- Even though Jeremiah knows that God's in the right, he says that he personally wants to air some grievances.
- He asks why the wicked have been doing so well without being punished.
- He asks God to kill the wicked and relieve the people's suffering.
- God answers that if Jeremiah is tired from dealing with these wicked people, he's like someone who has been exhausted from racing with foot-runners. So how can he compete when racing with horses (i.e. with really wicked opponents)?
- Jeremiah shouldn't even trust his own family.
- God says that he's forsaken Israel, even though they're still totally his favorite people.
- But since the people of Israel apparently hate God now, he's leaving them to the wild animals.
- Evil shepherds (metaphorically speaking) have trampled down the vineyard that God had planted in Judah and Jerusalem. They've ruined the land.
- God isn't just going to punish Judah, but all the neighbors who've led them astray.
- Then God will have compassion on the people of these different neighboring nations and Judah, and will let them return.
- If they can worship God as they used to worship Baal, he'll have mercy on them. But if they don't, he'll tear them up and throw them out.