Jeremiah 12:5-17 - The Lord's Reply

⁵ If thou didst run with the footmen and they will weary thee, and how wilt thou contend with horses? and in the land of peace thou trustest, and how wilt thou do in the grandeur of Jordan ⁶ For also thy brethren and the house of thy father, they also acted faithlessly with thee; they also called after thee a fulness: thou shalt not believe in them for they will speak to thee good things.

⁷ I forsook my house, I rejected mine inheritance; I gave the beloved of my soul into the hand of her enemies. ⁸ My inheritance was to me as a lion in the forest; she gave upon me with her voice: for this I hated her. ⁹ The ravenous hyena is my inheritance to me, rushing round about upon her; go ye, gather together all the beasts of the field, set ye upon to eat her. ¹⁰ Many shepherds destroyed my vineyard, they trod down my portion, they gave the portion of my desire for a desert of desolation. ¹¹ Setting her for a desolation, she mourned to me; all the land was set a desolation, for no man put upon his heart ¹² They spoiling came upon all the hills of the desert: for the sword of Jehovah consumed from the extremity of the land even to extremity of the land: no peace to all flesh. ¹³ They sowed wheat and they reaped thorns: they were wearied, they shall not profit; and they were ashamed of your gains from the burning of the anger of Jehovah.

¹⁴ Thus said Jehovah concerning all my evil neighbors, those touching upon the inheritance which I caused my people Israel to inherit: behold me tearing them up from their land, and I will tear up the house of Judah from the midst of them. ¹⁵ And it was after my tearing them up I will turn back and compassionate them, and cause them to dwell a man to his inheritance, and a man to his land. ¹⁶ And it was if learning, they shall learn the ways of my people to swear in my name, Jehovah lives; as they taught my people to swear by Baal; and they were built up in the midst of my people. ¹⁷ And if they will not hear, tearing up and destroying, I tore up that nation, says Jehovah.