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The Sin of Judah

17 Judah’s sin is written with an iron stylus.
It is engraved with a diamond[a] tip on the tablet of their hearts
and on the horns of their altars.
Even their children remember their altars and their Asherah poles,[b]
beside every green tree on the high hills,
and on the mountains in the countryside.
I will turn all your wealth into plunder
because of the sin you committed on the high places
    throughout all your territory.
You will lose your inheritance that I gave you,
and I will make you serve your enemies in a land you do not know.
You have started a fire in my anger that will burn forever.

Curses and Blessings

This is what the Lord says.
Cursed is anyone who trusts in mankind,
who seeks his strength from human flesh,
and who turns his heart away from the Lord.
He will be like a juniper bush in the wasteland.
He will not see good things when they come.
He lives in a dry place in the wilderness,
in a salty land where no one lives.
But blessed is anyone who trusts in the Lord,
whose confidence is in him.
He will be like a tree planted by water.
It sends out its roots to the stream.
It does not fear the heat when it comes.
Its leaves will remain green.
It is not concerned about a time of drought.
It does not stop producing fruit.

The Deceitful Heart

The heart is more deceitful than anything.
It is beyond cure.
Who can understand it?
10 I, the Lord, am the one who searches the heart
and examines the mind,
    to reward a man according to what he has done,
    according to what his deeds deserve.
11 Those who accumulate a fortune unjustly
    are like a partridge that hatches eggs it did not lay.
Midway through life their fortune will be lost,
and in the end they will be exposed as fools.

12 The place of our sanctuary is a glorious throne,
    exalted from the beginning.
13 You are the hope of Israel, Lord.
All who forsake you will be put to shame.
Those who turn away from you[c] will be written in the earth,
because they have forsaken the Lord, the spring of living water.

14 Heal me, Lord, and I will be healed.
Save me, and I will be saved,
for you are the one I praise.
15 They say to me,
“Where is the word of the Lord? Let it come!”

16 I have not tried to run away from being your shepherd,[d]
nor have I wanted to bring the day of incurable pain.
You are aware of everything that comes out of my lips.
It is not hidden from you.
17 Do not be a terror to me.
You are my refuge in the day of disaster.
18 Let my persecutors be put to shame,
but do not let me be put to shame.
Let them be terrified,
but do not let me be terrified.
Bring on them the day of disaster
and destroy them with double destruction.

Keep the Sabbath Day Holy

19 This is what the Lord told me.

Go and stand at the Gate of the People, through which the kings of Judah enter and leave, and in all the gates of Jerusalem. 20 Tell them this message.

Hear the word of the Lord, you kings of Judah, all of Judah, and all who live in Jerusalem, and all who enter by these gates.

21 This is what the Lord says. Protect your lives. Do not carry a load of things on the Sabbath day or bring it through the gates of Jerusalem. 22 Do not carry a load out of your houses on the Sabbath day. Do not do any work, but keep the Sabbath day holy as I commanded your fathers.

23 But they did not listen or pay attention. They became stiff-necked so that they would not hear or receive instruction.

24 However, if you listen carefully to me, declares the Lord, and if you do not carry any load through the gates of the city on the Sabbath day, but you instead keep the Sabbath day holy and do not do any work, 25 then kings who sit on David’s throne and their officials will enter in through the gates of this city, riding in chariots and on horses, along with the men of Judah and with those who live in Jerusalem. They will live in this city forever. 26 They will come from the cities of Judah, from the places around Jerusalem, from the land of Benjamin, from the Shephelah,[e] from the hill country, and from the Negev.[f] They will bring burnt offerings, sacrifices, fellowship offerings,[g] incense, and thank offerings to the House of the Lord. 27 But if you will not listen to me and do not keep the Sabbath day holy, and you enter the gates of Jerusalem carrying a load on the Sabbath day, then I will set fire to its gates. I will burn the public buildings of Jerusalem, and the fire will not be put out.

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 17:1 Or flint
  2. Jeremiah 17:2 Wooden poles were set up to worship the Canaanite fertility goddess Asherah.
  3. Jeremiah 17:13 You is the reading of the Greek. The Hebrew reads me. This reading would require a change of speakers to the Lord.
  4. Jeremiah 17:16 Some ancient versions read this line as a parallel to the following line: I have not run after you for the sake of disaster.
  5. Jeremiah 17:26 The western foothills of Judah
  6. Jeremiah 17:26 The arid region south of Judah
  7. Jeremiah 17:26 Traditionally peace offerings

17 “Judah’s sin is engraved with an iron tool,(A)
    inscribed with a flint point,
on the tablets of their hearts(B)
    and on the horns(C) of their altars.
Even their children remember
    their altars and Asherah poles[a](D)
beside the spreading trees
    and on the high hills.(E)
My mountain in the land
    and your[b] wealth and all your treasures
I will give away as plunder,(F)
    together with your high places,(G)
    because of sin throughout your country.(H)
Through your own fault you will lose
    the inheritance(I) I gave you.
I will enslave you to your enemies(J)
    in a land(K) you do not know,
for you have kindled my anger,
    and it will burn(L) forever.”

This is what the Lord says:

“Cursed is the one who trusts in man,(M)
    who draws strength from mere flesh
    and whose heart turns away from the Lord.(N)
That person will be like a bush in the wastelands;
    they will not see prosperity when it comes.
They will dwell in the parched places(O) of the desert,
    in a salt(P) land where no one lives.

“But blessed(Q) is the one who trusts(R) in the Lord,
    whose confidence is in him.
They will be like a tree planted by the water
    that sends out its roots by the stream.(S)
It does not fear when heat comes;
    its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought(T)
    and never fails to bear fruit.”(U)

The heart(V) is deceitful above all things
    and beyond cure.
    Who can understand it?

10 “I the Lord search the heart(W)
    and examine the mind,(X)
to reward(Y) each person according to their conduct,
    according to what their deeds deserve.”(Z)

11 Like a partridge that hatches eggs it did not lay
    are those who gain riches by unjust means.
When their lives are half gone, their riches will desert them,
    and in the end they will prove to be fools.(AA)

12 A glorious throne,(AB) exalted from the beginning,
    is the place of our sanctuary.
13 Lord, you are the hope(AC) of Israel;
    all who forsake(AD) you will be put to shame.
Those who turn away from you will be written in the dust(AE)
    because they have forsaken the Lord,
    the spring of living water.(AF)

14 Heal me, Lord, and I will be healed;(AG)
    save(AH) me and I will be saved,
    for you are the one I praise.(AI)
15 They keep saying to me,
    “Where is the word of the Lord?
    Let it now be fulfilled!”(AJ)
16 I have not run away from being your shepherd;
    you know I have not desired the day of despair.
    What passes my lips(AK) is open before you.
17 Do not be a terror(AL) to me;
    you are my refuge(AM) in the day of disaster.(AN)
18 Let my persecutors be put to shame,
    but keep me from shame;
let them be terrified,
    but keep me from terror.
Bring on them the day of disaster;
    destroy them with double destruction.(AO)

Keeping the Sabbath Day Holy

19 This is what the Lord said to me: “Go and stand at the Gate of the People,[c] through which the kings of Judah go in and out; stand also at all the other gates of Jerusalem.(AP) 20 Say to them, ‘Hear the word of the Lord, you kings of Judah and all people of Judah and everyone living in Jerusalem(AQ) who come through these gates.(AR) 21 This is what the Lord says: Be careful not to carry a load on the Sabbath(AS) day or bring it through the gates of Jerusalem. 22 Do not bring a load out of your houses or do any work on the Sabbath, but keep the Sabbath day holy, as I commanded your ancestors.(AT) 23 Yet they did not listen or pay attention;(AU) they were stiff-necked(AV) and would not listen or respond to discipline.(AW) 24 But if you are careful to obey me, declares the Lord, and bring no load through the gates of this city on the Sabbath, but keep the Sabbath day holy(AX) by not doing any work on it, 25 then kings who sit on David’s throne(AY) will come through the gates of this city with their officials. They and their officials will come riding in chariots and on horses, accompanied by the men of Judah and those living in Jerusalem, and this city will be inhabited forever.(AZ) 26 People will come from the towns of Judah and the villages around Jerusalem, from the territory of Benjamin and the western foothills, from the hill country and the Negev,(BA) bringing burnt offerings and sacrifices, grain offerings and incense, and bringing thank offerings to the house of the Lord. 27 But if you do not obey(BB) me to keep the Sabbath(BC) day holy by not carrying any load as you come through the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day, then I will kindle an unquenchable fire(BD) in the gates of Jerusalem that will consume her fortresses.’”(BE)

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 17:2 That is, wooden symbols of the goddess Asherah
  2. Jeremiah 17:3 Or hills / and the mountains of the land. / Your
  3. Jeremiah 17:19 Or Army