You are righteous, LORD, even when I bring my case to you. Yet I want to discuss your judgments: Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why are those who betray others at ease?

Righteous art thou, O LORD, when I plead with thee: yet let me talk with thee of thy judgments: Wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper? wherefore are all they happy that deal very treacherously?

You have planted them, and they have taken root; they grow and bear fruit. You are near to their lips but far from their hearts.

Thou hast planted them, yea, they have taken root: they grow, yea, they bring forth fruit: thou art near in their mouth, and far from their reins.

But you, LORD, know me; you see me and test my heart toward you. Drag them off like sheep for slaughter and set them apart for the day of killing.

But thou, O LORD, knowest me: thou hast seen me, and tried mine heart toward thee: pull them out like sheep for the slaughter, and prepare them for the day of slaughter.

How long will the land mourn and the grass in the fields wither? Because of the wickedness of those who dwell in it, the beasts and the birds are swept away. For they said, 'He will not see our end.'

How long shall the land mourn, and the herbs of every field wither, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein? the beasts are consumed, and the birds; because they said, He shall not see our last end.

If you have raced with footmen and they have worn you out, how can you compete with horses? And if you feel secure in a land of peace, how will you manage in the thickets of the Jordan?

If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? and if in the land of peace, wherein thou trustedst, they wearied thee, then how wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan?

Your own brothers, the house of your father, have betrayed you; even they have called out loudly after you. Do not trust them, though they speak pleasantly to you.

For even thy brethren, and the house of thy father, even they have dealt treacherously with thee; yea, they have called a multitude after thee: believe them not, though they speak fair words unto thee.

I have abandoned my house, I have forsaken my inheritance; I have given the one I love into the hands of her enemies.

I have forsaken mine house, I have left mine heritage; I have given the dearly beloved of my soul into the hand of her enemies.

My inheritance has become to me like a lion in the forest; she roars against me, therefore I hate her.

Mine heritage is unto me as a lion in the forest; it crieth out against me: therefore have I hated it.

Is my inheritance to me like a speckled bird of prey with other birds of prey surrounding her? Come, gather all the wild beasts; bring them to devour.

Mine heritage is unto me as a speckled bird, the birds round about are against her; come ye, assemble all the beasts of the field, come to devour.

Many shepherds have ruined my vineyard; they have trampled my portion underfoot. They have turned my pleasant field into a desolate wasteland.

Many pastors have destroyed my vineyard, they have trodden my portion under foot, they have made my pleasant portion a desolate wilderness.

They have made it a desolation, and it mourns before me. The whole land is desolate, but no one takes it to heart.

They have made it desolate, and being desolate it mourneth unto me; the whole land is made desolate, because no man layeth it to heart.

On all the barren heights in the wilderness, destroyers have come. For the sword of the LORD is devouring from one end of the land to the other; no flesh has peace.

The spoilers are come upon all high places through the wilderness: for the sword of the LORD shall devour from the one end of the land even to the other end of the land: no flesh shall have peace.

They have sown wheat but reaped thorns; they have exhausted themselves to no profit. Be ashamed of your harvests because of the fierce anger of the LORD.

They have sown wheat, but shall reap thorns: they have put themselves to pain, but shall not profit: and they shall be ashamed of your revenues because of the fierce anger of the LORD.

This is what the LORD says: 'As for all my evil neighbors who harm the inheritance I gave my people Israel, I will uproot them from their land, and I will uproot the house of Judah from among them.'

Thus saith the LORD against all mine evil neighbours, that touch the inheritance which I have caused my people Israel to inherit; Behold, I will pluck them out of their land, and pluck out the house of Judah from among them.

'But after I have uprooted them, I will return and have compassion on them and will bring them back, each to their own inheritance and each to their own land.'

And it shall come to pass, after that I have plucked them out I will return, and have compassion on them, and will bring them again, every man to his heritage, and every man to his land.

'And if they diligently learn the ways of my people and swear by my name, saying, "As surely as the LORD lives," just as they once taught my people to swear by Baal, then they will be established among my people.'

And it shall come to pass, if they will diligently learn the ways of my people, to swear by my name, The LORD liveth; as they taught my people to swear by Baal; then shall they be built in the midst of my people.

'But if they do not obey, I will completely uproot and destroy that nation,' declares the LORD.

But if they will not obey, I will utterly pluck up and destroy that nation, saith the LORD.