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God Replies to Jeremiah

If you have raced with runners and they have wearied you,
    how will you compete with horses?
And if you trust in a safe land,
    how will you fare in the thickets of the Jordan?(A)
For even your kinsfolk and your own family,
    even they have dealt treacherously with you;
    they are in full cry after you;
do not believe them,
    though they speak friendly words to you.(B)

I have forsaken my house;
    I have abandoned my heritage;
I have given the beloved of my heart
    into the hands of her enemies.(C)
My heritage has become to me
    like a lion in the forest;
she has lifted up her voice against me—
    therefore I hate her.(D)
Is the hawk hungry for my heritage?
    Are the vultures all around her?
Go, assemble all the wild animals;
    bring them to devour her.(E)
10 Many shepherds have destroyed my vineyard;
    they have trampled down my portion;
they have made my pleasant portion
    a desolate wilderness.(F)
11 They have made it a desolation;
    desolate, it mourns to me.
The whole land is made desolate,
    but no one lays it to heart.(G)
12 Upon all the bare heights[a] in the desert,
    spoilers have come,
for the sword of the Lord devours
    from one end of the land to the other;
    no one shall be safe.(H)
13 They have sown wheat and have reaped thorns;
    they have tired themselves out but profit nothing.
They shall be ashamed of their[b] harvests
    because of the fierce anger of the Lord.(I)

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Footnotes

  1. 12.12 Or the trails
  2. 12.13 Heb your

God’s Reply to Jeremiah

Indeed, if you run with others on foot,
    and they tire you out,
        how can you compete with horses?
You are secure[a] in a land at peace,
    but how will you do in the thicket of the Jordan?
Indeed, even your brothers and your father’s family
    conspire against you.
Even they cry out after you loudly.
    Don’t believe them, even though they speak friendly words to you.
I’ll forsake my house,
    I’ll abandon my inheritance.
I’ll give the beloved of my heart
    into the hand of her enemies.
My inheritance has become like a lion in the forest to me.
    She roars at me; therefore, I hate her.
Is my inheritance like a speckled bird of prey to me?
    Are the other[b] birds of prey all around her coming against her?
Go, gather all the wild animals and
    bring them to devour it.
10 Many shepherds will destroy my vineyard.
    They’ll trample down my portion.
They’ll turn my pleasant portion
    into a desolate desert.
11 They’ll make it into a desolate place,
    and, desolate, it will cry out in mourning to me.
The whole land will be desolate
    because no one takes it to heart.
12 On all the barren heights in the desert
    destroyers will come.
Indeed, a sword of the Lord will devour from
    one end of the land to the other.
There will be no peace[c] for any person.[d]
13 They have sown wheat,
    but they have harvested thorns.
They have tired themselves out,
    but they don’t show a profit.
Now be disappointed about your harvest
    because of the fierce anger of the Lord.

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Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 12:5 Or You trust
  2. Jeremiah 12:9 The Heb. lacks other
  3. Jeremiah 12:12 Or safety
  4. Jeremiah 12:12 Lit. for all flesh