Jeremiah 17

The Deceitful Heart

1The 1sin of Judah is written down with an 2iron stylus; With a diamond point it is 3engraved upon the tablet of their heart And on the horns of 4their altars,2As they remember their 5children, So they remember their altars and their 67Asherim By 8green trees on the high hills.3O 9mountain of Mine in the countryside, I will 10give over your wealth and all your treasures for booty, Your high places for sin throughout your borders.4And you will, even of yourself, 11let go of your inheritance That I gave you; And I will make you serve your 12enemies In the 13land which you do not know; For you have 14kindled a fire in My anger Which will burn forever.

5Thus says the Lord, “15Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind And makes 16flesh his 17strength, And whose heart turns away from the Lord.6For he will be like a 18bush in the desert And will not see when prosperity comes, But will live in stony wastes in the wilderness, A 19land of salt 20without inhabitant.721Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord And whose 22trust is the Lord.8For he will be like a 23tree 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 24drought Nor cease to yield fruit.

9“The 25heart is more 26deceitful than all else And is desperately 27sick; Who can understand it?10I, the Lord, 28search the heart, I test the 29mind, Even 30to give to each man according to his ways, According to the 31results of his deeds.11As a partridge that hatches eggs which it has not laid, So is he who 32makes a fortune, but unjustly; In the midst of his days it will forsake him, And in 33the end he will be a 34fool.”

1235A glorious throne on high from the beginning Is the place of our sanctuary.13O Lord, the 36hope of Israel, All who 37forsake You will be put to shame. Those who turn 38away on earth will be 39written down, Because they have forsaken the fountain of living water, even the Lord.1440Heal me, O Lord, and I will be healed; 41Save me and I will be saved, For You are my 42praise.15Look, they keep 43saying to me, “Where is the word of the Lord? Let it come now!”16But as for me, I have not hurried away from being a shepherd after You, Nor have I longed for the woeful day; 44You Yourself know that the utterance of my lips Was in Your presence.17Do not be a 45terror to me; You are my 46refuge in the day of disaster.18Let those who persecute me be 47put to shame, but as for me, 48let me not be put to shame; Let them be dismayed, but let me not be dismayed. 49Bring on them a day of disaster, And crush them with twofold destruction!

The Sabbath Must Be Kept

19Thus the Lord said to me, “Go and stand in the 50public gate, through which the kings of Judah come in and go out, as well as in all the gates of Jerusalem; 20and say to them, ‘51Listen to the word of the Lord, 52kings of Judah, and all Judah and all inhabitants of Jerusalem who come in through these gates: 21Thus says the Lord, “53Take heed for yourselves, and 54do not carry any load on the sabbath day or bring anything in through the gates of Jerusalem. 22You shall not bring a load out of your houses on the sabbath day 55nor do any work, but keep the sabbath day holy, as I 56commanded your 57forefathers. 23Yet they 58did not listen or incline their ears, but 59stiffened their necks in order not to listen or take correction.

24“But it will come about, if you 60listen attentively to Me,” declares the Lord, “to 61bring no load in through the gates of this city on the sabbath day, 62but to keep the sabbath day holy by doing no work on it, 2563then there will come in through the gates of this city kings and princes 64sitting on 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 65city will be inhabited forever. 26They will come in from the 66cities of Judah and from the environs of Jerusalem, from the land of Benjamin, from the 67lowland, from the hill country and from the 68Negev, bringing burnt offerings, sacrifices, grain offerings and incense, and bringing sacrifices of thanksgiving to the house of the Lord. 27But 69if you do not listen to Me to keep the sabbath day holy by not carrying a load and coming in through the gates of Jerusalem on the sabbath day, then 70I will kindle a fire in its gates and it will 71devour the palaces of Jerusalem and 72not be quenched.”’”