aRighteous are You, O LORD
, that I would plead
my case
with You; Indeed
I would bdiscuss
matters
of justice
with You: Why
has the cway
of the wicked
prospered
? Why are all
those who ddeal
in treachery
at ease
?
You have aplanted them, they have also
taken
root
; They grow
, they have even
produced
fruit
. You are bnear
1to their lips
But far
from their 2mind
.
But You aknow me, O LORD
; You see
me; And You bexamine
my heart's
attitude toward
You. Drag
them off
like sheep
for the slaughter
And 1set
them apart
for a cday
of carnage
!
How long
is the aland
to mourn
And the bvegetation
of the countryside
to wither
? For the cwickedness
of those who dwell
in it, dAnimals
and birds
have been snatched
away
, Because
men have said
, "He will not see
our latter
eending
."
"If you have run
with footmen
and they have tired
you out, Then how
can you compete
with horses
? If you fall
down
in a land
of peace
, How
will you do
in the 1 athicket
of the Jordan
?
"For even your abrothers
and the household
of your father
, Even
they have dealt
treacherously
with you, Even
they have cried
aloud
after
you. Do not believe
them, although
they may say
bnice
things
to you."
"I have aforsaken My house
, I have abandoned
My inheritance
; I have given
the bbeloved
of My soul
Into the hand
of her enemies
.
"My inheritance has become
to Me Like a lion
in the forest
; She has 1 aroared
against
Me; Therefore
I have come to bhate
her.
"Is My inheritance like a speckled
bird
of prey
to Me? Are the abirds
of prey
against
her on every
side
? Go
, gather
all
the bbeasts
of the field
, Bring
them to devour
!
"Many ashepherds
have ruined
My bvineyard
, They have ctrampled
down
My field
; They have made
My dpleasant
field
A desolate
wilderness
.
" 1It has been made a desolation
, Desolate
, it amourns
2before
Me; The bwhole
land
has been made
desolate
, Because
no
man
clays
it to heart
.
"On all the 1 abare
heights
in the wilderness
Destroyers
have come
, For a bsword
of the LORD
is devouring
From one end
of the land
even to the 2other
; There
is cno
peace
for 3anyone
.
"They have asown wheat
and have reaped
thorns
, They have bstrained
themselves 1to no
profit
. But be ashamed
of your 2 charvest
Because
of the dfierce
anger
of the LORD
."
Thus says
the LORD
concerning
all
My awicked
neighbors
who bstrike
at the inheritance
with which
I have endowed
My people
Israel
, "Behold
I am about to uproot
them from their land
and will cuproot
the house
of Judah
from among
them.
"And it will come about that after
I have uprooted
them, I will aagain
have
compassion
on them; and I will bbring
them back
, each
one
to his inheritance
and each
one
to his land
.
"Then if they will really
alearn
the ways
of My people
, to bswear
by My name
, `As the LORD
lives
,' even
as they taught
My people
to cswear
by Baal
, they will be dbuilt
up in the midst
of My people
.
"But if they will not listen
, then I will auproot
that nation
, uproot
and destroy
it," declares
the LORD
.