Jeremiah 12:1

Bible in Basic English (1941)

You are in the right, O Lord, when I put my cause before you: still let me take up with you the question of your decisions: why does the evil-doer do well? why are the workers of deceit living in comfort?

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

צַדִּ֤יק אַתָּה֙ יְהוָ֔ה כִּ֥י אָרִ֖יב אֵלֶ֑יךָ אַ֤ךְ מִשְׁפָּטִים֙ אֲדַבֵּ֣ר אוֹתָ֔ךְ מַדּ֗וּעַ דֶּ֤רֶךְ רְשָׁעִים֙ צָלֵ֔חָה שָׁל֖וּ כָּל־בֹּ֥גְדֵי בָֽגֶד׃

Transliteration

ṣaddîq you YHWH when I ʾārîb to-you, ʾak mišpāṭîm I-will-dābēr with-you, maddûaʿ derek rešāʿîm ṣālēḥāh šālû all-bōgdê bāged

Grammar Details

• *ṣaddîq*: adjective, masculine singular - righteous
• *YHWH*: divine name - LORD
• *ʾārîb*: verb, Qal imperfect, 1st person singular - I contend/plead
• *ʾak*: adverb - only, yet, nevertheless
• *mišpāṭîm*: noun, masculine plural - judgments/cases
• *dābēr*: verb, Piel imperfect, 1st person singular - speak/plead
• *maddûaʿ*: interrogative adverb - why
• *derek*: noun, masculine singular construct - way/path
• *rešāʿîm*: adjective, masculine plural - wicked ones
• *ṣālēḥāh*: verb, Qal perfect, 3rd feminine singular - prospers
• *šālû*: verb, Qal perfect, 3rd person plural - are at ease/prosperous
• *bōgdê*: verb, Qal participle, masculine plural construct - those betraying
• *bāged*: noun, masculine singular - treachery/betrayal

Word Meanings

• *ʾārîb*: contend/plead/bring a case
• *mišpāṭîm*: judgments/cases/legal matters
• *derek*: way/path/conduct
• *ṣālēḥāh*: prospers/succeeds/is successful
• *šālû*: are at ease/are secure/prosper
• *bōgdê bāged*: treacherous betrayers/faithless traitors

Referenced Verses

• Job 12:6 : 6 There is wealth in the tents of those who make destruction, and those by whom God is moved to wrath are safe; even those whose god is their strength.
• Mal 3:15 : 15 And now to us the men of pride seem happy; yes, the evil-doers are doing well; they put God to the test and are safe.
• Ps 37:1 : 1 <Of David.> Do not be angry because of the wrongdoers, or have envy of the workers of evil.
• Ps 51:4 : 4 Against you, you only, have I done wrong, working that which is evil in your eyes; so that your words may be seen to be right, and you may be clear when you are judging.
• Ps 92:7 : 7 When the sinners come up like the grass, and all the workers of evil do well for themselves, it is so that their end may be eternal destruction.
• Ps 94:3-4 : 3 How long will sinners, O Lord, how long will sinners have joy over us? 4 Words of pride come from their lips; all the workers of evil say great things of themselves.
• Ps 37:35 : 35 I have seen the evil-doer in great power, covering the earth like a great tree.
• Job 13:3 : 3 But I would have talk with the Ruler of all, and my desire is to have an argument with God.
• Job 21:7-9 : 7 Why is life given to the evil-doers? why do they become old and strong in power? 8 Their children are ever with them, and their offspring before their eyes. 9 Their houses are free from fear, and the rod of God does not come on them. 10 Their ox is ready at all times to give seed; their cow gives birth, without dropping her young. 11 They send out their young ones like a flock, and their children have pleasure in the dance, 12 They make songs to the instruments of music, and are glad at the sound of the pipe. 13 Their days come to an end without trouble, and suddenly they go down to the underworld. 14 Though they said to God, Go away from us, for we have no desire for the knowledge of your ways. 15 What is the Ruler of all, that we may give him worship? and what profit is it to us to make prayer to him?
• Ezra 9:15 : 15 O Lord God of Israel, righteousness is yours; we are only a small band which has been kept from death, as at this day: see, we are before you in our sin; for no one may keep his place before you because of this.
• Jer 5:11 : 11 For the people of Israel and the people of Judah have been very false to me, says the Lord.
• Jer 5:27-28 : 27 As the fowl-house is full of birds, so are their houses full of deceit: for this reason they have become great and have got wealth. 28 They have become fat and strong: they have gone far in works of evil: they give no support to the cause of the child without a father, so that they may do well; they do not see that the poor man gets his rights.
• Jer 11:20 : 20 But, O Lord of armies, judging in righteousness, testing the thoughts and the heart, let me see your punishment come on them: for I have put my cause before you.
• Dan 9:7 : 7 O Lord, righteousness is yours, but shame is on us, even to this day; and on the men of Judah and the people of Jerusalem, and on all Israel, those who are near and those who are far off, in all the countries where you have sent them because of the sin which they have done against you.
• Hab 1:4 : 4 For this reason the law is feeble and decisions are not effected: for the upright man is circled round by evil-doers; because of which right is twisted.
• Hab 1:13-17 : 13 Before your holy eyes sin may not be seen, and you are unable to put up with wrong; why, then, are your eyes on the false? why do you say nothing when the evil-doer puts an end to one who is more upright than himself? 14 He has made men like the fishes of the sea, like the worms which have no ruler over them. 15 He takes them all up with his hook, he takes them in his net, getting them together in his fishing-net: for which cause he is glad and full of joy. 16 For this reason he makes an offering to his net, burning perfume to his fishing-net; because by them he gets much food and his meat is fat. 17 For this cause his net is ever open, and there is no end to his destruction of the nations.
• Zeph 3:5 : 5 The Lord in her is upright; he will not do evil; every morning he lets his righteousness be seen, he is unchanging; but the evil-doer has no sense of shame.
• Hos 6:7 : 7 But like a man, they have gone against the agreement; there they were false to me.
• Jer 12:6 : 6 For even your brothers, your father's family, even they have been untrue to you, crying loudly after you: have no faith in them, though they say fair words to you.
• Rom 3:5-6 : 5 But if the righteousness of God is supported by our wrongdoing what is to be said? is it wrong for God to be angry (as men may say)? 6 In no way: because if it is so, how is God able to be the judge of all the world?
• Gen 18:25 : 25 Let such a thing be far from you, to put the upright to death with the sinner: will not the judge of all the earth do right?
• Deut 32:4 : 4 He is the Rock, complete is his work; for all his ways are righteousness: a God without evil who keeps faith, true and upright is he.
• Ps 73:3-9 : 3 Because of my envy of the men of pride, when I saw the well-being of the wrongdoers. 4 For they have no pain; their bodies are fat and strong. 5 They are not in trouble as others are; they have no part in the unhappy fate of men. 6 For this reason pride is round them like a chain; they are clothed with violent behaviour as with a robe. 7 Their eyes are bursting with fat; they have more than their heart's desire. 8 Their thoughts are deep with evil designs; their talk from their seats of power is of cruel acts. 9 Their mouth goes up to heaven; their tongues go walking through the earth. 10 For this reason they are full of bread; and water is ever flowing for them. 11 And they say, How will the Lord see this? is there knowledge in the Most High? 12 Truly, such are the sinners; they do well at all times, and their wealth is increased. 13 As for me, I have made my heart clean to no purpose, washing my hands in righteousness; 14 For I have been troubled all the day; every morning have I undergone punishment. 15 If I would make clear what it is like, I would say, You are false to the generation of your children. 16 When my thoughts were turned to see the reason of this, it was a weariness in my eyes; 17 Till I went into God's holy place, and saw the end of the evil-doers. 18 You put their feet where there was danger of slipping, so that they go down into destruction. 19 How suddenly are they wasted! fears are the cause of their destruction. 20 As a dream when one is awake, they are ended; they are like an image gone out of mind when sleep is over. 21 My heart was made bitter, and I was pained by the bite of grief: 22 As for me, I was foolish, and without knowledge; I was like a beast before you. 23 But still I am ever with you; you have taken me by my right hand. 24 Your wisdom will be my guide, and later you will put me in a place of honour. 25 Whom have I in heaven but you? and having you I have no desire for anything on earth. 26 My flesh and my heart are wasting away: but God is the Rock of my heart and my eternal heritage. 27 For those who are far away from you will come to destruction: you will put an end to all those who have not kept faith with you. 28 But it is good for me to come near to God: I have put my faith in the Lord God, so that I may make clear all his works.
• Ps 119:75 : 75 I have seen, O Lord, that your decisions are right, and that in unchanging faith you have sent trouble on me.
• Ps 119:137 : 137 <TZADE> O Lord, great is your righteousness, and upright are your decisions.
• Ps 145:17 : 17 The Lord is upright in all his ways, and kind in all his works.
• Prov 1:32 : 32 For the turning back of the simple from teaching will be the cause of their death, and the peace of the foolish will be their destruction.
• Isa 41:21 : 21 Put forward your cause, says the Lord; let your strong argument come out, says the King of Jacob.
• Isa 48:8 : 8 Truly you had no word of them, no knowledge of them; no news of them in the past had come to your ears; because I saw how false was your behaviour, and that your heart was turned against me from your earliest days.