Jeremiah 17

1The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron, and with the point of a diamond: it is graven upon the table of their heart, and upon the horns of your altars;footnote a

2Whilst their children remember their altars and their groves by the green trees upon the high hills.

3O my mountain in the field, I will give thy substance and all thy treasures to the spoil, and thy high places for sin, throughout all thy borders.

4And thou, even thyself, shalt discontinue from thine heritage that I gave thee; and I will cause thee to serve thine enemies in the land which thou knowest not: for ye have kindled a fire in mine anger, which shall burn for ever.footnote b

5Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD.

6For 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.

7Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is.

8For 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.footnote c

9The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

10I 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.

11As 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.footnote d

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

13O LORD, the hope of Israel, all that forsake thee shall be ashamed, and they that depart from me shall be written in the earth, because they have forsaken the LORD, the fountain of living waters.

14Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved: for thou art my praise.

15Behold, they say unto me, Where is the word of the LORD? let it come now.

16As for me, I have not hastened from being a pastor to follow thee: neither have I desired the woeful day; thou knowest: that which came out of my lips was right before thee.footnote e

17Be not a terror unto me: thou art my hope in the day of evil.

18Let them be confounded that persecute me, but let not me be confounded: let them be dismayed, but let not me be dismayed: bring upon them the day of evil, and destroy them with double destruction.footnote f

19Thus said the LORD unto me; Go and stand in the gate of the children of the people, whereby the kings of Judah come in, and by the which they go out, and in all the gates of Jerusalem;

20And say unto them, Hear ye the word of the LORD, ye kings of Judah, and all Judah, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, that enter in by these gates:

21Thus saith the LORD; Take heed to yourselves, and bear no burden on the sabbath day, nor bring it in by the gates of Jerusalem;

22Neither carry forth a burden out of your houses on the sabbath day, neither do ye any work, but hallow ye the sabbath day, as I commanded your fathers.

23But they obeyed not, neither inclined their ear, but made their neck stiff, that they might not hear, nor receive instruction.

24And it shall come to pass, if ye diligently hearken unto me, saith the LORD, to bring in no burden through the gates of this city on the sabbath day, but hallow the sabbath day, to do no work therein;

25Then shall there enter into the gates of this city kings and princes sitting upon the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, they, and their princes, the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem: and this city shall remain for ever.

26And they shall come from the cities of Judah, and from the places about Jerusalem, and from the land of Benjamin, and from the plain, and from the mountains, and from the south, bringing burnt offerings, and sacrifices, and meat offerings, and incense, and bringing sacrifices of praise, unto the house of the LORD.

27But if ye will not hearken unto me to hallow the sabbath day, and not to bear a burden, even entering in at the gates of Jerusalem on the sabbath day; then will I kindle a fire in the gates thereof, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem, and it shall not be quenched.

The Sin and Punishment of Judah

1“The sin of Judah is written with an iron stylus,engraved with a diamond pointon the tablets of their heartsand on the horns of their altars. 2Even their children remember their altars and Asherah polesby the green trees and on the high hills. 3O My mountain in the countryside,I will give over your wealthand all your treasures as plunder,because of the sin of your high places,within all your borders. 4And you yourself will relinquishthe inheritance that I gave you.I will enslave you to your enemiesin a land that you do not know,for you have kindled My anger;it will burn forever.”

5This is what the LORD says:“Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind,who makes mere flesh his strengthfootnote aand turns his heart from the LORD. 6He will be like a shrub in the desert;he will not see when prosperity comes.He will dwell in the parched places of the desert,in a salt land where no one lives.

7But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,whose confidence is in Him. 8He is like a tree planted by the watersthat sends out its roots toward the stream.It does not fear when the heat comes,and its leaves are always green.It does not worry in a year of drought,nor does it cease to produce fruit.

9The heart is deceitful above all thingsand beyond cure.Who can understand it? 10I, the LORD, search the heart;I examine the mindfootnote bto reward a man according to his way,by what his deeds deserve. 11Like a partridge hatching eggs it did not layis the man who makes a fortune unjustly.In the middle of his days his riches will desert him,and in the end he will be the fool.”

Jeremiah’s Prayer for Deliverance

12A glorious throne, exalted from the beginning,is the place of our sanctuary. 13O LORD, the hope of Israel,all who abandon You will be put to shame.All who turn away will be written in the dust,for they have abandoned the LORD,the fountain of living water.

14Heal me, O LORD, and I will be healed;save me, and I will be saved,for You are my praise. 15Behold, they keep saying to me,“Where is the word of the LORD?Let it come now!” 16But I have not run away from being Your shepherd;I have not desired the day of despair.You know that the utterance of my lipswas spoken in Your presence.

17Do not become a terror to me;You are my refuge in the day of disaster. 18Let my persecutors be put to shame,but do not let me be put to shame.Let them be terrified,but do not let me be terrified.Bring upon them the day of disasterand shatter them with double destruction.

Restoring the Sabbath

19This is what the LORD said to me: “Go and stand at the gate of the people, through which the kings of Judah go in and out; and stand at all the other gates of Jerusalem.

20Say to them, ‘Hear the word of the LORD, O kings of Judah, all people of Judah and Jerusalem who enter through these gates. 21This is what the LORD says: Take heed for yourselves; do not carry a load or bring it through the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. 22You must not carry a load out of your houses or do any work on the Sabbath day, but you must keep the Sabbath day holy, just as I commanded your forefathers. 23Yet they would not listen or incline their ear, but they stiffened their necks and would not listen or receive My discipline.

24If, however, you listen carefully to Me, says the LORD, and bring no load through the gates of this city on the Sabbath day, and keep the Sabbath day holy, and do no work on it, 25then kings and princes will enter through the gates of this city. They will sit on the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses with their officials, along with the men of Judah and the residents of Jerusalem, and this city will be inhabited forever. 26And people will come from the cities of Judah and the places around Jerusalem, from the land of Benjamin, and from the foothills,footnote c the hill country, and the Negev, bringing burnt offerings and sacrifices, grain offerings and frankincense, and thank offerings to the house of the LORD.

27But 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, then I will kindle an unquenchable fire in its gates to consume the citadels of Jerusalem.’”