1 You are righteous, Yahweh, when I bring a case against you,
yet I would speak to you about your justice.
Why does the road of the wicked prosper?
Why are all those who deal very treacherously at ease?
they grow, they also bring forth fruit.
3 But you know me, Yahweh, you see me,
and test my heart, that it is toward you.
Pull them out like sheep for the slaughter
and set them apart for the day of slaughter.
4 How long will the land mourn
and the vegetation of the whole country wither?
Because of the wickedness of those who dwell in it,
the animals are consumed, and the birds;
“He cannot see our latter end.”
5 “If you have run with the footmen
then how can you compete against horses?
And if you feel secure in a land of peace,
yet how will you do in the thickets of the Jordan?
6 For even your brothers, and the house of your father,
even they have dealt treacherously with you;
even they have cried aloud after you.
Do not believe them,
though they say good things to you.”
I have given the dearly beloved of my soul
8 My heritage has become to me
she has uttered her voice against me;
9 Is my heritage to me like a speckled bird of prey?
Are the birds of prey against her all around?
Go, assemble all the animals of the field,
bring them to devour.
10 Many shepherds have destroyed my vineyard,
they have trampled my portion under foot,
they have made my pleasant portion
11 They have made it a desolation;
it mourns to me, being desolate;
the whole land is made desolate
because no man lays it to heart.”
on all the bare heights in the wilderness,
for the sword of Yahweh devours
from the one end of the land even to the other end of the land:
13 They have sown wheat and have reaped thorns;
they have tired themselves out but profit nothing,
and you will be ashamed of your harvests,
because of the fierce anger of Yahweh.
14This is what Yahweh says against all my evil neighbors, who touch the inheritance that I have caused my people Israel to inherit: “Behold, I will pluck them up from off their land, and will pluck up the house of Judah from among them.
15After that I have plucked them up, I will return and have compassion on them; and I will bring them again, every man to his heritage and every man to his land.
16It will happen that if they will diligently learn the ways of my people, to swear by my name, saying, ‘As Yahweh lives,’ even as they taught my people to swear by Baal, then they will be built up in the midst of my people.
17But if they will not hear, then I will pluck up that nation, plucking it up and destroying it, says Yahweh.”
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