Jeremiah 12)
1: Righteous are You, O the Lord, when I plead with You: yet let me talk with you of Your judgments: Why does the way of the lawless prosper? why are all they happy that deal very treacherously? (Heb. are traitors of treachery = are utter traitors)
2: You have planted them, yes, they have taken root: they grow, yes, they bring forth fruit: You are near in their mouth (Anathoth was a city of priests. Mouth put for the words uttered by it), and far from their kidneys. (fig., put for the affections)
3: But You, O Lord, know me: You have seen me, and tried my heart toward You: pull them out like sheep for the slaughter, and separate (or, devote) them for the day of slaughter.
4: How long shall the land mourn, and the herbs of every field wither, for the lawlessness of them that dwell therein? the beasts are consumed, and the birds; because they said, “He shall not see our last end.”
5: If you have run with the footmen, and they have wearied you, then how can you contend with horses? and if in the land of peace, wherein you confided, they wearied you, then how will you do in the swelling of Jordan? (Heb. pride. Fig., put for proud beasts in the undergrowth on the banks of the Jordan. See 49:19; 50:44, and cp. Job 41:34)
6: For even your brethren, and the house of your father, even they have dealt treacherously with you; yes, they have called loudly a multitude after you: believe them not, though they speak fair words to you.
R S¹ 7-13. The beloved People. Themselves. S² 14-17. The beloved People. Their enemies.
7: I have forsaken My house, I have left My heritage; I have given the dearly beloved of My soul (= I Myself. Very emphatic) into the hand of her enemies.
8: My heritage is become to Me as a lion in the forest; it cries out against Me: therefore have I hated it.
9: My heritage is to Me as a bird of prey, the birds round about are against her; come you all, assemble all the beasts of the field, come to devour.
10: Many pastors (used of rulers. See 2:8; 3:15) have destroyed My vineyard, they have trodden My portion (one codex reads "My possession") under foot, they have made my pleasant portion (Heb. = my desired portion) a desolate wilderness.
11: They have made it desolate, and being desolate it mourns to Me; the whole land is made desolate, because no man lays it to heart.
12: The spoilers are come upon all eminent places through the wilderness: for the sword of Yehovah shall devour from the one end of the land even to the other end of the land: no flesh shall have peace.
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.
14: Thus says the Lord against all My evil neighbors (Egypt, Edom, Philistia, Ammon, and Moab), that touch the inheritance which I have caused My People Israel to inherit (see Ex. 32:13); Behold, I will pluck them out of their land, and pluck out the house of Judah from among them.
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.
16: And it shall come to pass, if they will diligently learn the ways of My People, to swear by My name, the Lord lives; according as they taught My People to swear by Baal; then shall they be rebuilt in the midst of My People. (see Num.13:22)
17: But if they will not listen, I will utterly pluck up and destroy that nation, [is] the Lord's oracle.”