The Sin of Judah

17 “The sin of Judah is written with (A)a pen of iron; with a point of diamond it is engraved on (B)the tablet of their heart, and on (C)the horns of their altars, while (D)their children remember their altars and their (E)Asherim, (F)beside every green tree and on the high hills, (G)on the mountains in the open country. (H)Your wealth and all your treasures I will give for spoil as the price of your high places for sin throughout all your territory. You shall loosen your hand from your heritage that I gave to you, (I)and I will make you serve your enemies in a land that you do not know, (J)for in my anger a fire is kindled that shall burn forever.”

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

(O)“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,
    (P)whose trust is the Lord.
(Q)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 (R)“I the Lord search the heart
    (S)and test the mind,[b]
(T)to give every man according to his ways,
    according to the fruit of his deeds.”

11 Like the (U)partridge that gathers a brood that she did not hatch,
    so is (V)he who gets riches but not by justice;
(W)in the midst of his days they will leave him,
    (X)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.
13 O Lord, (Y)the hope of Israel,
    (Z)all who forsake you shall be put to shame;
those who turn away from you[c] (AA)shall be written in the earth,
    for (AB)they have forsaken (AC)the Lord, the fountain of living water.

Jeremiah Prays for Deliverance

14 (AD)Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed;
    save me, and I shall be saved,
    for (AE)you are my praise.
15 (AF)Behold, they say to me,
    “Where is the word of the Lord?
    Let it come!”
16 I have not run away from being your shepherd,
    nor have I desired the day of sickness.
(AG)You know (AH)what came out of my lips;
    it was before your face.
17 Be not a terror to me;
    (AI)you are my refuge in the day of disaster.
18 (AJ)Let those be put to shame who persecute me,
    but let me not be put to shame;
(AK)let them be dismayed,
    but let me not be dismayed;
(AL)bring upon them the day of disaster;
    destroy them with double destruction!

Keep the Sabbath Holy

19 Thus said the Lord to me: “Go and stand in the People's Gate, by which (AM)the kings of Judah enter and by which they go out, and in all the gates of Jerusalem, 20 and say: ‘Hear the word of the Lord, (AN)you kings of Judah, and all Judah, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, who enter by these gates. 21 Thus says the Lord: Take care for the sake of your lives, and (AO)do not bear a burden on the Sabbath day or bring it in by the gates of Jerusalem. 22 And do not carry a burden out of your houses on the Sabbath (AP)or do any work, but (AQ)keep the Sabbath day holy, as I commanded your fathers. 23 Yet (AR)they did not listen or incline their ear, (AS)but stiffened their neck, that they (AT)might not hear and receive instruction.

24 “‘But if you listen to me, declares the Lord, and (AU)bring in no burden by the gates of this city on the Sabbath day, but (AV)keep the Sabbath day holy and do no work on it, 25 then (AW)there shall enter by the gates of this city kings and princes who sit on the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, they and their officials, the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And this city shall be inhabited forever. 26 And people shall come from (AX)the cities of Judah (AY)and the places around Jerusalem, (AZ)from the land of Benjamin, (BA)from the Shephelah, from the hill country, (BB)and from (BC)the Negeb, bringing (BD)burnt offerings and sacrifices, grain offerings and frankincense, and (BE)bringing thank offerings to the house of the Lord. 27 But if you do not listen to me, to (BF)keep the Sabbath day holy, (BG)and not to bear a burden and enter by the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day, then I will (BH)kindle a fire in its gates, and it shall (BI)devour the palaces of Jerusalem and (BJ)shall not be quenched.’”

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 17:5 Hebrew arm
  2. Jeremiah 17:10 Hebrew kidneys
  3. Jeremiah 17:13 Hebrew me

17 Judah’s sin is engraved
    with an iron pen.
It’s etched with a diamond point
    on the tablets of their hearts
        and on the horns of their altars.
Their children remember their altars and sacred poles[a]
    by the lush trees and high hills.

Because you have committed such sins throughout your country,
    I will give to your enemies
        my mountain in the land,
        as well as your wealth and all that you treasure.[b]
You will lose the inheritance that I gave you.
    I will make you slaves of your enemies
        in a land you don’t know,
            for my anger blazes like a fire
            that won’t go out.

The Lord proclaims:
Cursed are those who trust in mere humans,
    who depend on human strength
    and turn their hearts from the Lord.
They will be like a desert shrub
    that doesn’t know when relief comes.
They will live in the parched places of the wilderness,
    in a barren land where no one survives.
Happy are those who trust in the Lord,
    who rely on the Lord.
They will be like trees planted by the streams,
    whose roots reach down to the water.
They won’t fear drought when it comes;
    their leaves will remain green.
They won’t be stressed in the time of drought
    or fail to bear fruit.

The most cunning heart—
    it’s beyond help.
        Who can figure it out?
10 I, the Lord, probe the heart
    and discern hidden motives,
        to give everyone what they deserve,
        the consequences of their deeds.

11 Like a partridge gathering a brood that is not its own,
    so are those who acquire their wealth corruptly.
        By midlife it will be gone;
        afterward they will look like fools.

12 Splendid and exalted throne,
    the place of our sanctuary
        from the beginning!
13 Lord, the hope of Israel,
        all who forsake you will suffer disgrace;
    those who turn away from you[c] in the land
        will be written off,[d]
    for they have abandoned the Lord,
        the fountain of living water.

14 Heal me, Lord, and I’ll be healed.
    Save me and I’ll be saved,
        for you are my heart’s desire.
15 See how they harass me:
    “Where’s the Lord’s word?
        Let it come now!”
16 Yet I didn’t urge you to bring disaster;[e]
    I didn’t want the calamity to happen.
You know what comes out of my mouth;
    it’s always before you.
17 Don’t terrorize me;
    you are my refuge in time of disaster.
18 Let my tormentors be disgraced, but not me;
    let them be terrorized, but not me.
Bring on them the time of disaster,
    as they deserve; destroy them repeatedly.

19 The Lord proclaimed to me: Go and stand by the People’s Gate where Judah’s kings go in and out, and then by all the gates of Jerusalem, 20 and say to them: Listen to the Lord’s word, you kings of Judah, all you people of Judah, and anyone living in Jerusalem who passes through these gates. 21 The Lord says: Be on guard not to carry a load on the Sabbath day or conduct business at the gates of Jerusalem. 22 Don’t carry a load from your houses or do any kind of work on the Sabbath day. Rather, keep the Sabbath day holy as I commanded your ancestors, 23 although they didn’t listen or pay attention. They were stubborn and wouldn’t obey or accept correction. 24 If you are careful to obey me, declares the Lord, and don’t conduct business at the gates of this city on the Sabbath day, if you keep the Sabbath day holy by not working, 25 then through the gates of this city will come kings who occupy the throne of David and their officers, all riding on chariots and horses. They will be accompanied by the people of Judah and those living in Jerusalem. And this city will always be inhabited. 26 Others will come from the towns of Judah and Benjamin, from all around Jerusalem, and from the western foothills, the highlands, and the arid southern plain—they will come bringing entirely burned offerings, sacrifices, grain offerings, incense, and thanksgiving offerings to the Lord’s temple. 27 But if you don’t obey me by keeping the Sabbath day holy, if you carry your loads and conduct your business at the gates of Jerusalem as usual, then I will set fire to those gates that will completely engulf the fortresses of Jerusalem; it will not be put out.

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 17:2 Heb asherim; perhaps objects devoted to the worship of Asherah
  2. Jeremiah 17:3 Heb uncertain
  3. Jeremiah 17:13 Or me
  4. Jeremiah 17:13 Heb uncertain
  5. Jeremiah 17:16 LXX; Heb uncertain

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