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Jeremiah Complains to God

12 You will be in the right, O Lord,
    when I lay charges against you,
    but let me put my case to you.
Why does the way of the guilty prosper?
    Why do all who are treacherous thrive?(A)
You plant them, and they take root;
    they grow and bring forth fruit;
you are near in their mouths
    yet far from their hearts.(B)
But you, O Lord, know me;
    you see me and test me; my heart is with you.
Pull them out like sheep for the slaughter,
    and set them apart for the day of slaughter.(C)
How long will the land mourn
    and the grass of every field wither?
For the wickedness of those who live in it,
    the animals and the birds are swept away,
    and because people said, “He is blind to our ways.”[a](D)

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Footnotes

  1. 12.4 Gk: Heb to our future

Jeremiah’s Complaint

12 You will be righteous, Lord,(A)
even if I bring a case against you.
Yet, I wish to contend with you:(B)
Why does the way of the wicked prosper?(C)
Why do all the treacherous live at ease?
You planted them,(D) and they have taken root.
They have grown and produced fruit.
You are ever on their lips,[a]
but far from their conscience.[b](E)
As for you, Lord, you know me; you see me.(F)
You test whether my heart is with you.(G)
Drag the wicked away like sheep to slaughter(H)
and set them apart for the day of killing.
How long will the land mourn(I)
and the grass of every field wither?
Because of the evil of its residents,
animals and birds have been swept away,(J)
for the people have said,
“He cannot see what our end will be.”[c](K)

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Footnotes

  1. 12:2 Lit are near in their mouth
  2. 12:2 Lit kidneys
  3. 12:4 LXX reads see our ways