God changed the fertile land\par and it became worthless salty land.\par Why? Because of the bad people\par who were living in that place.\par
Jeremiah 12:4 - Easy To Read Version How much longer will the land be dry?\par How long will the grass be dry and dead?\par The animals and birds in the land have died,\par And it is the fault of the wicked people.\par Yet those wicked people are saying,\par “Jeremiah will not live long enough\par to see what happens to us.”\par Tuilleadh leaganachaKing James Version (Oxford) 1769 How long shall the land mourn, 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. Amplified Bible - Classic Edition How long must the land mourn and the grass and herbs of the whole country wither? Through the wickedness of those who dwell in it, the beasts and the birds are consumed and are swept away [by the drought], because men [mocked] me, saying, He shall not [live to] see our final end. American Standard Version (1901) How long shall the land mourn, and the herbs of the whole country wither? for the wickedness of them that dwell therein, the beasts are consumed, and the birds; because they said, He shall not see our latter end. Common English Bible How long will the land mourn and the grass in the fields dry up? The animals and birds are swept away due to the evil of those in the land. The people say, “God doesn’t see what we’re up to!” Catholic Public Domain Version How long shall the earth mourn? And how long shall the plants of every field whither because of the wickedness of the inhabitants within them? It has consumed the wild animals and the birds. For they said: "He will not see our very end." Douay-Rheims version of The Bible - 1752 version How long shall the land mourn and the herb of every field wither for the wickedness of them that dwell therein? The beasts and the birds are consumed: because they have said: He shall not see our last end. |
God changed the fertile land\par and it became worthless salty land.\par Why? Because of the bad people\par who were living in that place.\par
You did these bad things,\par and I said nothing.\par So you thought\par that I was just like you.\par Well, I won’t be quiet any longer!\par I will make it very clear to you,\par and I will criticize you to your face!\par
The country will be empty and sad. The world will be empty and weak. The great leaders of the people in this land will become weak.
The people living in this land are guilty of doing wrong. So God promised to destroy the land. The people will be punished. Only a few people will survive.
They changed my field to a desert.\par It is dry and dead.\par No people live there.\par The whole country is an empty desert.\par There is no person left to care for that field.\par
“The nation of Judah cries for people\par that have died.\par The people in the cities of Judah\par grow weaker and weaker.\par Those people lie on the ground.\par People in Jerusalem cry to God for help.\par
The land of Judah is full of people that do the sin of adultery. {\cf2\super [183]} \par They are unfaithful in many ways.\par The Lord cursed the land,\par and it became very dry.\par The plants are dried and dying in the pastures.\par The fields have become like the desert.\par The prophets are evil.\par Those prophets use their influence\par and power in the wrong way.\par
I looked, but there were no people.\par All the birds of the sky had flown away.\par
So the people in the land will cry\par for the dead people.\par The sky will grow dark.\par I have spoken and will not change.\par I have made a decision\par and I will not change my mind.”\par
“The \{false\} prophets are only empty wind. {\cf2\super [33]} \par The word of God is not in them. {\cf2\super [34]} \par Bad things will happen to them.”\par
The prophets tell lies.\par The priests will not do\par what they were chosen to do. {\cf2\super [36]} \par And my people love it this way!\par But what will you people do\par when your punishment comes?”\par
So the Lord says this: “I will show my anger against this place. I will punish people and animals. I will punish the trees in the field and the crops that grow in the ground. My anger will be like a hot fire—and no person will be able to stop it.”
I (Jeremiah) will cry loud for the mountains.\par I will sing a funeral song\par for the empty fields.\par Why? Because the living things\par were taken away.\par No person travels there now.\par The sounds of cattle can’t be heard there.\par The birds have flown away\par and the animals are gone.\par
I should punish the people of Judah.”\par This message is from the Lord.\par “You know that I should punish\par that kind of people.\par I should give them the punishment\par that they deserve.”\par
So the country is like a person crying for the dead, and all of its people are weak. Even the animals of the field, the birds of the sky, and the fish in the sea are dying. {\cf2\super [33]}
The animals \{are hungry and\} groaning. The herds of cattle wander around, confused. They have no grass to eat. The sheep are dying. {\cf2\super [9]}
Amos said:\par The Lord will shout like a lion in Zion. {\cf2\super [2]} \par His loud voice will roar from Jerusalem.\par And the green pastures of the shepherds will turn brown and die.\par Even Mount Carmel {\cf2\super [3]} will become dry.\par
Figs might not grow on the fig trees.\par Grapes might not grow on the vines.\par Olives might not grow on the olive trees.\par Food might not grow in the fields.\par There might not be any sheep in the pens.\par There might not be any cattle in the barns.\par
Then the Lord’s angel said, “Lord, how long before you comfort Jerusalem and the cities of Judah? You have shown your anger at these cities for 70 years now.”
We know that everything God made has been waiting until now in pain like a woman ready to give birth to a child.