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Jeremiah’s Prayer
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?2 You have aplanted them, they have also taken root;They grow, they have even produced fruit.You are bnear 1to their lipsBut far from their 2mind.3 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 slaughterAnd 1set them apart for a cday of carnage!4 How long is the aland to mournAnd 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.”
5 “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 1athicket of the Jordan?6 “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.”
God’s Answer
7 “I have aforsaken My house,I have abandoned My inheritance;I have given the bbeloved of My soulInto the hand of her enemies.8 “My inheritance has become to MeLike a lion in the forest;She has 1aroared against Me;Therefore I have come to bhate her.9 “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!10 “Many ashepherds have ruined My bvineyard,They have ctrampled down My field;They have made My dpleasant fieldA desolate wilderness.11 “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.12 “On all the 1abare heights in the wildernessDestroyers have come,For a bsword of the LORD is devouringFrom one end of the land even to the 2other;There is cno peace for 3anyone.13 “They have asown wheat and have reaped thorns,They have bstrained themselves 1to no profit.But be ashamed of your 2charvestBecause of the dfierce anger of the LORD.”

14 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. 15 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. 16 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. 17 But if they will not listen, then I will auproot that nation, uproot and destroy it,” declares the LORD.

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Jeremiah’s Prayer
You, O LORD are uncompromisingly arighteous and consistently just when I plead my case with You;Yet let me bdiscuss issues of justice with You:Why has the cway of the wicked prospered?Why are those who ddeal in treachery (deceit) at ease and thriving?2 You have aplanted them, they have also taken root;They grow, they have even produced fruit.You are 1bhonored by their hypocritical lipsBut You are far from their heart and mind.3 But You, O LORD, aknow me and understand my devotion to You;You see me;And You bexamine the attitude of my heart toward You.Drag out the faithless like sheep for the slaughter O LORDAnd set them apart for the cday of slaughter.4 How long must the aland mournAnd the bgrass of the countryside wither?Because of the cwickedness and hypocrisy of those who live in it,The dbeasts and the birds are consumed and are swept away by the drought,Because men mocking me have said, “He will not live long enough to see what happens at our final eend.”
5 The LORD rebukes Jeremiah for his impatience, saying “If you have raced with men on foot and they have tired you out,Then how can you compete with horses?If you fall down in a land of peace where you feel secure,Then how will you do among the lions in the flooded athicket beside the Jordan?6 “For even your tribal abrothers and the household of your father,Even they have dealt treacherously (unfaithfully) with you;Indeed they are like a pack of hounds howling after you.Do not believe them, although they may say bkind words and promise you good things.”
God’s Answer
7 “I have aabandoned My house,I have given up My precious inheritance (Judah) ;I have given the dearly bbeloved of My lifeInto the hands of her enemies.8 “My inheritance has become to MeLike a lion in the forest;She has araised her voice and roared against Me;So I have come to treat her as if I bhate her.9 “Is My inheritance like a speckled bird of prey to Me unlike the others?Are the abirds of prey (enemies) surrounding her on every side?Go, gather all the wild bbeasts of the field;Bring them to devour her!10 “Many ashepherds (invaders) have destroyed My bvineyard (Judah) ,They have ctrampled My field underfoot;They have made My dpleasant fieldA desolate wilderness.11 “They have made it a wasteland,Desolate, it amourns before Me;The bwhole land has been made a wasteland,Because no man ctakes it to heart.12 “Destroyers have comeOn all the acaravan roads in the desert,For the bsword of the LORD (Babylon) is devouringFrom one end of the land even to the other;cNo one has peace or a way of escape.13 “They have aplanted wheat but have reaped thorns;They have bexhausted themselves but without profit.So be ashamed of your charvestBecause of the dfierce and raging anger of the LORD.”

14 Thus says the LORD regarding all My aevil neighbors (Gentile nations) who bstrike at the inheritance which I have granted to My people Israel, “Behold, I will uproot them from their land and I will cuproot the house of Judah from among them. 15 And it shall come about that after I have uprooted them, I will areturn and have compassion on them; and I will bbring them back again, each one to his inheritance and each one to his land. 16 And if these neighboring nations will diligently alearn the ways of My people, to bswear by My Name, saying, ‘As the LORD lives’—even as they taught My people to cswear by Baal, then they will be dbuilt up among My people. 17 But if any nation will not listen and obey, I will completely auproot and destroy that nation, says the LORD.”