¹⁹ one who, when he hears the words of this sworn covenant, blesses himself in his heart, saying, ‘I shall be safe, though I walk in the stubbornness of my heart.’ This will lead to the sweeping away of moist and dry alike.

^24 (A)But they did not obey or incline their ear, ^(B)but walked in their own counsels and ^(C)the stubbornness of their evil hearts, and ^(D)went backward and not forward.

³⁹ And it shall be a tassel for you to look at and remember all the commandments of the Lord, to do them, ^(A)not to follow^[a] after your own heart and your own eyes, which you are inclined ^(B)to whore after.

^30 (A)But the person who does anything with a high hand, whether he is native or a sojourner, reviles the Lord, and that person shall be cut off from among his people.

The New Life

¹⁷ Now this I say and ^(A)testify in the Lord, ^(B)that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, ^(C)in the futility of their minds.

¹⁶ “As for the word that you have spoken to us in the name of the Lord, ^(A)we will not listen to you. ^17 (B)But we will do everything that we have vowed, make offerings to ^(C)the queen of heaven ^(D)and pour out drink offerings to her, ^(E)as we did, both we and our fathers, our kings and our officials, in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. For then we had plenty of food, and prospered, and saw no disaster.

³ Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: ^(A)Amend your ways and your deeds, and I will let you dwell in this place. ^4 (B)Do not trust in these deceptive words: ‘This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord.’

⁵ “For if you truly ^(C)amend your ways and your deeds, if you truly ^(D)execute justice one with another, ⁶ if you ^(E)do not oppress the sojourner, the fatherless, or the widow, ^(F)or shed innocent blood in this place, ^(G)and if you do not go after other gods to your own harm, ^7 (H)then I will let you dwell in this place, ^(I)in the land that I gave of old to your fathers forever.

⁸ “Behold, you trust in deceptive words to no avail. ^9 (J)Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, ^(K)swear falsely, ^(L)make offerings to Baal, ^(M)and go after other gods that you have not known, ¹⁰ and then come and stand before me in this house, ^(N)which is called by my name, and say, ‘We are delivered!’—only to go on doing all these abominations? ^11 (O)Has this house, ^(P)which is called by my name, ^(Q)become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, I myself have seen it, declares the Lord.

^2 (A)“If there is found among you, within any of your towns that the Lord your God is giving you, a man or woman who does what is evil in the sight of the Lord your God, ^(B)in transgressing his covenant,

^6 (A)Let no one ^(B)deceive you with empty words, for because of these things ^(C)the wrath of God comes upon ^(D)the sons of disobedience.