Jeremiah:12-14

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* Righteous art thou , O LORD , when I plead with thee : yet let me talk with thee of thy judgments : Wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper ? wherefore are all they happy that deal very treacherously ? * Thou hast planted them , yea , they have taken root : they grow , yea , they bring forth fruit : thou art near in their mouth , and far from their reins . * But thou , O LORD , knowest me : thou hast seen me , and tried mine heart toward thee : pull them out like sheep for the slaughter , and prepare them for the day of slaughter . * How long shall the land mourn , and the herbs of every field wither , for the wickedness of them that dwell therein ? the beasts are consumed , and the birds ; because they said , He shall not see our last end . * If thou hast run with the footmen , and they have wearied thee , then how canst thou contend with horses ? and if in the land of peace , wherein thou trustedst , they wearied thee , then how wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan ? * For even thy brethren , and the house of thy father , even they have dealt treacherously with thee ; yea , they have called a multitude after thee : believe them not , though they speak fair words unto thee . * I have forsaken mine house , I have left mine heritage ; I have given the dearly beloved of my soul into the hand of her enemies . * Mine heritage is unto me as a lion in the forest ; it crieth out against me : therefore have I hated it . * Mine heritage is unto me as a speckled bird , the birds round about are against her ; come ye , assemble all the beasts of the field , come to devour . * Many pastors have destroyed my vineyard , they have trodden my portion under foot , they have made my pleasant portion a desolate wilderness . * They have made it desolate , and being desolate it mourneth unto me ; the whole land is made desolate , because no man layeth it to heart . * The spoilers are come upon all high places through the wilderness : for the sword of the LORD shall devour from the one end of the land even to the other end of the land : no flesh shall have peace . * They have sown wheat , but shall reap thorns : they have put themselves to pain , but shall not profit : and they shall be ashamed of your revenues because of the fierce anger of the LORD . * Thus saith the LORD against all mine evil neighbours , that touch the inheritance which I have caused my people Israel to inherit ; Behold , I will pluck them out of their land , and pluck out the house of Judah from among them . * And it shall come to pass , after that I have plucked them out I will return , and have compassion on them , and will bring them again , every man to his heritage , and every man to his land . * And it shall come to pass , if they will diligently learn the ways of my people , to swear by my name , The LORD liveth ; as they taught my people to swear by Baal ; then shall they be built in the midst of my people . * But if they will not obey , I will utterly pluck up and destroy that nation , saith the LORD . * Thus saith the LORD unto me , Go and get thee a linen girdle , and put it upon thy loins , and put it not in water . * So I got a girdle according to the word of the LORD , and put it on my loins . * And the word of the LORD came unto me the second time , saying , * Take the girdle that thou hast got , which is upon thy loins , and arise , go to Euphrates , and hide it there in a hole of the rock . * So I went , and hid it by Euphrates , as the LORD commanded me . * And it came to pass after many days , that the LORD said unto me , Arise , go to Euphrates , and take the girdle from thence , which I commanded thee to hide there . * Then I went to Euphrates , and digged , and took the girdle from the place where I had hid it : and , behold , the girdle was marred , it was profitable for nothing . * Then the word of the LORD came unto me , saying , * Thus saith the LORD , After this manner will I mar the pride of Judah , and the great pride of Jerusalem . * This evil people , which refuse to hear my words , which walk in the imagination of their heart , and walk after other gods , to serve them , and to worship them , shall even be as this girdle , which is good for nothing . * For as the girdle cleaveth to the loins of a man , so have I caused to cleave unto me the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah , saith the LORD ; that they might be unto me for a people , and for a name , and for a praise , and for a glory : but they would not hear . * Therefore thou shalt speak unto them this word ; Thus saith the LORD God of Israel , Every bottle shall be filled with wine : and they shall say unto thee , Do we not certainly know that every bottle shall be filled with wine ? * Then shalt thou say unto them , Thus saith the LORD , Behold , I will fill all the inhabitants of this land , even the kings that sit upon David 's throne , and the priests , and the prophets , and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem , with drunkenness . * And I will dash them one against another , even the fathers and the sons together , saith the LORD : I will not pity , nor spare , nor have mercy , but destroy them . * Hear ye , and give ear ; be not proud : for the LORD hath spoken . * Give glory to the LORD your God , before he cause darkness , and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains , and , while ye look for light , he turn it into the shadow of death , and make it gross darkness . * But if ye will not hear it , my soul shall weep in secret places for your pride ; and mine eye shall weep sore , and run down with tears , because the LORD 'S flock is carried away captive . * Say unto the king and to the queen , Humble yourselves , sit down : for your principalities shall come down , even the crown of your glory . * The cities of the south shall be shut up , and none shall open them : Judah shall be carried away captive all of it , it shall be wholly carried away captive . * Lift up your eyes , and behold them that come from the north : where is the flock that was given thee , thy beautiful flock ? * What wilt thou say when he shall punish thee ? for thou hast taught them to be captains , and as chief over thee : shall not sorrows take thee , as a woman in travail ? * And if thou say in thine heart , Wherefore come these things upon me ? For the greatness of thine iniquity are thy skirts discovered , and thy heels made bare . * Can the Ethiopian change his skin , or the leopard his spots ? then may ye also do good , that are accustomed to do evil . * Therefore will I scatter them as the stubble that passeth away by the wind of the wilderness . * This is thy lot , the portion of thy measures from me , saith the LORD ; because thou hast forgotten me , and trusted in falsehood . * Therefore will I discover thy skirts upon thy face , that thy shame may appear . * I have seen thine adulteries , and thy neighings , the lewdness of thy whoredom , and thine abominations on the hills in the fields . Woe unto thee , O Jerusalem ! wilt thou not be made clean ? when shall it once be ? * The word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah concerning the dearth . * Judah mourneth , and the gates thereof languish ; they are black unto the ground ; and the cry of Jerusalem is gone up . * And their nobles have sent their little ones to the waters : they came to the pits , and found no water ; they returned with their vessels empty ; they were ashamed and confounded , and covered their heads . * Because the ground is chapt , for there was no rain in the earth , the plowmen were ashamed , they covered their heads . * Yea , the hind also calved in the field , and forsook it , because there was no grass . * And the wild asses did stand in the high places , they snuffed up the wind like dragons ; their eyes did fail , because there was no grass . * O LORD , though our iniquities testify against us , do thou it for thy name 's sake : for our backslidings are many ; we have sinned against thee . * O the hope of Israel , the saviour thereof in time of trouble , why shouldest thou be as a stranger in the land , and as a wayfaring man that turneth aside to tarry for a night ? * Why shouldest thou be as a man astonied , as a mighty man that cannot save ? yet thou , O LORD , art in the midst of us , and we are called by thy name ; leave us not . * Thus saith the LORD unto this people , Thus have they loved to wander , they have not refrained their feet , therefore the LORD doth not accept them ; he will now remember their iniquity , and visit their sins . * Then said the LORD unto me , Pray not for this people for their good . * When they fast , I will not hear their cry ; and when they offer burnt offering and an oblation , I will not accept them : but I will consume them by the sword , and by the famine , and by the pestilence . * Then said I , Ah , Lord GOD ! behold , the prophets say unto them , Ye shall not see the sword , neither shall ye have famine ; but I will give you assured peace in this place . * Then the LORD said unto me , The prophets prophesy lies in my name : I sent them not , neither have I commanded them , neither spake unto them : they prophesy unto you a false vision and divination , and a thing of nought , and the deceit of their heart . * Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning the prophets that prophesy in my name , and I sent them not , yet they say , Sword and famine shall not be in this land ; By sword and famine shall those prophets be consumed . * And the people to whom they prophesy shall be cast out in the streets of Jerusalem because of the famine and the sword ; and they shall have none to bury them , them , their wives , nor their sons , nor their daughters : for I will pour their wickedness upon them . * Therefore thou shalt say this word unto them ; Let mine eyes run down with tears night and day , and let them not cease : for the virgin daughter of my people is broken with a great breach , with a very grievous blow . * If I go forth into the field , then behold the slain with the sword ! and if I enter into the city , then behold them that are sick with famine ! yea , both the prophet and the priest go about into a land that they know not . * Hast thou utterly rejected Judah ? hath thy soul lothed Zion ? why hast thou smitten us , and there is no healing for us ? we looked for peace , and there is no good ; and for the time of healing , and behold trouble ! * We acknowledge , O LORD , our wickedness , and the iniquity of our fathers : for we have sinned against thee . * Do not abhor us , for thy name 's sake , do not disgrace the throne of thy glory : remember , break not thy covenant with us . * Are there any among the vanities of the Gentiles that can cause rain ? or can the heavens give showers ? art not thou he , O LORD our God ? therefore we will wait upon thee : for thou hast made all these things . * Then said the LORD unto me , Though Moses and Samuel stood before me , yet my mind could not be toward this people : cast them out of my sight , and let them go forth .

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