Thus saith the Lord; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord.

For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited.

Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.

For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

10 I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.

11 As the partridge sitteth on eggs, and hatcheth them not; so he that getteth riches, and not by right, shall leave them in the midst of his days, and at his end shall be a fool.

12 A glorious high throne from the beginning is the place of our sanctuary.

Read full chapter

This is what the Lord says:

“Cursed is the one who trusts in man,(A)
    who draws strength from mere flesh
    and whose heart turns away from the Lord.(B)
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(C) of the desert,
    in a salt(D) land where no one lives.

“But blessed(E) is the one who trusts(F) 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.(G)
It does not fear when heat comes;
    its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought(H)
    and never fails to bear fruit.”(I)

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

10 “I the Lord search the heart(K)
    and examine the mind,(L)
to reward(M) each person according to their conduct,
    according to what their deeds deserve.”(N)

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.(O)

12 A glorious throne,(P) exalted from the beginning,
    is the place of our sanctuary.

Read full chapter

Thus says the Lord:
“Cursed is the man (A)who trusts in man
    and makes flesh his strength,[a]
    whose heart turns away from the Lord.
(B)He is like a shrub in the desert,
    (C)and shall not see any good come.
He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness,
    in (D)an uninhabited salt land.

(E)“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,
    (F)whose trust is the Lord.
(G)He is like a tree planted by water,
    that sends out its roots by the stream,
and does not fear when heat comes,
    for its leaves remain green,
and is not anxious in the year of drought,
    for it does not cease to bear fruit.”

The heart is deceitful above all things,
    and desperately sick;
    who can understand it?
10 (H)“I the Lord search the heart
    (I)and test the mind,[b]
(J)to give every man according to his ways,
    according to the fruit of his deeds.”

11 Like the (K)partridge that gathers a brood that she did not hatch,
    so is (L)he who gets riches but not by justice;
(M)in the midst of his days they will leave him,
    (N)and at his end he will be a fool.

12 A glorious throne set on high from the beginning
    is the place of our sanctuary.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 17:5 Hebrew arm
  2. Jeremiah 17:10 Hebrew kidneys

Curse and Blessing

This is what the Lord says:

Cursed is the person who trusts in mankind.(A)
He makes human flesh his strength,(B)
and his heart turns from the Lord.
He will be like a juniper in the Arabah;(C)
he cannot see when good comes
but dwells in the parched places in the wilderness,
in a salt land where no one lives.(D)
The person who trusts in the Lord,
whose confidence indeed is the Lord, is blessed.(E)

He will be like a tree planted by water:(F)
it sends its roots out toward a stream,
it doesn’t fear when heat comes,
and its foliage remains green.
It will not worry in a year of drought
or cease producing fruit.

The Deceitful Heart

The heart is more deceitful than anything else,(G)
and incurable—who can understand it?(H)

10 I, the Lord, examine the mind,
I test the heart[a](I)
to give to each according to his way,
according to what his actions deserve.(J)
11 He who makes a fortune unjustly
is like a partridge that hatches eggs it didn’t lay.
In the middle of his life
his riches will abandon him,
so in the end he will be a fool.(K)
12 A glorious throne(L)
on high(M) from the beginning
is the place of our sanctuary.(N)

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 17:10 Lit kidneys

Thus says the Lord,
(A)Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind
And makes (B)flesh his [a]strength,
And whose heart turns away from the Lord.
“For he will be like a (C)bush in the desert
And will not see when prosperity comes,
But will live in stony wastes in the wilderness,
A (D)land of salt [b]without inhabitant.
(E)Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord
And whose (F)trust is the Lord.
“For he will be like a (G)tree planted by the water,
That extends its roots by a stream
And will not fear when the heat comes;
But its leaves will be green,
And it will not be anxious in a year of (H)drought
Nor cease to yield fruit.

“The (I)heart is more (J)deceitful than all else
And is desperately (K)sick;
Who can understand it?
10 “I, the Lord, (L)search the heart,
I test the [c]mind,
Even (M)to give to each man according to his ways,
According to the [d]results of his deeds.
11 “As a partridge that hatches eggs which it has not laid,
So is he who (N)makes a fortune, but unjustly;
In the midst of his days it will forsake him,
And in [e]the end he will be a (O)fool.”

12 (P)A glorious throne on high from the beginning
Is the place of our sanctuary.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 17:5 Lit arm
  2. Jeremiah 17:6 Lit and is not inhabited
  3. Jeremiah 17:10 Lit kidneys
  4. Jeremiah 17:10 Lit fruit
  5. Jeremiah 17:11 Lit his