12 Who is the (A)wise person who may understand this? And who is he to whom (B)the mouth of the Lord has spoken, that he may declare it? (C)Why is the land destroyed, laid waste like the desert, so that no one passes through? 13 The Lord said, “Because they have (D)abandoned My Law which I put before them, and have not obeyed My voice nor walked according to it, 14 but have (E)followed the stubbornness of their heart and the (F)Baals, [a]as their (G)fathers taught them,” 15 therefore this is what the Lord of armies, the God of Israel says: “Behold, (H)I will feed this people wormwood; and I will give them (I)poisoned water to drink. 16 I will also (J)scatter them among the nations, whom neither they nor their fathers have known; and I will send the (K)sword after them until I have put an end to them.”

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Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 9:14 Lit which

The Reason for Judgment

12 Who is the wise person who understands this, and to whom has the Lord[a] spoken so that he may declare it? Why is the land destroyed, ruined like the desert, without anyone passing through it? 13 The Lord said, “It is because they have forsaken my Law that I gave them. They didn’t obey me and didn’t live according to it. 14 Instead, they followed their rebellious hearts and the Baals,[b] as their ancestors taught them.”

15 Therefore, this is what the Lord of the Heavenly Armies, the God of Israel, says: “Look, I’ll make these people eat wormwood[c] and drink poisoned water. 16 I’ll scatter them among nations that neither they nor their ancestors have known, and I’ll pursue them with the sword until I’ve finished them off.”

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Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 9:12 Lit. the mouth of the Lord
  2. Jeremiah 9:14 I.e. images of the Canaanite storm god
  3. Jeremiah 9:15 I.e. a bitter plant