Jeremiah’s Complaint
1 mRighteous are you, O Lord,
when I complain to you;
yet I would plead my case before you.
nWhy does the way of the wicked prosper?
Why do all owho are treacherous thrive?
2 You plant them, and they take root;
they grow and produce fruit;
pyou are near in their mouth
and far from their heart.
3 qBut you, O Lord, know me;
ryou see me, and test my heart toward you.
sPull them out like sheep for the slaughter,
and set them apart for tthe day of slaughter.
4 uHow long will the land mourn
and the grass of every field wither?
vFor the evil of those who dwell in it
wthe beasts and the birds are swept away,
because they said, “He will not see our latter end.”
The Lord Answers Jeremiah
5 “If you have raced with men on foot, and they have wearied you,
how will you compete with horses?
And if in a safe land you are so trusting,
what will you do in xthe thicket of the Jordan?
6 For yeven your brothers and the house of your father,
oeven they have dealt treacherously with you;
they are in full cry after you;
zdo not believe them,
though they speak friendly words to you.”
7 “I have forsaken my house;
I have abandoned amy heritage;
I have given bthe beloved of my soul
into the hands of her enemies.
8 aMy heritage has become to me
like a lion in the forest;
she has lifted up her voice against me;
therefore I hate her.
9 Is amy heritage to me like ca hyena’s lair?
Are the cbirds of prey against her all around?
Go, dassemble all the wild beasts;
bring them to devour.
10 Many shepherds have destroyed my vineyard;
ethey have trampled down my portion;
they have made my pleasant portion
a desolate wilderness.
11 They have made it a desolation;
desolate, uit mourns to me.
The whole land is made desolate,
fbut no man lays it to heart.
12 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.
13 gThey have sown wheat and have reaped thorns;
hthey have tired themselves out but profit nothing.
They shall be ashamed of their1 harvests
ibecause of the fierce anger of the Lord.”
14 Thus says the Lord concerning all jmy evil neighbors kwho touch the heritage that lI have given my people Israel to inherit: “Behold, I will pluck them up from their land, and I will pluck up the house of Judah from among them. 15 And after I have plucked them up, I will again have compassion on them, mand I will bring them again each to his heritage and each to his land. 16 And it shall come to pass, if they will diligently learn the ways of my people, nto swear by my name, ‘As the Lord lives,’ even as they taught my people to swear by Baal, othen they shall be built up in the midst of my people. 17 pBut if any nation will not listen, then I will utterly pluck it up and destroy it, declares the Lord.”
Final Instructions and Benediction
12 We ask you, brothers, mto respect those who labor among you and nare over you in the Lord and admonish you, 13 and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. oBe at peace among yourselves. 14 And we urge you, brothers, admonish pthe idle,1 qencourage the fainthearted, rhelp the weak, sbe patient with them all. 15 See that tno one repays anyone evil for evil, but always useek to do good to one another and to everyone. 16 vRejoice always, 17 wpray without ceasing, 18 xgive thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 19 yDo not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not despise zprophecies, 21 but atest everything; hold fast what is good. 22 Abstain from every form of evil.
23 Now may bthe God of peace himself csanctify you completely, and may your dwhole espirit and soul and body be kept blameless at fthe coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 gHe who calls you is faithful; hhe will surely do it.
25 iBrothers, pray for us.
26 jGreet all the brothers with a holy kiss.
27 I put you under oath before the Lord to have kthis letter read to all the brothers.
28 lThe grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
