares the Lord.”

Parallel

New King James Version

English Standard Version

Jeremiah 12

Jeremiah 12