Jérémie 12
La Bible du Semeur
Pourquoi les méchants prospèrent-ils ?
12 Tu es juste ! Eternel, ╵comment donc oserais-je ╵contester avec toi[a] ?
Cependant, je voudrais ╵discuter avec toi ╵de la justice.
Pourquoi les méchants réussissent-ils ?
Pourquoi les traîtres ╵vivent-ils si tranquilles ?
2 Oui, tu les as plantés
et ils ont pris racine ;
ils progressent sans cesse
et ils portent du fruit.
Ils ont ton nom à la bouche,
mais tu es très loin de leur cœur.
3 Mais toi, ô Eternel, ╵tu me connais et tu me vois,
et tu sondes mon cœur ╵qui a pris ton parti[b].
Entraîne-les, ╵tout comme des moutons ╵qu’on mène à l’abattoir !
Réserve-les, ╵pour le jour du massacre !
4 Jusques à quand ╵le pays sera-t-il en deuil,
et l’herbe des campagnes ╵se desséchera-t-elle ?
Et tout cela à cause ╵de la méchanceté ╵de ceux qui y habitent ?
Les animaux périssent, ╵ainsi que les oiseaux,
parce que les gens disent :
« L’Eternel ne voit pas ╵ce qui nous adviendra. »
Mais l’Eternel me dit :
5 Si, déjà, tu t’épuises
en courant avec des piétons,
comment donc tiendras-tu ╵en courant avec des chevaux ?
S’il te faut un pays tranquille
pour ta sécurité,
qu’adviendra-t-il de toi ╵lorsque tu feras face ╵à la crue[c] du Jourdain ?
6 Car même les gens de ta parenté,
de ta propre famille, ╵sont traîtres envers toi,
et ils crient bien fort contre toi.
Ne te fie pas à eux,
même quand ils t’adressent ╵des propos bienveillants !
Le patrimoine de Dieu : un domaine abandonné
7 J’ai délaissé mon temple,
j’ai rejeté le peuple ╵qui est mon patrimoine,
j’ai livré à ses ennemis
celle que je chéris.
8 Car le peuple qui m’appartient ╵est devenu pour moi ╵comme un lion de la forêt ;
il rugit contre moi ;
c’est pourquoi je l’ai pris en haine.
9 Eh quoi ! le peuple ╵qui m’appartient ╵est-il donc devenu pour moi ╵comme un rapace ╵aux couleurs bigarrées[d]
pour que, de toutes parts, ╵les autres rapaces l’entourent ?
Allez et rassemblez ╵les animaux sauvages !
Qu’on les fasse venir ╵pour le festin !
10 Oui, de nombreux bergers[e] ╵ont saccagé ma vigne
et foulé mon domaine,
et ils ont transformé ╵mon domaine plaisant
en un désert aride !
11 Ils l’ont changé en friche ╵où tout est dévasté ;
le voici devant moi ╵dans sa désolation.
Tout le pays est dévasté
et nul ne s’en soucie.
12 Sur toutes les hauteurs ╵dans le désert
arrivent les dévastateurs,
car voici que l’épée de l’Eternel ╵ravage le pays ╵d’un bout à l’autre,
il n’y a plus de paix ╵pour aucun être humain.
13 Ils ont semé du blé,
ils récoltent des ronces ;
ils se sont fatigués ╵pour n’aboutir à rien.
Le fruit de vos moissons ╵vous remplira de honte,
c’est là l’effet de la colère ardente ╵de l’Eternel.
Le sort des mauvais voisins
14 Voici ce que déclare l’Eternel au sujet des mauvais voisins qui se sont attaqués au pays que j’avais donné en patrimoine à mon peuple Israël : Je vais les arracher de leur pays, et puis j’arracherai du milieu d’eux la communauté de Juda. 15 Pourtant, après les avoir arrachés, j’aurai de nouveau compassion d’eux, et je les ferai retourner chacun dans son domaine, chacun dans son pays. 16 Et s’ils apprennent à se comporter comme mon peuple, s’ils prêtent serment par mon nom, disant : « L’Eternel est vivant », comme ils ont appris à mon peuple à jurer par Baal, alors ils auront une place au milieu de mon peuple. 17 Mais s’ils n’écoutent pas, j’arracherai définitivement un tel peuple et je le ferai périr, l’Eternel le déclare.
Footnotes
- 12.1 Autre traduction : cependant je te prendrai à partie.
- 12.3 Autre traduction : tu sondes mes pensées à ton sujet.
- 12.5 la crue: l’hébreu emploie un terme qui signifie par ailleurs « orgueil ». Ici, il peut s’agir de la crue du Jourdain, ou des fourrés que l’on trouvait sur ses rives et qui étaient peuplés de bêtes sauvages.
- 12.9 Les oiseaux de proie s’attaquent, paraît-il, à ceux qui ont un plumage plus éclatant que le leur.
- 12.10 Voir 6.3ss Les bergers sont les chefs ennemis.
Jeremiah 12
New International Version
Jeremiah’s Complaint
12 You are always righteous,(A) Lord,
when I bring a case(B) before you.
Yet I would speak with you about your justice:(C)
Why does the way of the wicked prosper?(D)
Why do all the faithless live at ease?
2 You have planted(E) them, and they have taken root;
they grow and bear fruit.(F)
You are always on their lips
but far from their hearts.(G)
3 Yet you know me, Lord;
you see me and test(H) my thoughts about you.
Drag them off like sheep(I) to be butchered!
Set them apart for the day of slaughter!(J)
4 How long will the land lie parched(K)
and the grass in every field be withered?(L)
Because those who live in it are wicked,
the animals and birds have perished.(M)
Moreover, the people are saying,
“He will not see what happens to us.”
God’s Answer
5 “If you have raced with men on foot
and they have worn you out,
how can you compete with horses?
If you stumble[a] in safe country,
how will you manage in the thickets(N) by[b] the Jordan?
6 Your relatives, members of your own family—
even they have betrayed you;
they have raised a loud cry against you.(O)
Do not trust them,
though they speak well of you.(P)
7 “I will forsake(Q) my house,
abandon(R) my inheritance;
I will give the one I love(S)
into the hands of her enemies.(T)
8 My inheritance has become to me
like a lion(U) in the forest.
She roars at me;
therefore I hate her.(V)
9 Has not my inheritance become to me
like a speckled bird of prey
that other birds of prey surround and attack?
Go and gather all the wild beasts;
bring them to devour.(W)
10 Many shepherds(X) will ruin my vineyard
and trample down my field;
they will turn my pleasant field
into a desolate wasteland.(Y)
11 It will be made a wasteland,(Z)
parched and desolate before me;(AA)
the whole land will be laid waste
because there is no one who cares.
12 Over all the barren heights in the desert
destroyers will swarm,
for the sword(AB) of the Lord(AC) will devour(AD)
from one end of the land to the other;(AE)
no one will be safe.(AF)
13 They will sow wheat but reap thorns;
they will wear themselves out but gain nothing.(AG)
They will bear the shame of their harvest
because of the Lord’s fierce anger.”(AH)
14 This is what the Lord says: “As for all my wicked neighbors who seize the inheritance(AI) I gave my people Israel, I will uproot(AJ) them from their lands and I will uproot(AK) the people of Judah from among them. 15 But after I uproot them, I will again have compassion(AL) and will bring(AM) each of them back to their own inheritance and their own country. 16 And if they learn(AN) well the ways of my people and swear by my name, saying, ‘As surely as the Lord lives’(AO)—even as they once taught my people to swear by Baal(AP)—then they will be established among my people.(AQ) 17 But if any nation does not listen, I will completely uproot and destroy(AR) it,” declares the Lord.
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 12:5 Or you feel secure only
- Jeremiah 12:5 Or the flooding of
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
La Bible Du Semeur (The Bible of the Sower) Copyright © 1992, 1999 by Biblica, Inc.®
Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

