Jeremiah 11:18-12:6

New King James Version

Jeremiah’s Life Threatened

¹⁸Now the Lord gave me knowledge of it, and I know it; for You showed me their doings. ¹⁹But I was like a docile lamb brought to the slaughter; and I did not know that they had devised schemes against me, saying, “Let us destroy the tree with its fruit, ^(A)and let us cut him off from ^(B)the land of the living, that his name may be remembered no more.”

²⁰But, O Lord of hosts,
You who judge righteously,
^(C)Testing the ^[a]mind and the heart,
Let me see Your ^(D)vengeance on them,
For to You I have revealed my cause.

²¹“Therefore thus says the Lord concerning the men of ^(E)Anathoth who seek your life, saying, ^(F)‘Do not prophesy in the name of the Lord, lest you die by our hand’— ²²therefore thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Behold, I will punish them. The young men shall die by the sword, their sons and their daughters shall ^(G)die by famine; ²³and there shall be no remnant of them, for I will bring catastrophe on the men of Anathoth, even ^(H)the year of their punishment.’ ”

Jeremiah’s Question

12 Righteous ^(I)are You, O Lord, when I plead with You;
Yet let me talk with You about Your judgments.
^(J)Why does the way of the wicked prosper?
Why are those happy who deal so treacherously?
²You have planted them, yes, they have taken root;
They grow, yes, they bear fruit.
^(K)You are near in their mouth
But far from their ^[b]mind.

³But You, O Lord, ^(L)know me;
You have seen me,
And You have ^(M)tested my heart toward You.
Pull them out like sheep for the slaughter,
And prepare them for ^(N)the day of slaughter.
⁴How long will ^(O)the land mourn,
And the herbs of every field wither?
^(P)The beasts and birds are consumed,
^(Q)For the wickedness of those who dwell there,
Because they said, “He will not see our final end.”

The Lord Answers Jeremiah

⁵“If you have run with the footmen, and they have wearied you,
Then how can you contend with horses?
And if in the land of peace,
In which you trusted, they wearied you,
Then how will you do in ^(R)the ^[c]floodplain of the Jordan?
⁶For even ^(S)your brothers, the house of your father,
Even they have dealt treacherously with you;
Yes, they have called ^[d]a multitude after you.
^(T)Do not believe them,
Even though they speak ^[e]smooth words to you.