Jeremiah 12:5-13
New Living Translation
The Lord’s Reply to Jeremiah
5 “If racing against mere men makes you tired,
how will you race against horses?
If you stumble and fall on open ground,
what will you do in the thickets near the Jordan?
6 Even your brothers, members of your own family,
have turned against you.
They plot and raise complaints against you.
Do not trust them,
no matter how pleasantly they speak.
7 “I have abandoned my people, my special possession.
I have surrendered my dearest ones to their enemies.
8 My chosen people have roared at me like a lion of the forest,
so I have treated them with contempt.
9 My chosen people act like speckled vultures,[a]
but they themselves are surrounded by vultures.
Bring on the wild animals to pick their corpses clean!
10 “Many rulers have ravaged my vineyard,
trampling down the vines
and turning all its beauty into a barren wilderness.
11 They have made it an empty wasteland;
I hear its mournful cry.
The whole land is desolate,
and no one even cares.
12 On all the bare hilltops,
destroying armies can be seen.
The sword of the Lord devours people
from one end of the nation to the other.
No one will escape!
13 My people have planted wheat
but are harvesting thorns.
They have worn themselves out,
but it has done them no good.
They will harvest a crop of shame
because of the fierce anger of the Lord.”
Footnotes
- 12:9 Or speckled hyenas.
Jeremiah 12:5-13
Legacy Standard Bible
Yahweh Answers Jeremiah
5 “If you have run with footmen and they have tired you out,
Then how can you compete with horses?
If you fall down in a land of peace,
How will you do in the [a](A)thicket of the Jordan?
6 For even your (B)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, although they may say (C)nice things to you.”
7 “I have (D)forsaken My house;
I have abandoned My inheritance;
I have given the (E)beloved of My soul
Into the hand of her enemies.
8 My inheritance has become to Me
Like a lion in the forest;
She has (F)given forth its voice against Me;
Therefore I have come to (G)hate her.
9 Is My inheritance like a speckled bird of prey to Me?
Are the (H)birds of prey against her on every side?
Go, gather all the (I)beasts of the field,
Bring them to devour!
10 Many (J)shepherds have ruined My (K)vineyard;
They have (L)trampled down My portion;
They have made My (M)desired portion
A desolate wilderness.
11 [b]It has been made a desolation;
Desolate, it (N)mourns [c]before Me;
The (O)whole land has been made desolate
Because no man (P)sets it upon his heart.
12 On all the [d](Q)bare heights in the wilderness
Destroyers have come,
For a (R)sword of Yahweh is devouring
From one end of the land even to the [e]other;
There is (S)no peace for any flesh.
13 They have (T)sown wheat and have reaped thorns;
They have (U)strained themselves [f]to no profit.
But be ashamed of your (V)produce
Because of the (W)burning anger of Yahweh.”
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 12:5 Lit pride
- 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 12:13 Lit they do not profit
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