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.”
1 Tev, Kungs, taisnība, ja es gribētu tiesāties ar Tevi. Tomēr es gribu reiz par tiesas lietām ar Tevi runāt. Kāpēc bezdievjiem viņu ceļš labi izdodas un visiem krāpniekiem labi klājas? 2 Tu tos iedēstīji, tie iesakņojas, tie aug un atnes augļus. Tu esi tuvu viņu mutei, bet tālu viņu sirdīm. 3 Bet Tu, Kungs, mani pazīsti labi jo labi, Tu redzi un zini, kāda ir mana sirds Tavā priekšā. Aizvāc viņus projām kā avis kaušanai un novēli viņus jau laikus tai dienai, kad viņi būs spiesti izbeigt savas dzīves gaitas! 4 Cik ilgi tad lai sēro zeme un novīst zāle visur laukā? Cik ilgi vēl iedzīvotāju ļaunprātības dēļ lai aiziet bojā lopi un putni? Jo šie ļaudis saka: Viņš neredzēs, kā mums beigās klāsies! 5 Ja tu sacenties iešanā ar kājniekiem un tie tevi jau nokausē, kā tad tu varētu sacensties ar zirgiem? Un, ja tu jūties drošs tikai miera zemē, ko tad tu darīsi Jordānas biezokņos? 6 Tiešām, pat tavi brāļi, radi un visa tava dzimta no tēva puses ir tev neuzticīgi, jā, pat viņi, jo arī viņi raidīja tev pakaļ skaļā balsī naida pilnus saucienus. Tādēļ neuzticies tiem, pat ja tie ar tevi laipni runātu! 7 "Es atteicos no Sava nama, Es pametu Savu mantas tiesu un nodevu Savu sirdsmīļo viņa ienaidnieku rokās. 8 Mans mantojums Man kļuvis kā lauva mežā, tas pacēla rūkdams savu balsi pret Mani, tādēļ Es to nevarēju neienīst. 9 Vai tad Mans mantojums Man kļuvis par raibu putnu, ka tam citi putni krīt virsū no visām pusēm? Šurp, pulcējieties kopā, visi lauku zvēri, nāciet un ēdiet! 10 Daudzi gani ir postījuši Manu vīnadārzu un saminuši Manu tīrumu, tie padarījuši Manu jauko tīrumu par kailu noru. 11 Tie pārvērtuši to par tuksnesi, nopostīts tas skumst Manā priekšā. Pārvērsta kailatnē ir visa zeme, tādēļ ka nav neviena, kas par to rūpējas. 12 Pāri visiem kailajiem tuksnešaino ganību pauguriem nākuši postītāji; Tam Kungam ir zobens, tas rij no viena zemes gala līdz otram, nav glābiņa nevienam dzīvam radījumam. 13 Viņi sēja kviešus, bet pļauj ērkšķus, viņi piespiedās ar visiem spēkiem, bet bez panākuma. Tā palieciet tad arī kaunā ar savu ražu Tā Kunga liesmojošo dusmu priekšā!" 14 Tā teica Tas Kungs par visiem maniem ļaunajiem kaimiņiem, kas aizskāruši to mantojumu, ko Es devu Savai Israēla tautai par īpašumu: "Redzi, Es tos izraušu no viņu zemes tāpat, kā Es izrauju Jūdas namu no viņu vidus! 15 Kad Es tos būšu izrāvis, Es par tiem atkal apžēlošos un tos vedīšu atpakaļ katru savā mantojumā, katru savā zemē. 16 Kad tie būs mācījušies Manas tautas ceļu, ka tie zvērēs pie Mana Vārda - tik tiešām, ka Tas Kungs dzīvo! - tāpat kā tie bija pieradinājuši Manu tautu zvērēt Baala vārdā, tad tie taps novietoti Manas tautas vidū. 17 Bet, ja tie neklausīs, tad Es izdeldēšu tādu tautu, iznīcināšu to līdz pašiem pamatiem uz mūžīgiem laikiem!" saka Tas Kungs.
