Jeremiah 12:2

Justice Doubt Faith

¹ 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?

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 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 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.”

Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

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.
KJV: 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.
WEB: You have planted them. Yes, they have taken root. They grow. Yes, they produce fruit. You are near in their mouth, and far from their heart.
ASV: 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 heart.
DARBY: 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.
BLB: You plant them, and they have taken root; they grow and they bear fruit; You [are] near, in their mouth and far from their kidneys.

ÅB: Du har plantet dem, og de har slått rot; de vokser opp og bærer frukt; nær er du i deres munn, men langt borte fra deres nyrer.
OTB: Du har plantet dem, og de har slått rot; de vokser og bærer frukt. Du er nær deres lepper, men langt fra deres hjerter.
B1930: Du har plantet dem, og de har slått rot; de vokser op og bærer frukt; nær er du i deres munn, men langt borte fra deres nyrer.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Isaiah 29:13
Therefore the Lord said: “These people draw near to Me with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. Their worship of Me is but rules taught by men.
Read in context
Titus 1:16
They profess to know God, but by their actions they deny Him. They are detestable, disobedient, and unfit for any good deed.
Read in context
Matthew 15:8
‘These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me.
Read in context
Jeremiah 11:17
The LORD of Hosts, who planted you, has decreed disaster against you on account of the evil that the house of Israel and the house of Judah have brought upon themselves, provoking Me to anger by burning incense to Baal.”
Read in context
Jeremiah 45:4
Thus Jeremiah was to say to Baruch: “This is what the LORD says: Throughout the land I will demolish what I have built and uproot what I have planted.
Read in context
Ezekiel 17:5–10
He took some of the seed of the land and planted it in fertile soil; he placed it by abundant waters and set it out like a willow.
Read in context
Ezekiel 33:31
So My people come to you as usual, sit before you, and hear your words; but they do not put them into practice. Although they express love with their mouths, their hearts pursue dishonest gain.
Read in context
Ezekiel 19:10–13
Your mother was like a vine in your vineyard, planted by the water; it was fruitful and full of branches because of the abundant waters.
Read in context