Year of the Bible
Jeremiah 12
Access your family's weekly resource for the Year of the Bible HERE
Commentary on the Book of the Prophet Jeremiah, Chapter 12:
Jeremiah’s concerns at the end of Chapter 11 spill into Chapter 12 as he cries out to God with the common question of why the wicked prosper. God exhorts Jeremiah to not give up on his efforts that leave him frustrated (running with men) because his tasks are going to become more challenging (competing with horses). Jeremiah’s own family is turning against him, and, similarly, God’s family of Israel, His heritage, is turning against Him. Using cultural imagery, God explains the shepherds (leaders) have destroyed God’s vineyard (the nation). Thus, the leaders shall reap destruction upon themselves. God then takes a broader view of the region and explains He can pluck up any nation, and will pluck up His own people (the house of Judah) and send them different land (see 1:10). But eventually God will have compassion and, if they return to the covenant, they will be restored to the Promised Land.
The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah, Chapter 12:
Jeremiah Complains to God
1 Righteous are you, O Lord, when I complain to you;
yet I would plead my case before you.
Why does the way of the wicked prosper?
Why do all who are treacherous thrive?
2 You plant them, and they take root;
they grow and bring forth fruit;
you are near in their mouth and far from their heart.
3 But you, O Lord, know me; you see me, and test my
mind toward you.
Pull them out like sheep for
the slaughter,
and set them apart for the day of slaughter.
4 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.”
5 “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?
6 For even your brothers and the house of your father,
even they have dealt treacherously with you;
they are in full cry after you;
believe them not, though they speak fair
words to you.”
7 “I have forsaken my house,
I have abandoned my heritage;
I have given the beloved of my soul
into the hands of her enemies.
8 My heritage has become to me like a lion in the forest,
she has lifted up her voice against me;
therefore I hate her.
9 Is my heritage to me like a speckled bird of prey?
Are the birds of prey against her round about?
Go, assemble all the wild beasts;
bring them to devour.
10 Many shepherds have destroyed my vineyard,
they have trampled down my portion,
they have made my pleasant portion
a desolate wilderness.
11 They have made it a desolation;
desolate, it mourns to me.
The whole land is made desolate,
but no man lays it to heart.
12 Upon all the bare heights in the desert
destroyers have come; for the sword of the Lord
devours
from one end of the land to the other;
no flesh has peace.
13 They have sown wheat and have reaped thorns,
they have tired themselves
out but profit nothing.
They shall be ashamed of their harvests
because of the fierce anger
of the Lord.”
The Lord’s Answer
14 Thus says the Lord concerning all my evil neighbors who touch the heritage which I have given my people Israel to inherit: “Behold, I will pluck them up from their land, and I will pluck up the house of Judah from among them. 15 And after I have plucked them up, I will
again have compassion on them, and I will bring them again each land. 16 And it shall come to pass, if they will diligently learn the ways of my people, to swear by my name, ‘As the Lord lives,’ even as they taught my people to swear by Baal, then they shall be built up in the midst of my people. 17 But if any nation will not listen, then I will utterly pluck it up and destroy it, says the Lord.”
*Daily Lectio Divina Question:
Like Jerimiah, we can complain to God, asking for our own version of justice. Lord, remind me of the times I was given your mercy in place of a flawed human notion of “justice”. I thank you for them.
Biblical Commentary provided by the Catholic Biblical School of Michigan, an adult faith formation apostolate. cbsmich.org/join
Revised Standard Version; Second Catholic Edition. (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2006).
Permission to use the RSV-2CE given for Bishop's Year of the Bible by Ignatius Press. Many thanks to Ignatius for this.
If you're looking for a good Catholic edition of the Bible, look no further
Jeremías 12
12 1 Tú, Señor, llevarías la razón si
disputase contigo.
Con todo, querría tratar contigo sobre
los juicios:
¿por qué los impíos tienen éxito en
sus asuntos,
y viven tranquilos cuantos cometen
traición?
2Tú los plantas y ellos echan raíces,
van adelante y obtienen fruto.
Tú estás presto en sus bocas,
pero ausente de sus entrañas.
3Tú, Señor, me conoces, me ves,
has probado mi corazón respecto a Ti.
Apártalos como ovejas para el degüello,
destínalos para el día de la matanza.
4¿Hasta cuándo estará de luto la tierra,
y reseca la hierba de todos los campos?
Por culpa de la maldad de sus habitantes,
perecen bestias y aves.
Porque aquéllos dicen:
«Él no ve nuestro porvenir».
5«Si te agotaron al correr con los de
a pie,
¿cómo competirás con los de a caballo?
En tierra de paz te sientes seguro,
pero ¿qué harías en los ribazos del
Jordán?
6Porque hasta tus hermanos y la casa
de tu padre,
ellos mismos te traicionan,
ellos también gritan a plena voz a
tus espaldas.
No te fíes, pues, de ellos, aunque te
dirijan buenas palabras».
La heredad del Señor desolada
7«Abandoné mi casa,
desamparé mi heredad,
entregué el amor de mi alma
en manos de sus enemigos.
8Mi heredad fue para Mí
como león en la selva,
alzó la voz contra Mí,
por eso la he aborrecido.
9¿Es para Mí mi heredad un pájaro
pinto,
sobre el que revolotean los buitres?
Andad, juntaos, fieras todas del
campo,
venid al banquete.
10Muchos pastores entraron a saco
en mi viña,
hollaron mi heredad,
hicieron de mi posesión predilecta
un desierto desolado.
11Está hecha una ruina,
gime ante Mí desolada.
Todo el país está devastado,
porque nadie se ocupa de él.
12A todas las colinas del desierto
llegaron los saqueadores,
porque el Señor tiene una espada
que devora
de un extremo al otro del país,
no hay paz para ninguna carne.
13Habían sembrado trigo,
pero segaron espinos,
se fatigaron sin provecho.
Quedaron avergonzados de sus cosechas,
porque se había encendido la ira del
Señor».
14 Esto dice el Señor a todos los vecinos
malvados que hurgaron en la heredad
que di en suerte a mi pueblo Israel:
«Yo los arrancaré de su solar, y arrancaré
de en medio de ellos a la casa de
Judá. 15 Pero después de haberlos arrancado,
tendré de nuevo piedad de ellos,
y los haré volver a cada uno a su heredad
y a su tierra. 16 Y si de veras aprenden
los caminos de mi pueblo, jurando
por mi Nombre: “Vive el Señor”, lo mismo
que enseñaron a mi pueblo a jurar
por Baal, entonces podrán establecerse
en medio de mi pueblo. 17 Pero si no escuchan,
Yo arrancaré a tal nación, permanecerá
arrancada, y la destruiré» –
oráculo del Señor–.
Pregunta de Lectio Divina del día de hoy
Como Jeremías, podemos quejarnos ante Dios, pidiendo nuestra propia versión de justicia. Señor, recuérdame las veces que me dieron tu misericordia en lugar de una noción humana defectuosa de "justicia". Te agradezco por ellos.
La Biblia de Navarra
Permiso para usar esta versión de la primera edición de la Biblia de Navarra
para el Año de la Biblia del Obispo
dado por Ediciones Universidad de Navarra, S.A. (EUNSA).