1You are always righteous, O LORD, when I plead with You; yet let me talk with You about Your justice. Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do they that deal very treacherously always seem happy?
2You have planted them, yea, they have taken root; they grow and bear fruit; You are always on their lips; but far from their heart.
3But You, O LORD, know me; You have seen me, and tried my heart toward You. Drag them off like sheep, and set them aside for their day of slaughter.
4How long must the land mourn, and the herbs of every field wither, and the animals and birds perish because of the wickedness of people who live there, who say “He shall not see how we end up”? Verses 5 & 6 seem to be the introduction to the LORD’s response to Jeremiah’s foregoing complaint of betrayal and abuse by his countrymen, where the LORD says if Jeremiah cannot cope with the current level of trials and stress, how does he hope to deal with the tougher trials that are sure to follow (V5). Then He advises Jeremiah to not trust even his own family members, thus reducing his exposure to betrayal and abuse (v6). Then He turns to contrasting His Own anguish with what Jeremiah is enduring: He speaks of leaving His Own habitation and throne in heaven (v7), and watching His dearly beloved people victimized by their enemies, godless nations (v8), being picked on for being ‘different’ (v9), being misled by priests and prophets (v10); and now His beloved land and people cry to Him justice and vengeance (v11), which He says will be forthcoming (vv12-13).
5If you have run with mere men, and they have worn you out, then how can you compete with horses? And if you stumble on cleared land of safety, then how will you do in the thickets by the flood-swollen Jordan?
6For even your brethren, members of your own family, have betrayed you; yea, they have raised a mob after you; do not trust them, even though they speak friendly words to you.
7I have left My house (Temple), and abandoned My heritage (My people); I have given dearly beloved of My soul (the nation of Israel, once dearly beloved) into the hand of her enemies.
8My heritage (Israel) has become like a lion in the forest to Me; it snarled at Me; therefore, I must treat her as if I hated her.
9My heritage is unto Me like a speckled bird; the other birds around attack her, inviting all the beasts of the field to come and eat her.
10Many shepherds (rulers) have corrupted My vineyard, they have trampled it under foot, they have made My pleasant field a wasteland.
11They have left it a wasteland; and being desolate, I hear it mourn unto Me; the whole land is made desolate, because no one even cares.
12The spoilers have crossed the barren heights on their path to destroy. The sword of the LORD shall devour from the one end of the land to the other; none shall escape.
13They have sown wheat, but shall reap thorns; what they shall harvest shall be pain to themselves; and they shall bear the shame of harvest, because of the fierce anger of the LORD.
14Thus says the LORD against all of Israel’s evil neighbors, that reach out to seize the land which I have given My people, Israel, to inherit, “Behold, I will uproot them out of their land, and uproot the house of Judah from among them.
15And after I have uprooted them (the Israelites), I will return, and have compassion on them (both the Israelites and their neighbors), and will bring them back again, every man to his heritage, and to his own land.
16And if they will diligently learn the ways of My people, to swear by My name, saying ‘As surely as the LORD lives’; as opposed to what they taught My people - to swear by Baal, then shall they be established among of My people.
17But if any nation will not obey, I will utterly uproot and destroy that nation”, says the LORD. Easy Reader Bible: Purple Letter Edition © 2023 by Jim Musser. Used by Permission. All rights Reserved. Bible Hub |
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