Jeremiah 12

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Jeremiah's Complaint

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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? Why do all the treacherous live at ease?

Ezra 9:15, Job 13:3, Jeremiah 5:27-28, Jeremiah 11:20, Habakkuk 1:4

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.

Isaiah 29:13, Ezekiel 17:5-10, Ezekiel 33:31, Titus 1:16

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.

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.”

Jeremiah 5:31, Hosea 4:3, Joel 1:10-17

1 Lord, you always give me justice when I bring a case before you. So let me bring you this complaint: Why are the wicked so prosperous? Why are evil people so happy?

2 You have planted them, and they have taken root and prospered. Your name is on their lips, but you are far from their hearts.

3 But as for me, Lord, you know my heart. You see me and test my thoughts. Drag these people away like sheep to be butchered! Set them aside to be slaughtered!

4 How long must this land mourn? Even the grass in the fields has withered. The wild animals and birds have disappeared because of the evil in the land. For the people have said, “The Lord doesn’t see what’s ahead for us!”

1 You are always righteous, Lord, when I bring a case before you. Yet I would speak with you about your justice: Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all the faithless live at ease?

2 You have planted them, and they have taken root; they grow and bear fruit. You are always on their lips but far from their hearts.

3 Yet you know me, Lord; you see me and test my thoughts about you. Drag them off like sheep to be butchered! Set them apart for the day of slaughter!

4 How long will the land lie parched and the grass in every field be withered? Because those who live in it are wicked, the animals and birds have perished. Moreover, the people are saying, “He will not see what happens to us.”

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?

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.

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.

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.

The LORD's Response

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5 If you have raced with runners and 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?

Jeremiah 50:44

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.

7 I have abandoned My house; I have deserted My inheritance. I have given the love of My life into the hands of her enemies.

Jeremiah 7:29, Jeremiah 11:15, Hosea 11:1-4

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

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.

2 Kings 24:2, Isaiah 56:9, Jeremiah 7:33, Jeremiah 15:3, Jeremiah 34:20

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

Psalm 80:8-16, Isaiah 5:1-7, Lamentations 1:10

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

12 Over all the barren heights in the wilderness the destroyers have come, for the Lord has a sword that devours from one end of the earth to the other. No one has peace.

Isaiah 34:6, Jeremiah 47:6, Amos 9:4

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

Leviticus 26:16, Deuteronomy 28:38, Isaiah 55:2, Jeremiah 4:26, Jeremiah 17:10, Jeremiah 25:37-38

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.

Isaiah 11:11-16, Jeremiah 2:3, Jeremiah 49:1, Zephaniah 2:8-10, Zechariah 2:8

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

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.

Joshua 23:7, Isaiah 49:6

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

Psalm 2:8-10, Isaiah 60:12

5 “If racing against mere men makes you tired, how will you race against horses? If you stumble and fall on open ground, what will you do in the thickets near the Jordan?

6 Even your brothers, members of your own family, have turned against you. They plot and raise complaints against you. Do not trust them, no matter how pleasantly they speak.

7 “I have abandoned my people, my special possession. I have surrendered my dearest ones to their enemies.

8 My chosen people have roared at me like a lion of the forest, so I have treated them with contempt.

9 My chosen people act like speckled vultures, but they themselves are surrounded by vultures. Bring on the wild animals to pick their corpses clean!

10 “Many rulers have ravaged my vineyard, trampling down the vines and turning all its beauty into a barren wilderness.

11 They have made it an empty wasteland; I hear its mournful cry. The whole land is desolate, and no one even cares.

12 On all the bare hilltops, destroying armies can be seen. The sword of the Lord devours people from one end of the nation to the other. No one will escape!

13 My people have planted wheat but are harvesting thorns. They have worn themselves out, but it has done them no good. They will harvest a crop of shame because of the fierce anger of the Lord.”

14 Now this is what the Lord says: “I will uproot from their land all the evil nations reaching out for the possession I gave my people Israel. And I will uproot Judah from among them.

15 But afterward I will return and have compassion on all of them. I will bring them home to their own lands again, each nation to its own possession.

16 And if these nations truly learn the ways of my people, and if they learn to swear by my name, saying, ‘As surely as the Lord lives’ (just as they taught my people to swear by the name of Baal), then they will be given a place among my people

17 But any nation who refuses to obey me will be uprooted and destroyed. I, the Lord, have spoken!”

5 “If racing against mere men makes you tired, how will you race against horses? If you stumble and fall on open ground, what will you do in the thickets near the Jordan?

6 Even your brothers, members of your own family, have turned against you. They plot and raise complaints against you. Do not trust them, no matter how pleasantly they speak.

7 “I will forsake my house, abandon my inheritance; I will give the one I love into the hands of her enemies.

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

9 Has not my inheritance become to me like a speckled bird of prey that other birds of prey surround and attack? Go and gather all the wild beasts; bring them to devour.

10 Many shepherds will ruin my vineyard and trample down my field; they will turn my pleasant field into a desolate wasteland.

11 It will be made a wasteland, parched and desolate before me; the whole land will be laid waste because there is no one who cares.

12 Over all the barren heights in the desert destroyers will swarm, for the sword of the Lord will devour from one end of the land to the other; no one will be safe.

13 They will sow wheat but reap thorns; they will wear themselves out but gain nothing. They will bear the shame of their harvest because of the Lord’s fierce anger.”

14 This is what the Lord says: “As for all my wicked neighbors who seize the inheritance I gave my people Israel, I will uproot them from their lands and I will uproot the people of Judah from among them.

15 But after I uproot them, I will again have compassion and will bring each of them back to their own inheritance and their own country.

16 And if they learn well the ways of my people and swear by my name, saying, ‘As surely as the Lord lives’—even as they once taught my people to swear by Baal—then they will be established among my people

17 But if any nation does not listen, I will completely uproot and destroy it,” declares the Lord.

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?

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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 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.

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 liveth; as they taught my people to swear by Baal; then shall they be built in the midst of my people.

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

Study Notes

Study Notes - Jeremiah 12:1-6

1. Many people have asked, "Why are the wicked so prosperous? (see Job 21:4-21 and Habakkuk 1:1-4). Jeremiah knew that God's justice would ultimately come, but he was impatient because he wanted justice to come quickly. God didn't give a theoretical answer; instead, he gave a challenge: if Jeremiah couldn't handle this, how would he handle the injustices and invading armies that lay ahead? It is natural for us to demand fair play and cry for justice against those who take advantage of others. But when we call for justice, we must realize that we ourselves would be in big trouble if God gave each of us what we truly deserve.

Study Notes - Jeremiah 12:5-6

1. Life was extremely difficult for Jeremiah despite his love for and obedience to God. His own brothers had joined with the people of Anathoth in the plot to kill him (see Jeremiah 11:18-21). When he called to God for relief, God's reply was, in effect, "If you think this is bad, how will you cope when it gets really tough?" Not all of God's answers to prayer are nice or easy to handle. Any Christian who has experienced war, bereavement, a serious illness, or being driven from their community knows this. But we are to stay committed to God even in difficult times, when His answers to our prayers don't bring the needed relief, and in seasons when He doesn't even seem to be listening to us.

Study Notes - Jeremiah 12:14-17

1. God chose a people through whom to demonstrate His care for the world. The people of Israel were given much; thus, much was required of them. But Israel repeatedly failed. The fate of other nations depended on their willingness to demonstrate faith in God, regardless of whether God's chosen people accomplished this task of witness. God's love extends to reach every square inch of the globe.

Cross-References

1. Jeremiah 12:5-6 >> Jeremiah 11:21

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