Jeremiah 12:7–13

“I have forsaken my house;

I have abandoned my heritage;

I have given the beloved of my soul

into the hands of her enemies.

My heritage has become to me

like a lion in the forest;

she has lifted up her voice against me;

therefore I hate her.

Is my heritage to me like a hyena’s lair?

Are the birds of prey against her all around?

Go, assemble all the wild beasts;

bring them to devour.

Many shepherds have destroyed my vineyard;

they have trampled down my portion;

they have made my pleasant portion

a desolate wilderness.

They have made it a desolation;

desolate, it mourns to me.

The whole land is made desolate,

but no man lays it to heart.

Upon all the bare heights in the desert

destroyers have come,

for the sword of the Lord devours

from one end of the land to the other;

no flesh has peace.

They have sown wheat and have reaped thorns;

they have tired themselves out but profit nothing.

They shall be ashamed of their harvests

because of the fierce anger of the Lord.”

“I will forsake my house,

abandon my inheritance;

I will give the one I love

into the hands of her enemies.

My inheritance has become to me

like a lion in the forest.

She roars at me;

therefore I hate her.

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.

Many shepherds will ruin my vineyard

and trample down my field;

they will turn my pleasant field

into a desolate wasteland.

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.

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.

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.”

I have abandoned my house;

I have deserted my inheritance.

I have handed the love of my life

over to her enemies.

My inheritance has behaved toward me

like a lion in the forest.

She has roared against me.

Therefore, I hate her.

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.

Many shepherds have destroyed my vineyard;

they have trampled my plot of land.

They have turned my desirable plot

into a desolate wasteland.

They have made it a desolation.

It mourns, desolate, before me.

All the land is desolate,

but no one takes it to heart.

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.

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.

“I have abandoned my people, my special possession.

I have surrendered my dearest ones to their enemies.

My chosen people have roared at me like a lion of the forest,

so I have treated them with contempt.

My chosen people act like speckled vultures,

but they themselves are surrounded by vultures.

Bring on the wild animals to pick their corpses clean!

“Many rulers have ravaged my vineyard,

trampling down the vines

and turning all its beauty into a barren wilderness.

They have made it an empty wasteland;

I hear its mournful cry.

The whole land is desolate,

and no one even cares.

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!

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.”

I have forsaken my house, I have abandoned my inheritance.

I have given the beloved one of my heart into the hand of her enemies.

My inheritance has become to me like a lion in the forest.

She has lifted up against me her voice; therefore I hate her.

The lair of the hyena is my inheritance to me,

the birds of prey are all around her.

Go, gather all of the animals of the field,

bring them to come and devour.

Many shepherds have destroyed my vineyard,

they have trampled down my plot of land.

They have made my pleasant field

like the desert of desolation.

They have made it a desolation.

Desolate, it mourns to me.

All the land is made desolate,

but there is no person taking it to heart.

Upon all the barren heights in the desert destroyers have come,

for the sword of Yahweh devours,

from one end of the land to the other end of the land,

there is no peace for all flesh.

They have sown wheat and they have reaped thorns.

They are exhausted, they do not profit.

And they will be ashamed of your produce,

because of the burning anger of Yahweh.”

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. Mine heritage is unto me as a lion in the forest; it crieth out against me: therefore have I hated it. 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. Many pastors have destroyed my vineyard, they have trodden my portion under foot, they have made my pleasant portion a desolate wilderness. 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. 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. 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.