Jeremiah 12
New King James Version
Jeremiah’s Question
12 Righteous (A)are You, O Lord, when I plead with You;
Yet let me talk with You about Your judgments.
(B)Why does the way of the wicked prosper?
Why are those happy who deal so treacherously?
2 You have planted them, yes, they have taken root;
They grow, yes, they bear fruit.
(C)You are near in their mouth
But far from their [a]mind.
3 But You, O Lord, (D)know me;
You have seen me,
And You have (E)tested my heart toward You.
Pull them out like sheep for the slaughter,
And prepare them for (F)the day of slaughter.
4 How long will (G)the land mourn,
And the herbs of every field wither?
(H)The beasts and birds are consumed,
(I)For the wickedness of those who dwell there,
Because they said, “He will not see our final end.”
The Lord Answers Jeremiah
5 “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 (J)the [b]floodplain of the Jordan?
6 For even (K)your brothers, the house of your father,
Even they have dealt treacherously with you;
Yes, they have called [c]a multitude after you.
(L)Do not believe them,
Even though they speak [d]smooth 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.
8 My heritage is to Me like a lion in the forest;
It cries out against Me;
Therefore I have (M)hated it.
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,
(N)Bring them to devour!
10 “Many (O)rulers[f] have destroyed (P)My vineyard,
They have (Q)trodden My portion underfoot;
They have made My [g]pleasant portion a desolate wilderness.
11 They have made it (R)desolate;
Desolate, it mourns to Me;
The whole land is made desolate,
Because (S)no one takes 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.
13 (T)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.”
14 Thus says the Lord: “Against all My evil neighbors who (U)touch the inheritance which I have caused My people Israel to inherit—behold, I will (V)pluck them out of their land and pluck out the house of Judah from among them. 15 (W)Then it shall be, after I have plucked them out, that I will return and have compassion on them (X)and bring them back, everyone to his heritage and everyone to his land. 16 And it shall be, if they will learn carefully the ways of My people, (Y)to swear by My name, ‘As the Lord lives,’ as they taught My people to swear by Baal, then they shall be (Z)established in the midst of My people. 17 But if they do not (AA)obey, I will utterly pluck up and destroy that nation,” says the Lord.
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 12:2 Most secret parts, lit. kidneys
- Jeremiah 12:5 Or thicket
- Jeremiah 12:6 Or abundantly
- Jeremiah 12:6 Lit. good
- Jeremiah 12:9 inheritance
- Jeremiah 12:10 Lit. shepherds or pastors
- Jeremiah 12:10 desired portion of land
- Jeremiah 12:13 Or strained
Jeremiah 12
English Standard Version
Jeremiah's Complaint
12 (A)Righteous are you, O Lord,
when I complain to you;
yet I would plead my case before you.
(B)Why does the way of the wicked prosper?
Why do all (C)who are treacherous thrive?
2 You plant them, and they take root;
they grow and produce fruit;
(D)you are near in their mouth
and far from their heart.
3 (E)But you, O Lord, know me;
(F)you see me, and test my heart toward you.
(G)Pull them out like sheep for the slaughter,
and set them apart for (H)the day of slaughter.
4 (I)How long will the land mourn
and the grass of every field wither?
(J)For the evil of those who dwell in it
(K)the beasts and the birds are swept away,
because they said, “He will not see our latter end.”
The Lord Answers Jeremiah
5 “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 (L)the thicket of the Jordan?
6 For (M)even your brothers and the house of your father,
(N)even they have dealt treacherously with you;
they are in full cry after you;
(O)do not believe them,
though they speak friendly words to you.”
7 “I have forsaken my house;
I have abandoned (P)my heritage;
I have given (Q)the beloved of my soul
into the hands of her enemies.
8 (R)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 Is (S)my heritage to me like (T)a hyena's lair?
Are the (U)birds of prey against her all around?
Go, (V)assemble all the wild beasts;
bring them to devour.
10 Many shepherds have destroyed my vineyard;
(W)they have trampled down my portion;
they have made my pleasant portion
a desolate wilderness.
11 They have made it a desolation;
desolate, (X)it mourns to me.
The whole land is made desolate,
(Y)but no man lays it to heart.
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 (Z)They have sown wheat and have reaped thorns;
(AA)they have tired themselves out but profit nothing.
They shall be ashamed of their[a] harvests
(AB)because of the fierce anger of the Lord.”
14 Thus says the Lord concerning all (AC)my evil neighbors (AD)who touch the heritage that (AE)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 And after I have plucked them up, I will again have compassion on them, (AF)and I will bring them again each to his heritage and each to his land. 16 And it shall come to pass, if they will diligently learn the ways of my people, (AG)to swear by my name, ‘As the Lord lives,’ even as they taught my people to swear by Baal, (AH)then they shall be built up in the midst of my people. 17 (AI)But if any nation will not listen, then I will utterly pluck it up and destroy it, declares the Lord.”
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 12:13 Hebrew your
Jeremiah 12
New American Standard Bible
Jeremiah’s Prayer
12 (A)Righteous are You, Lord, when I plead my case with You;
Nevertheless I would (B)discuss matters of justice with You:
Why has the (C)way of the wicked prospered?
Why are all those who (D)deal in treachery at ease?
2 You have (E)planted them, they have also taken root;
They grow, they have also produced fruit.
You are (F)near [a]to their lips
But far from their [b]mind.
3 But You (G)know me, Lord;
You see me
And (H)examine my heart’s attitude toward You.
Drag them off like sheep for the slaughter,
And [c]set them apart for a (I)day of slaughter!
4 How long is the (J)land to mourn,
And the (K)vegetation of the [d]countryside to dry up?
Due to the (L)wickedness of those who live in it,
(M)Animals and birds have been snatched away,
Because people have said, “He will not see our final (N)end.”
5 “If you have run with infantrymen and they have tired you out,
How can you compete with horses?
If you fall down in a land of peace,
How will you do in the (O)thicket by the Jordan?
6 For even your (P)brothers and the household of your father,
Even they have dealt treacherously with you,
Even they have called aloud after you.
Do not believe them, though they say (Q)nice things to you.”
God’s Answer
7 “I have (R)forsaken My house,
I have abandoned My inheritance;
I have handed the (S)beloved of My soul
Over to her enemies.
8 My inheritance has become to Me
Like a lion in the forest;
She has [e](T)roared against Me;
Therefore I have come to (U)hate her.
9 Is My inheritance like a speckled bird of prey to Me?
Are the (V)birds of prey against her on every side?
Go, gather all the (W)animals of the field,
Bring them to devour!
10 Many (X)shepherds have ruined My (Y)vineyard,
They have (Z)trampled down My field;
They have made My (AA)pleasant field
A desolate wilderness.
11 [f]It has been made a desolation;
Desolate, it (AB)mourns [g]before Me;
The (AC)whole land has been made desolate,
Because no one (AD)takes it to heart.
12 On all the [h](AE)bare heights in the wilderness
Destroyers have come,
For the (AF)sword of the Lord is devouring
From one end of the land even to the [i]other;
There is (AG)no peace for [j]anyone.
13 They have (AH)sown wheat but have harvested thorns,
They have (AI)strained themselves [k]to no profit.
So be ashamed of your (AJ)produce
Because of the (AK)fierce anger of the Lord.”
14 This is what the Lord says concerning all My (AL)wicked neighbors who (AM)do harm to the inheritance with which I have endowed My people Israel: “Behold, I am going to drive them out of their land, and I will (AN)drive the house of Judah out from among them. 15 And it will come about that after I have driven them out, I will (AO)again have compassion on them; and I will (AP)bring them back, each one to his inheritance and each one to his land. 16 Then, if they will really (AQ)learn the ways of My people, to (AR)swear by My name, ‘As the Lord lives,’ just as they taught My people to (AS)swear by Baal, they will be (AT)built up in the midst of My people. 17 But if they do not listen, then I will (AU)drive out that nation, drive it out and destroy it,” declares the Lord.
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 12:2 Lit in their mouth
- Jeremiah 12:2 Lit kidneys
- Jeremiah 12:3 Lit sanctify them
- Jeremiah 12:4 Lit whole field
- Jeremiah 12:8 Lit raised her voice
- Jeremiah 12:11 Lit One has made it
- Jeremiah 12:11 Or upon
- Jeremiah 12:12 Or caravan trails
- Jeremiah 12:12 Lit other end of the land
- Jeremiah 12:12 Lit all flesh
- Jeremiah 12:13 Lit they do not profit
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
