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Chapter 12

You would be in the right, O Lord,
    if I should dispute with you;
    even so, I must lay out the case against you.
Why does the way of the wicked prosper,
    why do all the treacherous live in contentment?(A)
You planted them; they have taken root,
    they flourish and bear fruit as well.
You are upon their lips,
    but far from their thoughts.(B)
Lord, you know me, you see me,
    you have found that my heart is with you.(C)
Pick them out like sheep for the butcher,
    set them apart for the day of slaughter.[a]

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Footnotes

  1. 12:3 Jeremiah calls the Lord to account for allowing the wicked to flourish while he himself is persecuted for his fidelity to the Lord’s mission; cf. 20:12. See Jesus’ judgment, Mk 9:42. The metaphors indicate that Jeremiah has even greater trials ahead of him.