God’s Word Translation
Jeremiah 12:3
3You know me, O Lord. You see me and test my devotion to you. Drag them away like sheep to be slaughtered. Prepare them for the day of slaughter.
Jeremiah 12:3 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)But thou, O Lord, knowest 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.
- New International Version (NIV)Yet you know me, Lord; you see me and test my thoughts about you. Drag them off like sheep to be butchered! Set them apart for the day of slaughter!
- English Standard Version (ESV)But you, O Lord, know me; you see me, and test my heart toward you. Pull them out like sheep for the slaughter, and set them apart for the day of slaughter.
- New King James Version (NKJV)But You, O Lord, know me; You have seen me, And You have tested my heart toward You. Pull them out like sheep for the slaughter, And prepare them for the day of slaughter.
Context of Jeremiah 12:3
1O Lord, even if I would argue my case with you, you would always be right. Yet, I want to talk to you about your justice. Why do wicked people succeed? Why do treacherous people have peace and quiet? 2You plant them, and they take root. They grow, and they produce fruit. They speak well of you with their lips, but their hearts are far from you. You know me, O Lord. You see me and test my devotion to you. Drag them away like sheep to be slaughtered. Prepare them for the day of slaughter. 4How long will the land mourn? How long will the plants in every field remain dried up? The animals and the birds are dying, because people are wicked. They think that God doesn’t know what they are doing. 5“If you have raced against others on foot, and they have tired you out, how can you compete with horses? If you stumble in open country, how can you live in the jungle along the Jordan River?
Read all of Jeremiah 12Jeremiah 12:3 word by word
וְאַתָּ֤ה יְהוָה֙ יְדַעְתָּ֔נִי תִּרְאֵ֕נִי וּבָחַנְתָּ֥ לִבִּ֖י אִתָּ֑ךְ הַתִּקֵם֙ כְּצֹ֣אן לְטִבְחָ֔ה וְהַקְדִּשֵׁ֖ם לְי֥וֹם הֲרֵגָֽה׃ סRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- But thou, O Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- knowestיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
- me: thou hast seenרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
- me, and triedבָּחַןbâchan · to testH974
- mine heartלֵבlêb · heartH3820
- toward thee: pull them outנָתַקnâthaq · to tearH5423
- like sheepצֹאןtsô'n tse'ôn · flockH6629
- for the slaughterטִבְחָהţibchâh · slaughteredH2878
- and prepareקָדַשׁqâdash · to consecrate: prepareH6942
- them for the dayיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
- of slaughterהֲרֵגָהhărêgâh · slaughterH2028
Cross-references for Jeremiah 12:3
- Jeremiah 11:20O Lord of Armies, you judge fairly and test motives and thoughts. I want to see you take revenge on them, because I’ve brought my case to you.
- 2 Kings 20:3“Please, Lord, remember how I’ve lived faithfully and sincerely in your presence. I’ve done what you consider right.” And he cried bitterly.
- 1 Chronicles 29:17I know, my God, that you examine hearts and delight in honesty. With an honest heart I have willingly offered all these things. I’ve been overjoyed to see your people here offering so willingly to you.
- Job 23:10⌞I can’t find him⌟ because he knows the road I take. When he tests me, I’ll come out as pure as gold.
- Psalms 17:3You have probed my heart. You have confronted me at night. You have tested me like silver, but you found nothing wrong. I have determined that my mouth will not sin.
- Psalms 26:1Judge me favorably, O Lord, because I have walked with integrity and I have trusted you without wavering.
- Psalms 44:21wouldn’t God find out, since he knows the secrets in our hearts?
- Psalms 139:1O Lord, you have examined me, and you know me.
- John 21:17Jesus asked him a third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter felt sad because Jesus had asked him a third time, “Do you love me?” So Peter said to him, “Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you.” Jesus told him, “Feed my sheep.
- 1 John 3:20Whenever our conscience condemns us, we will be reassured that God is greater than our conscience and knows everything.
- Jeremiah 17:18Put my persecutors to shame, but do not let me be put to shame. Terrify them, but do not let me be terrified. Bring the day of disaster on them, and destroy them completely.
- Jeremiah 18:21Now, hand their children over to famine. Pour out their ⌞blood⌟ by using your sword. Then their wives will become childless widows. Their husbands will be put to death. Their young men will be struck down in battle.
- Jeremiah 20:12But the Lord of Armies examines the righteous. He sees their motives and thoughts. I want to see you take revenge on them, because I’ve brought my case to you.
- Jeremiah 48:15The enemy will attack Moab and destroy its cities. Its finest young men will be slaughtered,” declares the king, whose name is the Lord of Armies.
- Jeremiah 50:27Kill all their young bulls. Let them go to be slaughtered. How horrible it will be for them when their time has come, the time for them to be punished.
- Jeremiah 51:4Babylon’s soldiers will fall down badly wounded in their streets. They will lie dead in their own land.
Commentaries on Jeremiah 12:3
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3But thou, O Lord, knowest me - I know that the very secrets of my heart are known to thee; and I am glad of it, for thou knowest that my heart is towards thee - is upright and sincere.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3Thou hast seen me - Rather, “Thou seest me and triest mine heart” at all times, and knowest the sincerity of its devotion” toward Thee.” Pull them out - The original is used Jeremiah 10:20 of the rending asunder of the cords of the tent, and Ezekiel 17:9 of the tearing up of roots. Jeremiah does not doubt God‘s justice, or the ultimate punishment of the wicked, but he wants it administered in a summary way. Prepare - literally, “sanctify,” i. e., devote.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3Jeremiah's words may seem self-righteous, but he was open to the Lord examining his heart. He was also angry and wanted his enemies to suffer the harm they planned for him. He hoped they would be killed like defenseless sheep. Jeremiah did not appear to want their forgiveness or their return to the Lord.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. knowest me--(Psa 139:1). tried ... heart--(Jr 11:20). toward thee--rather, "with Thee," that is, entirely devoted to Thee; contrasted with the hypocrites (Jr 12:2), "near in ... mouth, and far from ... reins." This being so, how is it that I fare so ill, they so well? pull ... out--containing the metaphor, from a "rooted tree" (Jr 12:2). prepare--literally, "separate," or "set apart as devoted." day of slaughter--(Jas 5:5).Read the comment
Topics related to Jeremiah 12:3
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Jeremiah 12
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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