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Jeremiah’s Complaint
12:1 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?
12:2 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.
12:3 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.
12:4 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.
God’s Answer
12:5 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?
12:6 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.
12:7 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.
12:8 Mine heritage is unto me as a lion in the forest; it
crieth out against me: therefore have I hated it.
12:9 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.
12:10 Many pastors have destroyed my vineyard, they have
trodden my portion under foot, they have made my pleasant
portion a desolate wilderness.
12:11 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.
12:12 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.
12:13 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.
12:14 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.
12:15 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.
12:16 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.
12:17 But if they will not obey, I will utterly pluck up
and destroy that nation, saith the LORD. |
Cults 
Why Did God Permit Sin?
