|
Chapter 12 |
| 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. |
| 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. |
