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Jeremiah 12

1 The Prophet marueleth at the proſperitie of the wicked, althogh he confeſſe God to be righteous. 7 The Iewes are forſakẽ of the Lord 10 He ſpeaketh againſt paſtors and preachers, that ſeduce the people. 14 The Lord threatneth deſtruction vnto the nacions, that troubled Iudah.
1.LOrd, if I diſpute with thee, thou art righteous: yet let me talke with thee of thy iudgements: wherefore doeth the waye of the wicked proſper? why are all they in welth that rebelliouſly tranſgreſſe?
2.Thou haſt planted them, and they haue taken roote: thei growe, and bring forthe frute: thou art nere in their mouth, and farre from their reines.
3.But thou, Lord, knoweſt me: thou haſt ſene me, and tryed mine heart toward thee: pul them out like ſhepe for the ſlaughter, and prepare them for the day of ſlaughter.
4.How long ſhal the land mourne, and the herbes of euery field wither, for the wickednes of them that dwell therein? the beaſts are cõſumed and the byrdes, becauſe they ſaid, He wil not ſe our laſt end.
5.If thou haſt runne with the fotemen, and they haue wearied thee, then how canſt thou matche thy ſelf with horſes? & if thou thoghteſt thy ſelf ſafe in a peaceable lãd, what wilt thou do in the ſwelling of Iordén?
6.For euen thy brethren, and the houſe of thy father, euen thei haue delt vnfaithfully with thee, and they haue cryed out altogether vpon thee: but beleue them not, thogh they ſpeake faire to thee.
7.I haue forſaken mine houſe: I haue left mine heritage: I haue giuen the derelie beloued of my ſoule into the hands of her enemies.
8.Mine heritage is vnto me, as a lyon in the foreſt: it cryeth out againſt me, therefore haue I hated it.
9.Shal mine heritage be vnto me, as a birde of diuerſe colours? are not ye birdes about her, ſaying, Come, aſſemble all the beaſts of the field, come to eat her?
10.Many paſtors haue deſtroyed my vineyarde, and troden my porcion vnder fote: of my pleaſant porcion they haue made a deſolate wildernes.
11.They haue laid it waſte, and it, being waſte, mourneth vnto me: and the whole land lyeth waſte, becauſe no mã ſetteth his minde on it.
12.The deſtroyers are come vpon all the high places in the wildernes: for ye ſworde of the Lord ſhal deuoure from the one end of the land, euen to the other end of the land: no fleſh ſhal haue peace.
13.They haue ſowen wheat, and reaped thornes: they were ſicke, and had no profite: and they were aſhamed of your frutes, becauſe of the fierce wrath of ye Lord.
14.Thus ſaith the Lord againſt all mine euil neighbours, that touche the inheritãce, which I haue cauſed my people Iſraél to inherite, Beholde, I wil plucke them out of their land, and plucke out the houſe of Iudáh from among them.
15.And after that I haue plucked them out, I wil returne, and haue compaſsion on them, and wil bring againe euery man to his heritage, and euery man to his land.
16.And if they wil learne the wayes of my people, to ſweare by my Name, ( The Lord liueth, as they taught my people to ſweare by Báal)then ſhal they be buylt in the middes of my people.
17.But if they wil not obey, then wil I vtterly plucke vp, and deſtroye that nacion, ſaith the Lord.

Notes

1:a.
The Prophet cõfeſſeth God to be iuſte in all his doings, althogh man be not able to giue a reaſon of all his actes.
1:b.
This queſtiõ hathe bene alway a great tentation to ye godlie, to ſe ye wicked enemies of God in proſperitie, and his dere children in aduerſitie, as Iob 21,7 pſal 37,1. 73,1 Haba 1,3.
2:c.
They profeſſe God in mouthe, but denie him in heart, which is here ment by the reines, Iſa 29, 13. mat 15,8.
3:d.
The Ebrewe worde is, Sanctifie them, meaning, that God wolde be ſanctified in ye deſtruction of the wicked, to whome God for a while giueth proſperitie, that afterwarde they ſhulde ye more fele his heauy iudgemẽt whẽ they lacke their riches, & were a ſigne of his mercie.
4:e.
Abuſing Gods lenitie & his promiſes, they flattered thẽſelues as thogh God wolde euer be merciful, and not vtterly deſtroy thẽ: therfore they hardened thẽſelues in ſinne, til at length the beaſtes and inſenſible creatures felt the puniſhment of their ſtubberne rebellion againſt God.
5:f.
Some thinke that God reproueth Ieremiáh in that, that he wolde reaſon with him: ſaying, that if he were not able to matche with men, that he were farre vnable to diſpute with God. Others, by the fotemen, meane them of Anathóth, & by ye horſemen them of Ieruſalém, which ſhulde trouble the Prophet worſe then his owne countrey men did.
7:g.
God willeth the Prophet to denounce his iudgements againſt Ieruſalém, notwithſtanding that they ſhal bothe by threatnings and flatteries labour to put him to ſilence.
8:h.
Euer ramping and raging againſt me and my Prophets.
9:i.
In ſtead of bearing my liuery & wearing onely my colours, they haue change and diuerſitie of colours of their idoles & ſuperſtitions. therfore their enemies, as thicke as the foules of the ayre, ſhal come about thẽ to deſtroy them
10:k.
He prophecieth of the deſtruction of Ieruſalém by the capitaines of Nebuchadnezzar, whome he calleth paſtors
11:l.
Becauſe no man regardeth my worde, or the plagues yt I haue ſent vpon the land
13:m.
To wit, the Prophetes.
13:n.
They lamented the ſinnes of the people.
13:o.
For in ſtead of amendemẽt you grewe worſe & worſe as Gods plagues teſtified
14:p.
Meanĩg, the wicked enemies of his Church & blaſphemed his name, & whome he wolde puniſh after that he hathe deliuered his people.
15:q.
After that I haue puniſhed ye Gẽtiles, I wil haue mercie vpon them.
16:r.
The true doctrine and maner to ſerue God.
16:*.
Read Chap 4,2.
16:t.
They ſhalbe of the nomber of the faithful, and haue a place in my Church.