Jeremiah 12:4
New International Version
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.”

New Living Translation
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!”

English Standard Version
How long will the land mourn and the grass of every field wither? For the evil of those who dwell in it the beasts and the birds are swept away, because they said, “He will not see our latter end.”

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

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
How long will the land mourn, And the herbs of every field wither? The beasts and birds are consumed, For the wickedness of those who dwell there, Because they said, “He will not see our final end.”

New American Standard Bible
How long is the land to mourn, And the vegetation of the countryside to dry up? Due to the wickedness of those who live in it, Animals and birds have been snatched away, Because people have said, “He will not see our final end.”

NASB 1995
How long is the land to mourn And 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.”

NASB 1977
How long is the land to mourn And 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.”

Legacy Standard Bible
How long is the land to mourn 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.”

Amplified Bible
How long must the land mourn And the grass of the countryside wither? Because of the wickedness and hypocrisy of those who live in it, The beasts and the birds are consumed and are swept away [by the drought], Because men [mocking me] have said, “He will not [live long enough to] see [what happens at] our final end.”

Christian Standard Bible
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.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
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.”

American Standard Version
How long shall the land mourn, and the herbs of the whole country wither? for the wickedness of them that dwell therein, the beasts are consumed, and the birds; because they said, He shall not see our latter end.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
How long shall the land mourn, and every green plant of the field dry up from the evil of its inhabitants? Beast and bird have ended, for they said: “We will not see an end”

Brenton Septuagint Translation
How long shall the land mourn, and the grass of the field wither, for the wickedness of them, that dwell in it? the beasts and birds are utterly destroyed; because the people said, God shall not see our ways.

Contemporary English Version
How long will the ground be dry and the pasturelands parched? The birds and animals are dead and gone. And all of this happened because the people are so sinful. They even brag, "God can't see the sins we commit."

Douay-Rheims Bible
How long shall the land mourn, and the herb of every field wither for the wickedness of them that dwell therein? The beasts and the birds are consumed: because they have said: He shall not see our last end.

English Revised Version
How long shall the land mourn, and the herbs of the whole country wither? for the wickedness of them that dwell therein, the beasts are consumed, and the birds; because they said, He shall not see our latter end.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
How long will the land mourn? How long will the plants in every field remain dried up? The animals and the birds are dying, because people are wicked. They think that God doesn't know what they are doing.

Good News Translation
How long will our land be dry, and the grass in every field be withered? Animals and birds are dying because of the wickedness of our people, people who say, 'God doesn't see what we are doing.'"

International Standard Version
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."

JPS Tanakh 1917
How long shall the land mourn, And the herbs of the whole field wither? For the wickedness of them that dwell therein, the beasts are consumed, and the birds; Because they said: 'He seeth not our end.'

Literal Standard Version
Until when does the earth mourn, | And the herb of the whole field wither? For the wickedness of those dwelling in it, | Beast and bird have been consumed, | Because they said, “He does not see our latter end.”

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

New American Bible
How long must the land mourn, the grass of the whole countryside wither? Because of the wickedness of those who dwell in it beasts and birds disappear, for they say, “God does not care about our future.”

NET Bible
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."

New Revised Standard Version
How long will the land mourn, and the grass of every field wither? For the wickedness of those who live in it the animals and the birds are swept away, and because people said, “He is blind to our ways.”

New Heart English Bible
How long shall the land be parched, and the grass of every field wither? For the wickedness of those who dwell in it, the animals are consumed, and the birds; because they said, "He shall not see our latter end."

Webster's Bible Translation
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 will not see our last end.

World English Bible
How long will the land mourn, and the herbs of the whole country wither? Because of the wickedness of those who dwell therein, the animals and birds are consumed; because they said, “He won’t see our latter end.”

Young's Literal Translation
Till when doth the earth mourn, And the herb of the whole field wither? For the wickedness of those dwelling in it, Consumed have been beast and fowl, Because they said, 'He doth not see our latter end.'

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Prosperity of the Wicked
3But You know me, O LORD; You see me and test my heart toward You. Drag away the wicked like sheep to the slaughter and set them apart for the day of carnage. 4How long will the land mourn and the grass of every field be withered? Because of the evil of its residents, the animals and birds have been swept away, for the people have said, “He cannot see what our end will be.”

Cross References
Romans 8:22
We know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until the present time.

Psalm 107:34
and fruitful land into fields of salt, because of the wickedness of its dwellers.

Jeremiah 4:25
I looked, and no man was left; all the birds of the air had fled.

Jeremiah 4:28
Therefore the earth will mourn and the heavens above will grow dark. I have spoken, I have planned, and I will not relent or turn back."

Jeremiah 5:31
The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule by their own authority. My people love it so, but what will you do in the end?

Jeremiah 7:20
Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: Behold, My anger and My fury will be poured out on this place, on man and beast, on the trees of the field and the produce of the land, and it will burn and not be extinguished.

Jeremiah 9:10
I will take up a weeping and wailing for the mountains, a dirge over the wilderness pasture, for they have been scorched so no one passes through, and the lowing of cattle is not heard. Both the birds of the air and the beasts have fled; they have gone away.


Treasury of Scripture

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.

long.

Jeremiah 9:10
For the mountains will I take up a weeping and wailing, and for the habitations of the wilderness a lamentation, because they are burned up, so that none can pass through them; neither can men hear the voice of the cattle; both the fowl of the heavens and the beast are fled; they are gone.

Jeremiah 14:2
Judah mourneth, and the gates thereof languish; they are black unto the ground; and the cry of Jerusalem is gone up.

Jeremiah 23:10
For the land is full of adulterers; for because of swearing the land mourneth; the pleasant places of the wilderness are dried up, and their course is evil, and their force is not right.

the herbs.

Psalm 107:34
A fruitful land into barrenness, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein.

Joel 1:10-17
The field is wasted, the land mourneth; for the corn is wasted: the new wine is dried up, the oil languisheth…

the beasts.

Jeremiah 4:24
I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly.

Jeremiah 7:20
Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, mine anger and my fury shall be poured out upon this place, upon man, and upon beast, and upon the trees of the field, and upon the fruit of the ground; and it shall burn, and shall not be quenched.

Hosea 4:3
Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven; yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away.

he.

Jeremiah 5:13,31
And the prophets shall become wind, and the word is not in them: thus shall it be done unto them…

Psalm 50:21
These things hast thou done, and I kept silence; thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself: but I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes.

Ezekiel 7:2-13
Also, thou son of man, thus saith the Lord GOD unto the land of Israel; An end, the end is come upon the four corners of the land…

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Animals Beasts Birds Consumed Country Countryside Dwell End Ending Field Grass Happens Herbs Latter Moreover Mourn Parched Perished Snatched Swept Therein Vegetation Whole Wickedness Wither Withered
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Animals Beasts Birds Consumed Country Countryside Dwell End Ending Field Grass Happens Herbs Latter Moreover Mourn Parched Perished Snatched Swept Therein Vegetation Whole Wickedness Wither Withered
Jeremiah 12
1. Jeremiah, complaining of the prosperity of the wicked, by faith sees their ruin.
5. God admonishes him of his brothers' treachery against him;
7. and laments his heritage.
14. He promises to the penitent return from captivity.














(4) How long shall the land mourn . . .--The Hebrew punctuation gives a different division, How long shall the land mourn, and the herbs of the whole field (i.e., all the open country) wither? For the wickedness of them that dwell therein, cattle and birds perish, for, say they, he (i.e., the prophet) will not see our latter end (i.e., we shall outlive him, though he prophesies our destruction). A slightly different reading, however, adopted by the LXX. and by some modern scholars, would give for the last clause, "He (God) seeth not our ways," i.e., will leave us unpunished. The opening words point to a time of distress, probably of drought and famine. But out of this wretchedness, the men who were Jeremiah's enemies--the forestallers, and monopolists, and usurers of the time--continued to enrich themselves, and scornfully defied all his warnings.

Verse 4. - How long, etc.? The verse is decided rather differently by the Hebrew accents. The question should end at wither, and the following words run on. Every field should be the whole field (i.e. open country). The connection has caused some difficulty. But drought is constantly described as a judgment (Jeremiah 3:3; Jeremiah 5:24, 25; Jeremiah 14:2-7; Jeremiah 23:10), and it is a prophetic doctrine that the lower animals suffer for the fault of man. Because they said; rather, because they say. The speakers are the ungodly. The subject of the following verb is uncertain. Some think it is God; but when God is said to "see" (i.e. take notice of) anything, it is always something actually existing. The subject must, therefore, be the prophet, of whom the ungodly scoffingly declare, He shall not see our last end, because his predictions are mere delusions.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
How long
עַד־ (‘aḏ-)
Preposition
Strong's 5704: As far as, even to, up to, until, while

will the land
הָאָ֔רֶץ (hā·’ā·reṣ)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 776: Earth, land

mourn
תֶּאֱבַ֣ל (te·’ĕ·ḇal)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 56: To bewail

and the grass
וְעֵ֥שֶׂב (wə·‘ê·śeḇ)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 6212: Herb, herbage

of every
כָּל־ (kāl-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

field
הַשָּׂדֶ֖ה (haś·śā·ḏeh)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7704: Field, land

be withered?
יִיבָ֑שׁ (yî·ḇāš)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3001: To be ashamed, confused, disappointed, to dry up, wither

Because of the evil
מֵרָעַ֣ת (mê·rā·‘aṯ)
Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 7451: Bad, evil

of its residents,
יֹֽשְׁבֵי־ (yō·šə·ḇê-)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct
Strong's 3427: To sit down, to dwell, to remain, to settle, to marry

the animals
בְהֵמוֹת֙ (ḇə·hê·mō·wṯ)
Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 929: A dumb beast, any large quadruped, animal

and birds
וָע֔וֹף (wā·‘ō·wp̄)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5775: Flying creatures

have been swept away,
סָפְתָ֤ה (sā·p̄ə·ṯāh)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 5595: To sweep or snatch away, catch up

for
כִּ֣י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

the people have said,
אָמְר֔וּ (’ā·mə·rū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“He cannot
לֹ֥א (lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

see
יִרְאֶ֖ה (yir·’eh)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7200: To see

what our end will be.”
אַחֲרִיתֵֽנוּ׃ (’a·ḥă·rî·ṯê·nū)
Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common plural
Strong's 319: The last, end, the future, posterity


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OT Prophets: Jeremiah 12:4 How long shall the land mourn (Jer.)
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