1 O Lord, if I dispute with thee, thou art righteous: yet let mee talke with thee of thy iudgements: wherefore doeth the way of the wicked prosper? why are all they in wealth that rebelliously transgresse? 2 Thou hast planted them, and they haue taken roote: they grow, and bring forth fruite: thou art neere in their mouth, and farre from their reines. 3 But thou, Lord, knowest me: thou hast seene me, and tried mine heart towarde thee: pull them out like sheepe for the slaughter, and prepare them for the day of slaughter. 4 Howe long shall the lande mourne, and the herbes of euery fielde wither, for the wickednesse of them that dwell therein? the beastes are consumed and the birdes, because they sayd, He wil not see our last ende. 5 If thou hast runne with the footemen and they haue wearied thee, then howe canst thou match thy selfe with horses? and if thou thoughtest thy selfe safe in a peaceable lande, what wilt thou do in the swelling of Iorden? 6 For euen thy brethren, and the house of thy father, euen they haue delt vnfaithfully with thee, and they haue cryed out altogether vpon thee: but beleeue them not, though they speake faire to thee. 7 I haue forsaken mine house: I haue left mine heritage: I haue giuen the dearely beloued of my soule into the hands of her enemies. 8 Mine heritage is vnto mee, as a lion in the forest: it crieth out against mee, therefore haue I hated it. 9 Shall mine heritage bee vnto mee, as a bird of diuers colours? are not the birdes about her, saying, Come, assemble all ye beastes of the fielde, come to eate her? 10 Many pastors haue destroyed my vineyarde, and troden my portion vnder foote: of my pleasant portion they haue made a desolate wildernesse. 11 They haue layde it waste, and it, being waste, mourneth vnto me: and the whole lande lyeth waste, because no man setteth his minde on it. 12 The destroyers are come vpon all the high places in the wildernesse: for the sworde of the Lord shall deuoure from the one end of the land, euen to the other ende of the lande: no flesh shall haue peace. 13 They haue sowen wheate, and reaped thornes: they were sicke, and had no profite: and they were ashamed of your fruites, because of the fierce wrath of the Lord. 14 Thus sayeth the Lord against all mine euill neighbours, that touch the inheritance, which I haue caused my people Israel to inherite, Beholde, I will plucke them out of their lande, and plucke out the house of Iudah from among them. 15 And after that I haue plucked them out, I will returne, and haue compassion on them, and will bring againe euery man to his heritage, and euery man to his land. 16 And if they will learne the wayes of my people, to sweare by my Name, (The Lord liueth, as they taught my people to sweare by Baal) then shall they be built in the middes of my people. 17 But if they will not obey, then will I vtterly plucke vp, and destroy that nation, sayeth the Lord.
Jeremiah · Geneva Bible (1599)
Jeremiah 12 Geneva Bible (1599)
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Notes on this text (1)
- Original 16th-century spelling.
Cross references (17)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Malachi 3:15; Psalm 92:7; Psalm 37:1; Psalm 73:3–28; Psalm 37:35
- 2 Isaiah 29:13; Titus 1:16; Matthew 15:8; Jeremiah 11:17; Jeremiah 45:4
- 3 2 Kings 20:3; Jeremiah 17:18; Psalm 139:1–4; James 5:5; Psalm 17:3
- 4 Jeremiah 9:10; Psalm 107:34; Jeremiah 4:25; Hosea 4:3; Jeremiah 23:10
- 5 1 Peter 4:12; Proverbs 24:10; Hebrews 12:3–4; Psalm 69:1–2; Jeremiah 49:19
- 6 Proverbs 26:25; Psalm 12:2; Jeremiah 9:4; Micah 7:5–6; Genesis 37:4–11
- 7 Isaiah 2:6; Psalm 78:59–60; Jeremiah 11:15; Hosea 9:15; Lamentations 2:1–22
- 8 Amos 6:8; Hosea 9:15; Zechariah 11:8; Jeremiah 2:15; Jeremiah 51:38
- 9 Isaiah 56:9; Jeremiah 7:33; 2 Kings 24:2; Revelation 19:17–18; Ezekiel 23:22–25
- 10 Jeremiah 23:1; Isaiah 5:1–7; Isaiah 63:18; Psalm 80:8–16; Jeremiah 3:19
- 11 Isaiah 42:25; Jeremiah 23:10; Jeremiah 14:2; Jeremiah 12:4–8; Zechariah 7:5
- 12 Jeremiah 47:6; Amos 9:4; Ezekiel 14:17; Isaiah 34:6; Revelation 19:16–21
- 13 Haggai 1:6; Deuteronomy 28:38; Leviticus 26:16; Micah 6:15; Isaiah 55:2
- 14 Jeremiah 3:18; Zechariah 2:8; Zephaniah 2:8–10; Jeremiah 49:7; Zechariah 10:6–12
- 15 Jeremiah 49:6; Jeremiah 48:47; Jeremiah 49:39; Deuteronomy 30:3; Amos 9:14
- 16 Jeremiah 4:2; Joshua 23:7; Zephaniah 1:5; Jeremiah 3:17; Zechariah 2:11
- 17 Isaiah 60:12; Psalm 2:8–12; Daniel 7:4–8; Jeremiah 12:14–17; Zechariah 14:16–19
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
Respecting such it is said in another place by the prophet, "They have sown wheat, but shall reap thorns;" because they teach what is good, and do what is evil.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 6 (1888)
and the Lord Himself says in the Prophets, Mine heritage became unto Me as a lion in the forest; it gave its voice against Me; therefore have I hated it.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)