Jeremiah 12–13

Jeremiah Argues With the Lord

12Lord, when I bring a matter to you,

you always do what is right.

But now I would like to speak with you

about whether you are being fair.

Why are sinful people successful?

Why do those who can’t be trusted have an easy life?

²You have planted them.

Their roots are deep in the ground.

They grow and produce fruit.

They honor you by what they say.

But their hearts are far away from you.

³Lord, you know me and see me.

You test my thoughts about you.

Drag those people off like sheep to be killed!

Set them apart for the day of their death!

⁴How long will the land be thirsty for water?

How long will the grass in every field be dry?

The people who live in the land are evil.

So the animals and birds have died.

And that’s not all. The people are saying,

“The Lord won’t see what happens to us.”

The Lord Replies to Jeremiah

⁵The Lord says, “Suppose you have run in a race with other men.

And suppose they have worn you out.

Then how would you be able to race against horses?

Suppose you feel safe only in open country.

Then how would you get along in the bushes near the Jordan River?

⁶Even your own family has turned against you.

They have shouted loudly at you.

They might say nice things about you.

But do not trust them.

⁷“I will turn my back on my people.

I will desert my land.

I love the people of Judah.

In spite of that, I will hand them over to their enemies.

⁸My land has become to me

like a lion in the forest.

It roars at me.

So I hate it.

⁹My own land has become like a spotted hawk.

And other hawks surround it and attack it.

Come, all of you wild animals!

Gather together!

Come together to eat up my land.

¹⁰Many shepherds will destroy my vineyard.

They will walk all over it.

They will turn my pleasant vineyard

into a dry and empty land.

¹¹My vineyard will become a desert.

It will be dry and empty in my sight.

The whole land will be completely destroyed.

And no one even cares.

¹²Many will come to destroy it.

They will gather on the bare hilltops in the desert.

I will use them as my sword to destroy my people.

They will kill them from one end of the land to the other.

No one will be safe.

¹³People will plant wheat. But all they will gather is thorns.

They will wear themselves out. But they will not have anything to show for it.

My anger is burning against you.

So you will be ashamed of the crop you gather.”

¹⁴The Lord continues, “All of my evil neighbors have taken over the land I gave my people Israel. So I will pull them up by their roots from the lands they live in. And I will pull up the roots of the people of Judah from among them.

¹⁵“But after I pull those nations up, I will show my tender love to them again. I will bring all of them back to their own lands. I will take all of them back to their own countries.

¹⁶“Suppose they learn to follow the practices of my people. And they take an oath and make a promise in my name. They say, ‘You can be sure that the Lord is alive.’ They do it just as they once taught my people to take oaths in Baal’s name. Then I will give them a place among my people.

¹⁷“But what if one of those nations does not listen? Then you can be sure I will pull it up by the roots and destroy it,” announces the Lord.

A Linen Belt

13The Lord said to me, “Go and buy a linen belt. Put it around your waist. But do not let it get wet.”

²So I bought a belt, just as the Lord had told me to do. And I put it around my waist.

³Then another message came to me from the Lord. He said, ⁴“Take off the belt you bought and are wearing around your waist. Go to Perath. Hide the belt there in a crack in the rocks.”

⁵So I went and hid it at Perath. I did just as the Lord had told me to do.

⁶Many days later the Lord spoke to me again. He told me, “Go to Perath. Get the belt I told you to hide there.”

⁷So I went to Perath. I dug up the belt. I took it from the place where I had hidden it. But it had rotted. It was completely useless.

⁸Then another message came to me from the Lord. He said, ⁹“In the same way, I will destroy Judah’s pride. And I will destroy the great pride of Jerusalem.

¹⁰“Those people are evil. They refuse to listen to what I say. They do what their stubborn hearts want them to do. They chase after other gods. They serve them and worship them. So they will be like this belt. They will be completely useless. ¹¹A belt is tied around a man’s waist. In the same way, I tied all of the people of Israel and Judah to me,” announces the Lord. “I wanted them to be my people. They should have brought me fame and praise and honor. But they have not listened to me.

Wineskins

¹²“Tell them, ‘The Lord is the God of Israel. He says, “Every wineskin should be filled with wine.” ’

“The people might say to you, ‘Don’t we know that every wineskin should be filled with wine?’

¹³“If they do, tell them, ‘The Lord says, “I am going to fill with wine everyone who lives in this land. I will make the kings who sit on David’s throne drunk. And I will fill with wine the priests, the prophets and everyone who lives in Jerusalem. ¹⁴I will smash them against one another. I will punish parents and children alike,” announces the Lord. “I will not feel sorry for them. I will not show them any kindness. My tender love for them will not keep me from destroying them.” ’ ”

Judah Will Be Taken Away From Their Land

¹⁵People of Judah, listen to me.

Pay attention. Don’t be proud.

The Lord has spoken.

¹⁶Give glory to the Lord your God.

Honor him before he sends

darkness to cover the land.

Do it before you trip and fall

on the darkened hills.

You hope that light will come.

But he will turn it into thick darkness.

He will change it to deep shadows.

¹⁷If you don’t listen,

I will sob in secret.

Because you are so proud,

I will sob bitterly.

Tears will flow from my eyes.

The Lord’s flock will be taken away as prisoners.

¹⁸Speak to the king and his mother. Tell them,

“Come down from your thrones.

Your glorious crowns

are about to fall from your heads.”

¹⁹The gates of the cities in the Negev Desert will be shut tight.

There won’t be anyone to open them.

You will be carried away as prisoners.

You will be taken away completely.

²⁰Jerusalem, look up!

Your enemies are coming from the north.

Where is the flock you were supposed to take care of?

Where are the sheep you were so proud of?

²¹You have worked hard to make special friends.

But the Lord will let them rule over you.

Then what will you say?

Suffering will take hold of you.

It will be like the pain of a woman having a baby.

²²Suppose you ask yourself,

“Why has this happened to me?”

It’s because you have committed so many sins.

That’s the reason your skirt has been torn off.

That’s why your body has been treated so badly.

²³Can people from Ethiopia change their skin?

Can leopards change their spots?

It’s the same with you.

You have always done what is evil.

So how can you do what is good?

²⁴The Lord says, “I will scatter you like straw

that the desert wind blows away.

²⁵That is what will happen to you.

I have appointed it for you,”

announces the Lord.

“You have forgotten me.

You have trusted in other gods.

²⁶So I will pull your skirt up over your face.

Then people will see the shame of your naked body.

²⁷They will see that you have not been faithful to me.

You have committed adultery with other gods.

And you have acted like a prostitute

who does not have any shame.

I have seen what you did

on the hills and in the fields.

And I hate it.

How terrible it will be for you, Jerusalem!

How long will you choose to be ‘unclean’?”