1Herre, jeg ved godt, at retten altid er på din side i hvilken som helst sag. Men tillad mig alligevel at stille nogle spørgsmål angående retfærdighed: Hvordan kan det være, at det går de gudløse godt? Hvordan kan de troløse trives og være trygge?2Du har sat dem her på jorden, plantet dem som træer. Du lader dem slå rod, trives og bære frugt. De nævner dit navn, men er i virkeligheden ligeglade med dig.3Herre, du kender mine inderste tanker og motiver, du ved, at jeg ærer og adlyder dig. Vil du ikke holde dom over de onde, trække af sted med dem som hjælpeløse får, der føres til slagtning?4De onde tror ikke på, at du ser, hvad de laver. Græsset visner, dyr og fugle dør på grund af ondskaben i landet. Hvor længe skal det fortsætte?5Herren svarede: „Hvis du ikke kan klare at løbe om kap med mennesker, hvordan kan du så løbe om kap med heste? Hvis du giver op i et fredeligt og åbent landskab, hvordan vil du så klare dig mod farerne i Jordandalens krat?6Selv din egen familie har slået hånden af dig. De jagter dig med høje råb. Når de taler venligt til dig, skal du ikke tro dem.”7Herren fortsatte: „Jeg opgiver Judas folk, som ellers er mit ejendomsfolk, og jeg udleverer dem til deres fjender.8Mit folk raser imod mig som en løve i skoven. Derfor er jeg nødt til at vende dem ryggen.9Mit ejendomsfolk bliver hyæners bytte, gribbene flokkes om det. Lad fremmede folkeslag kaste sig over det for at få del i byttet.10Fremmede hære skal angribe min vingård. De tramper vinstokkene ned og raserer min ejendom.11Den bliver en ødemark, som ingen længere bryder sig om.12Over ørkenens nøgne høje kommer de fremmede hære myldrende. De hære jeg sender, hærger landet fra ende til anden, og ingen undslipper.13Mit folk såede hvede, men høster torne. De sled til ingen nytte og bliver skuffet over den manglende høst, for jeg vil straffe dem.14Men jeg har også et budskab vedrørende de onde nabofolk, der angriber det land, jeg gav mit folk: Ligesom jeg rykker judæerne op fra deres land, vil jeg også rykke nabofolkene op fra deres lande.15Men senere vil jeg være barmhjertig og føre dem tilbage til deres egne lande.16Hvis de derefter vil antage mig som deres Gud i stedet for Ba’al, skal de få en plads iblandt mit folk.17Men de folkeslag, der nægter at adlyde mig, udrydder jeg fuldstændigt,” siger Herren.
1Righteous are you, O Lord, when I complain to you; yet I would plead my case before you. Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all who are treacherous thrive? (Ez 9,15; Job 12,6; Job 21,7; Salm 37,1; Salm 37,7; Salm 51,4; Salm 73,3; Salm 92,7; Es 21,2; Klag 1,18; Dan 9,7; Hab 1,13; Mal 3,15)2You plant them, and they take root; they grow and produce fruit; you are near in their mouth and far from their heart. (Es 29,13)3But you, O Lord, know me; you see me, and test my heart toward you. Pull them out like sheep for the slaughter, and set them apart for the day of slaughter. (Salm 17,3; Salm 139,1; Jer 15,15; Jak 5,5; 2.Pet 2,12)4How long will the land mourn and the grass of every field wither? For the evil of those who dwell in it the beasts and the birds are swept away, because they said, “He will not see our latter end.” (Salm 107,34; Jer 4,25; Jer 7,20; Jer 9,10; Jer 12,11; Jer 23,10; Hos 4,3; Rom 8,22)
The Lord Answers Jeremiah
5“If you have raced with men on foot, and they have wearied you, how will you compete with horses? And if in a safe land you are so trusting, what will you do in the thicket of the Jordan? (Josva 3,15; Jer 49,19; Jer 50,44; Zak 11,3)6For even your brothers and the house of your father, even they have dealt treacherously with you; they are in full cry after you; do not believe them, though they speak friendly words to you.” (Ord 26,25; Jer 9,4; Jer 11,19; Jer 11,21; Jer 12,1)7“I have forsaken my house; I have abandoned my heritage; I have given the beloved of my soul into the hands of her enemies. (Es 19,25; Jer 11,15)8My heritage has become to me like a lion in the forest; she has lifted up her voice against me; therefore I hate her. (Jer 12,7)9Is my heritage to me like a hyena’s lair? Are the birds of prey against her all around? Go, assemble all the wild beasts; bring them to devour. (Es 46,11; Es 56,9; Jer 7,33; Jer 12,7; Ez 39,17; Åb 19,17)10Many shepherds have destroyed my vineyard; they have trampled down my portion; they have made my pleasant portion a desolate wilderness. (Es 63,18)11They have made it a desolation; desolate, it mourns to me. The whole land is made desolate, but no man lays it to heart. (Es 42,25; Jer 12,4)12Upon all the bare heights in the desert destroyers have come, for the sword of the Lord devours from one end of the land to the other; no flesh has peace.13They have sown wheat and have reaped thorns; they have tired themselves out but profit nothing. They shall be ashamed of their[1] harvests because of the fierce anger of the Lord.” (3.Mos 26,16; 5.Mos 28,38; Es 55,2; Jer 4,8; Jer 4,26; Jer 25,37; Jer 30,24; Jer 49,37; Jer 51,45; Klag 1,12; Klag 4,11; Mika 6,15; Hab 2,13; Hag 1,6)14Thus says the Lord concerning all my evil neighbors who touch the heritage that I have given my people Israel to inherit: “Behold, I will pluck them up from their land, and I will pluck up the house of Judah from among them. (Salm 137,7; Jer 3,18; Zak 2,8)15And after I have plucked them up, I will again have compassion on them, and I will bring them again each to his heritage and each to his land. (Jer 48,47; Jer 49,6)16And it shall come to pass, if they will diligently learn the ways of my people, to swear by my name, ‘As the Lord lives,’ even as they taught my people to swear by Baal, then they shall be built up in the midst of my people. (Jer 4,2; Jer 24,6; 1.Pet 2,5)17But if any nation will not listen, then I will utterly pluck it up and destroy it, declares the Lord.” (Es 60,12)