Jeremiah 17

The Persistent Sin of Judah

¹The sin of Judah is inscribed with an iron stylus. With a diamond point it is engraved on the tablet of their hearts and on the horns of their altars,²

³while their children remember their altars and their Asherah poles, by the green trees on the high hills —⁴

⁵my mountains in the countryside. I will give up your wealth and all your treasures as plunder because of the sin of your high places in all your borders.⁶

⁷You will, on your own, relinquish your inheritance that I gave you. I will make you serve your enemies in a land you do not know, for you have set my anger on fire; it will burn forever.⁸

Curse and Blessing

⁹This is what the Lord says: Cursed is the person who trusts in mankind. He makes human flesh his strength, and his heart turns from the Lord.¹⁰

¹¹He will be like a juniper in the Arabah; he cannot see when good comes but dwells in the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land where no one lives.¹²

¹³The person who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence indeed is the Lord, is blessed.¹⁴

¹⁵He will be like a tree planted by water: 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.¹⁶

The Deceitful Heart

¹⁷The heart is more deceitful than anything else, and incurable — who can understand it?¹⁸

¹⁹I, the Lord, examine the mind, I test the heart to give to each according to his way, according to what his actions deserve.²⁰

²¹He 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.²²

²³A glorious throne on high from the beginning is the place of our sanctuary.²⁴

²⁵Lord, the hope of Israel, all who abandon you will be put to shame. All who turn away from me will be written in the dirt, for they have abandoned the Lord, the fountain of living water.²⁶

Jeremiah’s Plea

²⁷Heal me, Lord, and I will be healed; save me, and I will be saved, for you are my praise.²⁸

²⁹Hear how they keep challenging me, “Where is the word of the Lord? Let it come!”³⁰

³¹But I have not run away from being your shepherd, and I have not longed for the fatal day. You know my words were spoken in your presence.³²

³³Don’t become a terror to me. You are my refuge in the day of disaster.³⁴

³⁵Let my persecutors be put to shame, but don’t let me be put to shame. Let them be terrified, but don’t let me be terrified. Bring on them the day of disaster; shatter them with total destruction.³⁶

Observing the Sabbath

³⁷This is what the Lord said to me, “Go and stand at the People’s Gate, through which the kings of Judah enter and leave, as well as at all the gates of Jerusalem.³⁸³⁹Announce to them, ‘Hear the word of the Lord, kings of Judah, all Judah, and all the residents of Jerusalem who enter through these gates.⁴⁰⁴¹This is what the Lord says: Watch yourselves; do not pick up a load and bring it in through Jerusalem’s gates on the Sabbath day.⁴²⁴³Do not carry a load out of your houses on the Sabbath day or do any work, but keep the Sabbath day holy, just as I commanded your ancestors.⁴⁴⁴⁵They wouldn’t listen or pay attention but became obstinate, not listening or accepting discipline.⁴⁶

⁴⁷“‘However, if you listen to me — this is the Lord’s declaration — and do not bring loads through the gates of this city on the Sabbath day, but keep the Sabbath day holy and do no work on it,⁴⁸⁴⁹kings and princes will enter through the gates of this city. They will sit on the throne of David; they will ride in chariots and on horses with their officials, the men of Judah, and the residents of Jerusalem. This city will be inhabited forever.⁵⁰⁵¹Then people will come from the cities of Judah and from the area around Jerusalem, from the land of Benjamin and from the Judean foothills, from the hill country and from the Negev bringing burnt offerings and sacrifices, grain offerings and frankincense, and thanksgiving sacrifices to the house of the Lord.⁵²⁵³But if you do not listen to me to keep the Sabbath day holy by not carrying a load while entering the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day, I will set fire to its gates, and it will consume the citadels of Jerusalem and not be extinguished.’”⁵⁴