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Scriptural Text [& Editorial]
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Commentary & Explanation
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Footnotes ~ References ~ JST
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CHAPTER 12
Jeremiah complains of the prosperity of the wicked—If other nations
learn the ways of Israel, they shall be numbered with them.
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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 awicked prosper?
wherefore are all they happy that deal very treacherously?
2 aThou 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.
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3 But thou, O LORD, aknowest 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.
4 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.
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5 ¶ If thou 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?
6 For even thy abrethren, 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.
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7 ¶ I have aforsaken 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
abeasts of the field, come to devour.
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10 Many apastors have destroyed
my bvineyarda,
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
alayeth it to heart.
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10a Many pastors have destroyed my
vineyard One hears not the term 'church' in the Old Testament, but
in the Book of Mormon it is there in the days of Jeremiah. And here it is
Jeremiah who speaks, perhaps the word of the Lord, of 'many pastors'. Pastors
of what if it not be the 'church'. And if there be 'pastors' and a 'church'
then who are they? Are they not the 70 princes or Sarim who are the selected
'judges' of the law of Moses whom the people are to answer to and who are
headed by the Hight Priest of the Temple? And who is it who is in charge of
the Synagogue? Is he not one so afiliated with the 'Sarim' and the High Priest
of the Temple? And there is mention of 'prophets', what authority have they
but that which given them by the people of the 'church'? Either they are called
of God or they pretend such for their status in the church to be accepted of
the people. In that respect then they are the 'teachers' whom the people follow,
the 'Rabbi' of their day. And this is the structure of the Chruch lacking only
one more thing as in the days of Christ. And that is the Captain of fifty over
the enforcing officers of the Sarim or Sanhedrin of Jeremiah's day which is
comparable to those of the days of Jesus. And it is these 'false pastors' who
ought to have been true leaders of the people guiding them in the ways of
Jehovah, but they did not, but were corrupt hypocrites themselves, pretending
to be one thing but actually being just the opposite as they were in the days
of Jesus so they were in the days of Jeremiah. And thus there was a formal
structure of 'the church' or the 'faith' or the 'religion' of the Jews
according to and patterned after that which was established during the days
of Moses.
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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.
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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 out of their land, and pluck out the house of Judah from among them.
15 And it shall come to pass, after that I have
plucked them out I will return, and have acompassion on
them, and will bbring them again, every man to his
heritage, and every man to his land.
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16 And it shall come to pass, if they will diligently learn the ways of my people, to swear by my name, The LORD liveth; as they taught my people to swear by Baal; then shall they be built in the midst of my people.
17 But if they will not aobey, I
will utterly pluck up and destroy that nation, saith the LORD.
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