Jeremiah 12:1

Context

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

Context

25:31 The sounds of battle⁴ 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

[12:1] ¹tn Or “Lord, you are fair when I present my case before you.”

[12:1] ²tn 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).

[12:1] ³tn Heb “Why does the way [= course of life] of the wicked prosper?”

[25:31] ⁴tn 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.

[25:31] ⁵tn 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.

[25:31] ⁶tn Heb “give the wicked over to the sword.”

[25:31] ⁷tn Heb “Oracle of the Lord.”