Jeremiah 12:7-17 ▼

7 “I have forsaken My house; I have abandoned My inheritance; I have given the beloved of My soul Into the hand of her enemies.

8 My inheritance has become to Me Like a lion in the forest; She has given forth its voice against Me; Therefore I have come to hate her.

9 Is My inheritance like a speckled bird of prey to Me? Are the birds of prey against her on every side? Go, gather all the beasts of the field, Bring them to devour!

10 Many shepherds have ruined My vineyard; They have trampled down My portion; They have made My desired portion A desolate wilderness.

11 It has been made a desolation; Desolate, it mourns before Me; The whole land has been made desolate Because no man sets it upon his heart.

12 On all the bare heights in the wilderness Destroyers have come, For a sword of Yahweh is devouring From one end of the land even to the other; There is no peace for any flesh.

13 They have sown wheat and have reaped thorns; They have strained themselves to no profit. But be ashamed of your produce Because of the burning anger of Yahweh.”

14 Thus says Yahweh concerning all My evil neighbors who beat at the inheritance with which I have caused My people Israel to inherit, “Behold, I am about to uproot them from their land and will uproot the house of Judah from among them.

15 And it will come about that after I have uprooted them, I will return and have compassion on them; and I will cause them to return, each one to his inheritance and each one to his land.

16 Then if they will really learn the ways of My people, to swear by My name, ‘As Yahweh lives,’ even as they taught My people to swear by Baal, they will be built up in the midst of My people.

17 But if they will not listen, then I will uproot that nation, uproot and make it perish,” declares Yahweh.