Judah’s Sin and Punishment

17 “The sin of Judah is (A)written with a (B)pen of iron;
With the point of a diamond it is (C)engraved
On the tablet of their heart,
And on the horns of your altars,
While their children remember
Their altars and their (D)wooden[a] images
By the green trees on the high hills.
O My mountain in the field,
I will give as plunder your wealth, all your treasures,
And your high places of sin within all your borders.
And you, even yourself,
Shall let go of your heritage which I gave you;
And I will cause you to serve your enemies
In (E)the land which you do not know;
For (F)you have kindled a fire in My anger which shall burn forever.”

Thus says the Lord:

(G)“Cursed is the man who trusts in man
And makes (H)flesh his [b]strength,
Whose heart departs from the Lord.
For he shall be (I)like a shrub in the desert,
And (J)shall not see when good comes,
But shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness,
(K)In a salt land which is not inhabited.

“Blessed(L) is the man who trusts in the Lord,
And whose hope is the Lord.
For he shall be (M)like a tree planted by the waters,
Which spreads out its roots by the river,
And will not [c]fear when heat comes;
But its leaf will be green,
And will not be anxious in the year of drought,
Nor will cease from yielding fruit.

“The (N)heart is deceitful above all things,
And [d]desperately wicked;
Who can know it?
10 I, the Lord, (O)search the heart,
I test the [e]mind,
(P)Even to give every man according to his ways,
According to the fruit of his doings.

11 As a partridge that [f]broods but does not hatch,
So is he who gets riches, but not by right;
It (Q)will leave him in the midst of his days,
And at his end he will be (R)a fool.”

12 A glorious high throne from the beginning
Is the place of our sanctuary.
13 O Lord, (S)the hope of Israel,
(T)All who forsake You shall be ashamed.

“Those who depart from Me
Shall be (U)written in the earth,
Because they have forsaken the Lord,
The (V)fountain of living waters.”

Jeremiah Prays for Deliverance

14 Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed;
Save me, and I shall be saved,
For (W)You are my praise.
15 Indeed they say to me,
(X)“Where is the word of the Lord?
Let it come now!”
16 As for me, (Y)I have not hurried away from being a shepherd who follows You,
Nor have I desired the woeful day;
You know what came out of my lips;
It was right there before You.
17 Do not be a terror to me;
(Z)You are my hope in the day of doom.
18 (AA)Let them be ashamed who persecute me,
But (AB)do not let me be put to shame;
Let them be dismayed,
But do not let me be dismayed.
Bring on them the day of doom,
And (AC)destroy[g] them with double destruction!

Hallow the Sabbath Day

19 Thus the Lord said to me: “Go and stand in the gate of the children of the people, by which the kings of Judah come in and by which they go out, and in all the gates of Jerusalem; 20 and say to them, (AD)‘Hear the word of the Lord, you kings of Judah, and all Judah, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, who enter by these gates. 21 Thus says the Lord: (AE)“Take heed to yourselves, and bear no burden on the Sabbath day, nor bring it in by the gates of Jerusalem; 22 nor carry a burden out of your houses on the Sabbath day, nor do any work, but hallow the Sabbath day, as I (AF)commanded your fathers. 23 (AG)But they did not obey nor incline their ear, but [h]made their neck stiff, that they might not hear nor receive instruction.

24 “And it shall be, (AH)if you heed Me carefully,” says the Lord, “to bring no burden through the gates of this city on the (AI)Sabbath day, but hallow the Sabbath day, to do no work in it, 25 (AJ)then shall enter the gates of this city kings and princes sitting on the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, they and their princes, accompanied by the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and this city shall remain forever. 26 And they shall come from the cities of Judah and from (AK)the places around Jerusalem, from the land of Benjamin and from (AL)the [i]lowland, from the mountains and from (AM)the [j]South, bringing burnt offerings and sacrifices, grain offerings and incense, bringing (AN)sacrifices of praise to the house of the Lord.

27 “But if you will not heed Me to hallow the Sabbath day, such as not carrying a burden when entering the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day, then (AO)I will kindle a fire in its gates, (AP)and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem, and it shall not be (AQ)quenched.” ’ ”

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 17:2 Heb. Asherim, Canaanite deities
  2. Jeremiah 17:5 Lit. arm
  3. Jeremiah 17:8 Qr., Tg. see
  4. Jeremiah 17:9 Or incurably sick
  5. Jeremiah 17:10 Most secret parts, lit. kidneys
  6. Jeremiah 17:11 Sits on eggs
  7. Jeremiah 17:18 Lit. crush
  8. Jeremiah 17:23 Were stubborn
  9. Jeremiah 17:26 Heb. shephelah
  10. Jeremiah 17:26 Heb. Negev

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