Jeremiah's Complaint

1 Lord, you have always been fair whenever I have complained to you. However, I would like to speak with you about the disposition of justice. Why are wicked people successful? Why do all dishonest people have such easy lives?

1 Righteous art thou, O LORD, when I plead with thee: yet let me talk with thee of thy judgments: Wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper? wherefore are all they happy that deal very treacherously?

1 ()Righteous are You, O Lord, that I would plead my case with You;Indeed I would ()discuss matters of justice with You:Why has the ()way of the wicked prospered?Why are all those who ()deal in treachery at ease?

1 You will be righteous, Lord,()even if I bring a case against You.Yet, I wish to contend with You:()Why does the way of the wicked prosper?(C)Why do all the treacherous live at ease?

1 You are righteous, LORD, even when I bring a complaint to you. But I want to discuss justice with you. Why does the way of the wicked prosper, while all who are treacherous are at ease?

2 You plant them like trees and they put down their roots. They grow prosperous and are very fruitful. They always talk about you, but they really care nothing about you.

2 Thou hast planted them, yea, they have taken root: they grow, yea, they bring forth fruit: thou art near in their mouth, and far from their reins.

2 You have ()planted them, they have also taken root;They grow, they have even produced fruit.You are ()near ()to their lipsBut far from their ()mind.

2 You planted them,() and they have taken root.They have grown and produced fruit.You are ever on their lips,()but far from their conscience.()()

2 You plant them and they take root, they grow and bear fruit. "You are near to us," they say with their mouths, but the truth is that you're far from their hearts.

3 But you, Lord, know all about me. You watch me and test my devotion to you. Drag these wicked men away like sheep to be slaughtered! Appoint a time when they will be killed!

3 But thou, O LORD, knowest me: thou hast seen me, and tried mine heart toward thee: pull them out like sheep for the slaughter, and prepare them for the day of slaughter.

3 But You ()know me, O Lord;You see me;And You ()examine my heart’s attitude toward You.Drag them off like sheep for the slaughterAnd ()set them apart for a ()day of carnage!

3 As for You, Lord, You know me; You see me.()You test whether my heart is with You.()Drag the wicked away like sheep to slaughter()and set them apart for the day of killing.

3 You know me, LORD. You see me and test my thoughts toward you. Pull the wicked out like sheep for slaughter; set them apart for the day of butchering.

4 How long must the land be parched and the grass in every field be withered? How long must the animals and the birds die because of the wickedness of the people who live in this land? For these people boast, "God will not see what happens to us."

4 How long shall the land mourn, and the herbs of every field wither, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein? the beasts are consumed, and the birds; because they said, He shall not see our last end.

4 How long is the ()land to mournAnd the ()vegetation of the countryside to wither?For the ()wickedness of those who dwell in it,()Animals and birds have been snatched away,Because men have said, “He will not see our latter ()ending.”

4 How long will the land mourn()and the grass of every field wither?Because of the evil of its residents,animals and birds have been swept away,for the people have said,“He cannot see what our end will be.”()()

4 How long will the land mourn and the vegetation of every field dry up? Because of the wickedness of those who live in it, animals and birds are swept away. For they say, "He does not see our future."

The Lord's Reply

5 The Lord answered, "If you have raced on foot against men and they have worn you out, how will you be able to compete with horses? And if you feel secure only in safe and open country, how will you manage in the thick undergrowth along the Jordan River?

5 If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? and if in the land of peace, wherein thou trustedst, they wearied thee, then how wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan?

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 ()()thicket of the Jordan?

5 If you have raced with runnersand they have worn you out,how can you compete with horses?If you stumble() in a peaceful land,what will you do in the thickets of the Jordan?()

5 Indeed, if you run with others on foot, and they tire you out, how can you compete with horses? You are secure in a land at peace, but how will you do in the thicket of the Jordan?

6 As a matter of fact, even your own brothers and the members of your own family have betrayed you too. Even they have plotted to do away with you. So do not trust them even when they say kind things to you.

6 For even thy brethren, and the house of thy father, even they have dealt treacherously with thee; yea, they have called a multitude after thee: believe them not, though they speak fair words unto thee.

6 “For even your ()brothers and the household of your father,Even they have dealt treacherously with you,Even they have cried aloud after you.Do not believe them, although they may say ()nice things to you.”

6 Even your brothers—your own father’s household—even they were treacherous to you;()even they have cried out loudly after you.()Do not have confidence in them,though they speak well of you.

6 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.

The Lord's Sorrow Because Of His People

7 "I will abandon my nation. I will forsake the people I call my own. I will turn my beloved people over to the power of their enemies.

7 I have forsaken mine house, I have left mine heritage; I have given the dearly beloved of my soul into the hand of her enemies.

7 “I have ()forsaken My house,I have abandoned My inheritance;I have given the ()beloved of My soulInto the hand of her enemies.

7 I have abandoned My house;()I have deserted My inheritance.I have given the love of My lifeinto the hands of her enemies.

7 I'll forsake my house, I'll abandon my inheritance. I'll give the beloved of my heart into the hand of her enemies.

8 The people I call my own have turned on me like a lion in the forest. They have roared defiantly at me. So I will treat them as though I hate them.

8 Mine heritage is unto me as a lion in the forest; it crieth out against me: therefore have I hated it.

8 “My inheritance has become to MeLike a lion in the forest;She has ()()roared against Me;Therefore I have come to ()hate her.

8 My inheritance has acted toward Melike a lion in the forest.She has roared against Me.Therefore, I hate her.()

8 My inheritance has become like a lion in the forest to me. She roars at me; therefore, I hate her.

9 The people I call my own attack me like birds of prey or like hyenas. But other birds of prey are all around them. Let all the nations gather together like wild beasts. Let them come and destroy these people I call my own.

9 Mine heritage is unto me as a speckled bird, the birds round about are against her; come ye, assemble all the beasts of the field, come to devour.

9 “Is My inheritance like a speckled bird of prey to Me?Are the ()birds of prey against her on every side?Go, gather all the ()beasts of the field,Bring them to devour!

9 Is My inheritance like a hyena() to Me?Are birds of prey circling her?Go, gather all the wild animals;()bring them to devour her.

9 Is my inheritance like a speckled bird of prey to me? Are the other birds of prey all around her coming against her? Go, gather all the wild animals and bring them to devour it.

10 Many foreign rulers will ruin the land where I planted my people. They will trample all over my chosen land. They will turn my beautiful land into a desolate wasteland.

10 Many pastors have destroyed my vineyard, they have trodden my portion under foot, they have made my pleasant portion a desolate wilderness.

10 “Many ()shepherds have ruined My ()vineyard,They have ()trampled down My field;They have made My ()pleasant fieldA desolate wilderness.

10 Many shepherds have destroyed My vineyard;they have trampled My plot of land.()They have turned My desirable plotinto a desolate wasteland.

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 will lay it waste. It will lie parched and empty before me. The whole land will be laid waste. But no one living in it will pay any heed.

11 They have made it desolate, and being desolate it mourneth unto me; the whole land is made desolate, because no man layeth it to heart.

11 ()It has been made a desolation,Desolate, it ()mourns ()before Me;The ()whole land has been made desolate,Because no man ()lays it to heart.

11 They have made it a desolation.It mourns, desolate, before Me.All the land is desolate,but no one takes it to heart.()

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 A destructive army will come marching over the hilltops in the desert. For the Lord will use them as his destructive weapon against everyone from one end of the land to the other. No one will be safe.

12 The spoilers are come upon all high places through the wilderness: for the sword of the LORD shall devour from the one end of the land even to the other end of the land: no flesh shall have peace.

12 “On all the ()()bare heights in the wildernessDestroyers have come,For a ()sword of the Lord is devouringFrom one end of the land even to the ()other;There is ()no peace for ()anyone.

12 Over all the barren heights in the wildernessthe destroyers have come,for the Lord has a sword that devoursfrom one end of the earth to the other.No one has peace.()

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 for any person.

13 My people will sow wheat, but will harvest weeds. They will work until they are exhausted, but will get nothing from it. They will be disappointed in their harvests because the Lord will take them away in his fierce anger.

13 They have sown wheat, but shall reap thorns: they have put themselves to pain, but shall not profit: and they shall be ashamed of your revenues because of the fierce anger of the LORD.

13 “They have ()sown wheat and have reaped thorns,They have ()strained themselves ()to no profit.But be ashamed of your ()()harvestBecause of the ()fierce anger of the Lord.”

13 They have sown wheat but harvested thorns.()They have exhausted themselves but have no profit.()Be put to shame by your harvestsbecause of the Lord’s burning anger.()

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.

The Lord's Promise To Israel's Neighbors

14 "I, the Lord, also have something to say concerning the wicked nations who surround my land and have attacked and plundered the land that I gave to my people as a permanent possession. I say: 'I will uproot the people of those nations from their lands and I will free the people of Judah who have been taken there.

14 Thus saith the LORD against all mine evil neighbours, that touch the inheritance which I have caused my people Israel to inherit; Behold, I will pluck them out of their land, and pluck out the house of Judah from among them.

14 Thus says the Lord concerning all My ()wicked neighbors who ()strike at the inheritance with which I have endowed My people Israel, “Behold I am about to uproot them from their land and will ()uproot the house of Judah from among them.

14 This is what the Lord says: “Concerning all My evil neighbors who attack the inheritance that I bequeathed to My people, Israel, I am about to uproot them() from their land, and I will uproot the house of Judah from them.

14 This is what the LORD says about all the wicked neighbors who strike out against the land I've given to my people Israel as their inheritance: "I'm about to uproot them from their land, and I'll uproot the house of Judah from among them.

15 But after I have uprooted the people of those nations, I will relent and have pity on them. I will restore the people of each of those nations to their own lands and to their own country.

15 And it shall come to pass, after that I have plucked them out I will return, and have compassion on them, and will bring them again, every man to his heritage, and every man to his land.

15 And it will come about that after I have uprooted them, I will ()again have compassion on them; and I will ()bring them back, each one to his inheritance and each one to his land.

15 After I have uprooted them, I will once again have compassion() on them and return each one to his inheritance and to his land.

15 After I've uprooted them, I'll again have compassion on them. I'll return each one of them to his inheritance, and each one to his own land.

16 But they must make sure you learn to follow the religious practices of my people. Once they taught my people to swear their oaths using the name of the god Baal. But then, they must swear oaths using my name, saying, "As surely as the Lord lives, I swear." If they do these things, then they will be included among the people I call my own.

16 And it shall come to pass, if they will diligently learn the ways of my people, to swear by my name, The LORD liveth; as they taught my people to swear by Baal; then shall they be built in the midst of my people.

16 Then if they will really ()learn the ways of My people, to ()swear by My name, ‘As the Lord lives,’ even as they taught My people to ()swear by Baal, they will be ()built up in the midst of My people.

16 If they will diligently learn the ways of My people()—to swear by My name, ‘As Yahweh lives,’ just as they taught My people to swear by Baal—they will be built up among My people.

16 If they have learned the ways of my people well, to swear by my name: "As surely as the LORD lives,' just as they once taught my people to swear by Baal, then they'll be built up among my people.

17 But I will completely uproot and destroy any of those nations that will not pay heed,'" says the Lord.

17 But if they will not obey, I will utterly pluck up and destroy that nation, saith the LORD.

17 But if they will not listen, then I will ()uproot that nation, uproot and destroy it,” declares the Lord.

17 However, if they will not obey, then I will uproot and destroy that nation.”()This is the Lord’s declaration.

17 But if they don't listen, then I'll completely uproot that nation and destroy it," declares the LORD.

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