Jeremiah 12King James Version
Jeremiah complains to God. 'Wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper? wherefore are all they happy that deal very treacherously?' God answers with a question: 'If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses?' The tests will grow harder, not easier.
Jeremiah argues with God about justice: why do the wicked prosper? God does not comfort him. He redirects: if footmen have exhausted you, how will you keep up with horses? The land itself is mourning. God acknowledges he has abandoned his heritage to enemies but then pivots: one day he will replant even the nations that oppressed Israel, if they learn his ways.
God does not defend himself against Jeremiah's charge. He redirects him: the difficulties so far are nothing compared to what is coming, so conserve your outrage for what matters.
5: "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 trusted, they wearied thee, then how wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan?" Not comfort. A harder question than the one Jeremiah asked.
Jeremiah is still in the early years of his ministry, still reeling from the Anathoth plot. The wicked he sees prospering are probably the false prophets and complicit officials of Jehoiakim's court, men who are comfortable and rewarded precisely for saying nothing true.
Jeremiah, pressing God on the prosperity of the wicked. God, who answers with a counter-question and a pivot toward the larger picture. The land, described as mourning and withering from the corruption of those on it.
The divine response to Jeremiah's theodicy question is strikingly blunt. God does not apologize for the injustice Jeremiah names. He essentially says: you think this is hard? It gets harder. That refusal to soften the future is one of the things that makes Jeremiah's faith, which persists anyway, so striking.
For when you are exhausted by relatively modest suffering and afraid you do not have what it takes for what might come next. God's answer is honest about the difficulty, which is its own strange form of respect.
1Righteous 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?
2Thou 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.
3But 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.
4How 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.
5If 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?
6For 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.
7I have forsaken mine house, I have left mine heritage; I have given the dearly beloved of my soul into the hand of her enemies.
8Mine heritage is unto me as a lion in the forest; it crieth out against me: therefore have I hated it.
9Mine 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.
10Many pastors have destroyed my vineyard, they have trodden my portion under foot, they have made my pleasant portion a desolate wilderness.
11They have made it desolate, and being desolate it mourneth unto me; the whole land is made desolate, because no man layeth it to heart.
12The 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.
13They 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.
14Thus 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.
15And 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.
16And 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.
17But if they will not obey, I will utterly pluck up and destroy that nation, saith the LORD.