Jeremiah 17:1-6

1‘The people of Judah love to do bad things. Their sins are deep inside them. It is like they are written on their hearts and on the horns of their altars. They are written with an iron pen. Nobody can remove the list of their sins.

2Even their children always think about their altars where they worship false gods. They have put up their Asherah poles under the big trees and on the high hills.

3They also worship their false gods on the mountains and in the fields. So I will cause enemies to take all your valuable things. They will take your riches for themselves. That will be the price that you pay for your sins. You have done evil things everywhere in the land.

4I gave you this land to be your home for ever. But it will no longer belong to you. Your enemies will take you to a land that you do not know. You will be their slaves. You have made me very angry, like a fire that nobody can stop.’

5The Lord says, ‘I will curse those who only trust people to help them. They think that human strength will save them, and they turn away from me, the Lord.

6They will be like a bush that grows in the desert. It grows in a place where nobody can live. The ground is very dry and is spoiled by salt. Even when good times come, those people will not receive any good thing.