Jeremiah 12:1

12:1 Lord, you have always been fair

whenever I have complained to you. 1 

However, I would like to speak with you about the disposition of justice. 2 

Why are wicked people successful? 3 

Why do all dishonest people have such easy lives?

Jeremiah 25:31

25:31 The sounds of battle 4  will resound to the ends of the earth.

For the Lord will bring charges against the nations. 5 

He will pass judgment on all humankind

and will hand the wicked over to be killed in war.’ 6 

The Lord so affirms it! 7 

1 tn Or “Lord, you are fair when I present my case before you.”

2 tn Heb “judgments” or “matters of justice.” For the nuance of “complain to,” “fair,” “disposition of justice” assumed here, see BDB 936 s.v. רִיב Qal.4 (cf. Judg 21:22); BDB 843 s.v. צַדִּיק 1.d (cf. Ps 7:12; 11:7); BDB 1049 s.v. מִשְׁפָּט 1.f (cf. Isa 26:8; Ps 10:5; Ezek 7:27).

3 tn Heb “Why does the way [= course of life] of the wicked prosper?”

4 tn For the use of this word see Amos 2:2; Hos 10:14; Ps 74:23. See also the usage in Isa 66:6 which is very similar to the metaphorical usage here.

5 tn Heb “the Lord has a lawsuit against the nations.” For usage of the term see Hos 4:1; Mic 6:2, and compare the usage of the related verb in Jer 2:9; 12:1.

6 tn Heb “give the wicked over to the sword.”

7 tn Heb “Oracle of the Lord.”