Jeremiah Questions the Lord
1 “Lord, if I argued my case with you,
you would prove to be right.
Yet I must question you about matters of justice.
Why are the wicked so prosperous?
Why do dishonest people succeed?
2 You plant them, and they take root;
they grow and bear fruit.
They always speak well of you,
yet they do not really care about you.
3 But, Lord, you know me;
you see what I do
and how I love you.
Drag these evil people away like sheep to be butchered;
guard them until it is time for them to be slaughtered.
4 How long will our land be dry,
and the grass in every field be withered?
Animals and birds are dying
because of the wickedness of our people,
people who say, ‘God doesn't see what we are doing.’”
5 The Lord said,
“Jeremiah, if you get tired racing against people,
how can you race against horses?
If you can't even stand up in open country,
how will you manage in the jungle by the Jordan?
6 Even your relatives, members of your own family, have betrayed you;
they join in the attacks against you.
Do not trust them, even though they speak friendly words.”
The Lord's Sorrow because of His People
7 The Lord says,
“I have abandoned Israel;
I have rejected my chosen nation.
I have given the people I love
into the power of their enemies.
8 My chosen people have turned against me;
like a lion in the forest
they have roared at me,
and so I hate them.
9 My chosen people are like a bird
attacked from all sides by hawks.
Call the wild animals
to come and join in the feast!
10 Many foreign rulers have destroyed my vineyard;
they have trampled down my fields;
they have turned my lovely land into a desert.
11 They have made it a wasteland;
it lies desolate before me.
The whole land has become a desert,
and no one cares.
12 Across all the desert highlands
people have come to plunder.
I have sent war to destroy the entire land;
no one can live in peace.
13 My people planted wheat, but gathered weeds;
they have worked hard, but got nothing for it.
Because of my fierce anger
their crops have failed.”
The Lord's Promise to Israel's Neighbors
14 The Lord says, “I have something to say about Israel's neighbors who have ruined the land I gave to my people Israel. I will take those wicked people away from their countries like an uprooted plant, and I will rescue Judah from them. 15 But after I have taken them away, I will have mercy on them; I will bring each nation back to its own land and to its own country. 16 If with all their hearts they will accept the religion of my people and will swear, ‘As the Lord lives’—as they once taught my people to swear by Baal—then they will also be a part of my people and will prosper. 17 But if any nation will not obey, then I will completely uproot it and destroy it. I, the Lord, have spoken.”
Jeremijas žēlabas
1 Taisns tu, Kungs,
kad es ķildā ar tevi.
Tomēr runāšu ar tevi par tiesu:
kādēļ ļaundariem ceļš sokas
un bez rūpēm tie visi krāpjas?
2 Tu viņus stādīji,
un tie iesakņojās,
tie izauga un deva augļus,
tu esi tuvu to mutēm,
bet tālu to nierēm!
3 Tu, Kungs, pazīsti mani un redzi,
tu pārbaudi manu sirdi pret tevi,
dzen tos ārā kā avis uz nāvēšanu
un nošķir tos kaušanas dienai!
4 Cik ilgi sēros zeme
un kaltīs zāle uz lauka –
zvēri un putni ir patriekti
tur mītošo ļaunuma dēļ,
jo viņi teica:
mūsu galu viņš neredzēs!
Dieva atbilde Jeremijam
5 Ja tu ar kājniekiem skrienies
un tas tevi gurdina,
tad kā tev skrieties ar zirgiem?
Ja uz miera zemi tu paļaujies,
tad ko tev darīt Jardānas biezokņos?
6 Pat tavi brāļi un tava tēva nams –
pat tie tevi pievīluši,
pat tie brēc tev pakaļ pilnā rīklē,
netici tiem, kad tie runā labu!
7 “Es pametu savu namu,
es pametu savu mantoto,
savas dvēseles mīļo es atdevu
viņas naidnieka rokā.
8 Mana mantotā tapa
kā biezokņu lauva,
savu balsi pret mani tā pacēla,
tādēļ to nīstu.
9 Vai mana mantotā ir raibs plēsējputns?
Vai plēsējputni riņķo ap to?
Ejiet, pulciniet lauka zvērus,
vediet tos šurpu, lai rij!
10 Pulka ganu postījuši manu vīnadārzu,
manu daļu tie nominuši,
manu kāroto daļu
par izdeldētu tuksnesi pataisījuši.
11 Par izpostījumu pataisīta,
sapostīta tā vaid uz mani,
izdeldēta ir visa zeme,
bet nav neviena,
kas to liktu pie sirds.
12 Pār visiem kailajiem tuksneša pakalniem
nākuši postītāji,
jo Kunga zobens rij
no viena zemes gala līdz otram,
un nevienai miesai nav miera!
13 Tie sēja kviešus
un ievāca ērkšķus,
paši jau paguruši,
bet guvuši nav neko,
par savu ražu tiem jākaunas
Kunga dusmu kvēles dēļ.”
14 Tā saka Kungs par visiem maniem ļaunajiem kaimiņiem, kuri grābstās gar manu mantojumu, kuru es devu mantot savai tautai Israēlam: “Redzi, es izraušu viņus no viņu zemes, un Jūdas namu es izraušu no viņu vidus! 15 Bet pēc tam, kad es būšu tos izrāvis, es atkal apžēlošos par viņiem – ikvienu es vedīšu atpakaļ pie viņa mantojuma un viņa zemes. 16 Un, ja tie pratīsies turēties pie manas tautas gājuma un zvērēs manā vārdā: dzīvs Kungs! – tāpat kā tie mācīja manai tautai zvērēt pie Baala, tad tie tiks ietverti manas tautas vidū. 17 Bet, ja tie neklausīs, es izraušu šo tautu, izraušu un izdeldēšu!” saka Kungs.
