Jeremiah 12:17

If they would not respond to the Lord positively, the Lord promised to destroy these nations again (cf. Jeremiah 12:14; Zechariah 14:9; Zechariah 14:16-19).

"This passage gives us a rare glimpse into the consternation and anguish that evil causes God. The anguish is especially acute for him when his own people are responsible for it. In these verses the Lord expresses both love and hate for his people, emotions we usually consider mutually exclusive, at least for God. When the Lord opened himself up to his people in love, he also opened himself to the possibility of hurt." [Note: Kelley, p. 185.]