God Protects His Prophet (11:18--12:1-6): This passage speaks of a plot against Jeremiah. It begins with Jeremiah’s complaint (11:18–20) and ends with God’s judgment against those who are plotting against him (11:21–23). Then the text continues with another complaint (12:1–4), followed by a divine response (12:5–6). Jeremiah was an unpopular person because while other prophets were claiming that God would bring peace, Jeremiah was saying that defeat was inevitable and the result of the people’s sin (see Jer. 27–28). Jeremiah 18, 26, and 36 provide other accounts of the people’s desire to get rid of this prophet of doom.

11:18–23  At first it is a bit unclear as to the identity of those plotting agains Jeremiah. The text refers simply to their plot and the fact that God showed Jeremiah what …