Jeremiah 12

1Righteous {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? {talk...: or, reason the case with thee}● 2Thou 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. {they grow: Heb. they go on}● 3But 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. {toward...: Heb. with thee}● 4How 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.● 5If 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?● 6For 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. {they have called...: or, they cried after thee fully} {fair...: Heb. good things}● 7I have forsaken mine house, I have left mine heritage; I have given the dearly beloved of my soul into the hand of her enemies. {the dearly...: Heb. the love}● 8Mine heritage is unto me as a lion in the forest; it crieth out against me: therefore have I hated it. {crieth...: or, yelleth: Heb. giveth out his voice}● 9Mine 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. {speckled: or, taloned} {come to: or, cause them to come to}● 10Many pastors have destroyed my vineyard, they have trodden my portion under foot, they have made my pleasant portion a desolate wilderness. {pleasant...: Heb. portion of desire}● 11They have made it desolate, {and being} desolate it mourneth unto me; the whole land is made desolate, because no man layeth {it} to heart.● 12The 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.● 13They 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. {they shall: or, ye shall}● 14Thus saith the LORD against all mine evil neighbours, 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.● 15And 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.● 16And 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 Baal; then shall they be built in the midst of my people.● 17But if they will not obey, I will utterly pluck up and destroy that nation, saith the LORD.●