1 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? [ We need to answer this here. You can see that mortality is not fair. Those who are wicked seem to do very well in sports, politics, entertainment etc. This like was never intended to be fair because this is how you test the loyalty of the people. When the righteous see the wicked prosper, while they are left to suffer they cry out life is not fair. Well guess what it is not, it was not meant to be that way either. But the Lord does not see things that way, he sees this life as a very short period of time, righteousness will pay big dividends, and the unrighteous will suffer for a long time. (Luke 15:30) ] wherefore are all they happy that deal very treacherously?

2 Thou hast planted them, yea, they have taken root: [ Or they are doing well, becoming strong. ] they grow, yea, they bring forth fruit: [ They produce. ] thou art near in their mouth, [ They speak of righteousness, speak righteous things. ] and far from their reins. [ But they do not live the way that they speak as they are far from it, they are wicked. ]

3 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. [ Jeremiah is suggesting to the Lord - will you just destroy the wicked and we can all move on here. (Mal 3:13-15; Miracle of Forgiveness page 26-27)]

4  How long shall the land mourn, [ Jeremiah continues - God how long are you going to permit this to go on? ] 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.

5 ¶ If thou [ Jeremiah. So this is Gods answer to Jeremiah here. ] 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? [ Jeremiah if you think thia has been bad then you better hang on because you have not seen anything yet. God tells him so to speak that to this point you have just been running with the men, and now you are going to start to have to run with the horses. So that is a lot tougher. ]

6 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.

7 ¶ 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.

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

9 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.

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

11 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.

12 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.

13 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.

14 ¶ 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 [ The gentiles. ] out of their land, and pluck out the house of Judah from among them. [ He will bring Judah out of the gentile nations. This is not totally fulfilled yet. There are still a lot of Jews that live in America, they do not want to return to the land of Judah any time soon, and who blames them. ]

15 And it shall come to pass, after that I have plucked them out [ Previous verse - Judah. ] I will return, and have compassion on them, [ Now it is gentiles as well as Judah. ] and will bring them again, [ So the gentiles will be invited to be with the house of Israel if they so desire. ] every man to his heritage, and every man to his land.

16 And it shall come to pass, if they [ The gentiles. ] will diligently learn the ways [ Which takes time to process, to learn, to understand. ] of my people, [ Covenant Israel. ] to swear by my name, [ To covenant in the name of God. ] The LORD liveth; as they taught my people to swear by Baal; then shall they be built in the midst of my people. [ (Isaiah 60:12) ]

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