The Prosperity of the Wicked 1 DBY Righteous art thou, Jehovah, when I plead with thee; yet will I speak with thee of thy judgments. Wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper? wherefore are all they at ease that deal very treacherously? BSB BSB: Righteous are You, O LORD, when I plead before You. Yet about Your judgments I wish to contend with You: Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all the faithless live at ease?
2 DBY Thou hast planted them, they also have taken root: they advance, yea, they bring forth fruit: thou art near in their mouth, but far from their reins. BSB BSB: You planted them, and they have taken root. They have grown and produced fruit. You are ever on their lips, but far from their hearts.
3 DBY But thou, Jehovah, knowest me; thou hast seen me, and proved my heart toward thee. Drag them out like sheep for the slaughter, and set them apart for the day of slaughter. BSB BSB: But You know me, O LORD; You see me and test my heart toward You. Drag away the wicked like sheep to the slaughter and set them apart for the day of carnage.
4 DBY How long shall the land mourn, and the herbs of all the fields wither? Because of the wickedness of them that dwell therein, the beasts and the birds perish; for they say, He will not see our end. BSB BSB: How long will the land mourn and the grass of every field be withered? Because of the evil of its residents, the animals and birds have been swept away, for the people have said, “He cannot see what our end will be.”
God’s Answer to Jeremiah 5 DBY If thou hast run with footmen, and they have wearied thee, how wilt thou then contend with horses? And if in a land of peace thou thinkest thyself in security, how wilt thou then do in the swelling of the Jordan? BSB BSB: “If you have raced with men on foot and they have worn you out, how can you compete with horses? If you stumble in a peaceful land, how will you do in the thickets of the Jordan?
6 DBY For even thy brethren, and the house of thy father, even they have dealt treacherously with thee, even they have cried aloud after thee. Believe them not, though they speak good words unto thee. BSB BSB: Even your brothers—your own father’s household—even they have betrayed you; even they have cried aloud against you. Do not trust them, though they speak well of you.
7 DBY I have forsaken my house, I have cast off my heritage, I have given the beloved of my soul into the hand of her enemies. BSB BSB: I have forsaken My house; I have abandoned My inheritance. I have given the beloved of My soul into the hands of her enemies.
8 DBY My heritage is become unto me as a lion in the forest; it hath raised its voice against me: therefore have I hated it. BSB BSB: My inheritance has become to Me like a lion in the forest. She has roared against Me; therefore I hate her.
9 DBY My heritage is unto me as a speckled bird of prey; the birds of prey round about are against her. Go, assemble all the beasts of the field, bring them to devour. BSB BSB: Is not My inheritance to Me like a speckled bird of prey with other birds of prey circling against her? Go, gather all the beasts of the field; bring them to devour her.
10 DBY Many shepherds have destroyed my vineyard, they have trodden my portion under foot, they have made my pleasant portion a desolate wilderness: BSB BSB: Many shepherds have destroyed My vineyard; they have trampled My plot of ground. They have turned My pleasant field into a desolate wasteland.
11 DBY they have made it a desolation; desolate, it mourneth unto me: the whole land is made desolate, for no man layeth it to heart. BSB BSB: They have made it a desolation; desolate before Me, it mourns. All the land is laid waste, but no man takes it to heart.
12 DBY Spoilers are come upon all heights in the wilderness; for the sword of Jehovah devoureth from one end of the land even to the other end of the land: no flesh hath peace. BSB BSB: Over all the barren heights in the wilderness the destroyers have come, for the sword of the LORD devours from one end of the earth to the other. No flesh has peace.
13 DBY They have sown wheat, and they reap thorns; they have put themselves to pain, and do not profit. Be ye therefore ashamed of your revenues, because of the fierce anger of Jehovah. BSB BSB: They have sown wheat but harvested thorns. They have exhausted themselves to no avail. Bear the shame of your harvest because of the fierce anger of the LORD.”
A Message for Israel’s Neighbors (Amos 1:1–15)
14 DBY Thus saith Jehovah against all mine evil neighbours, that touch the inheritance which I have caused my people Israel to inherit: Behold, I will pluck them up out of their land, and pluck out the house of Judah from among them. BSB BSB: This is what the LORD says: “As for all My evil neighbors who attack the inheritance that I bequeathed to My people Israel, I am about to uproot them from their land, and I will uproot the house of Judah from among them.
15 DBY And it shall come to pass, after I have plucked them up, I will return, and have compassion on them, and will bring them back, each one to his inheritance, and each one to his land. BSB BSB: But after I have uprooted them, I will once again have compassion on them and return each one to his inheritance and to his land.
16 DBY And it shall come to pass, if they will diligently learn the ways of my people, to swear by my name, As Jehovah liveth — even as they taught my people to swear by Baal — they shall be built up in the midst of my people. BSB BSB: And if they will 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.
17 DBY And if they will not obey, I will utterly pluck up and destroy that nation, saith Jehovah. BSB BSB: But if they will not obey, then I will uproot that nation; I will uproot it and destroy it, declares the LORD.”
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.