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But thou, O Lord, knowest me;
    thou seest me, and triest my mind toward thee.
Pull them out like sheep for the slaughter,
    and set them apart for the day of slaughter.
How long will the land mourn,
    and the grass of every field wither?
For the wickedness of those who dwell in it
    the beasts and the birds are swept away,
    because men said, “He will not see our latter end.”

God Replies to Jeremiah

“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 fall down,
    how will you do in the jungle of the Jordan?

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Yet you know me, Lord;
    you see me and test(A) my thoughts about you.
Drag them off like sheep(B) to be butchered!
    Set them apart for the day of slaughter!(C)
How long will the land lie parched(D)
    and the grass in every field be withered?(E)
Because those who live in it are wicked,
    the animals and birds have perished.(F)
Moreover, the people are saying,
    “He will not see what happens to us.”

God’s Answer

“If you have raced with men on foot
    and they have worn you out,
    how can you compete with horses?
If you stumble[a] in safe country,
    how will you manage in the thickets(G) by[b] the Jordan?

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Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 12:5 Or you feel secure only
  2. Jeremiah 12:5 Or the flooding of