Jeremiah

¹ Righteous are You, O Yahweh, when I would plead my case with You; Indeed I would speak matters of justice with You: Why has the way of the wicked succeeded? Why are all those who deal in treachery complacent?

² They grow; they have even produced fruit. You are near to their lips But far from their inmost being.

³ You see me; And You test my heart’s attitude toward You. Drag them off like sheep for the slaughter And set them apart for a day of carnage!

⁴ And the plants of every field to dry up? Because of the evil of those who inhabit it, Animals and birds have been swept away, Because men have said, “He will not see our latter ending.”

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?

⁶ Even they have dealt treacherously with you, Even they have called aloud after you. Do not believe them, although they may say nice things to you.”

⁷ I have abandoned My inheritance; I have given the beloved of My soul Into the hand of her enemies.

⁸ Like a lion in the forest; She has given forth its voice against Me; Therefore I have come to hate her.

⁹ Are the birds of prey against her on every side? Go, gather all the beasts of the field, Bring them to devour!

¹⁰ They have trampled down My portion; They have made My desired portion A desolate wilderness.

¹¹ Desolate, it mourns before Me; The whole land has been made desolate Because no man sets it upon his heart.

¹² Destroyers have come, For a sword of Yahweh is devouring From one end of the land even to the other; There is no peace for any flesh.

¹³ They have strained themselves to no profit. But be ashamed of your produce Because of the burning anger of Yahweh.”

¹⁴ Thus says Yahweh concerning all My evil neighbors who beat at the inheritance with which I have caused My people Israel to inherit, “Behold, I am about to uproot them from their land and will uproot the house of Judah from among them.

¹⁵ And it will come about that after I have uprooted them, I will return and have compassion on them; and I will cause them to return, each one to his inheritance and each one to his land.

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

¹⁷ But if they will not listen, then I will uproot that nation, uproot and make it perish,” declares Yahweh.