Jeremiah 17

The Deceitful Heart

1The 1sin of Judah is written with an 2iron stylus; With a diamond point it is 3engraved on the tablet of their hearts 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.39Mountain of Mine in the countryside, I will 10turn over your wealth and all your treasures as plunder, 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.

5This is what the Lord says: “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 that is not inhabited.720Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, And whose 21trust is the Lord.8For he will be like a 22tree planted by the water That extends its roots by a stream, And does not fear when the heat comes; But its leaves will be green, And it will not be anxious in a year of 23drought, Nor cease to yield fruit.

9“The 24heart is more 25deceitful than all else And is desperately 26sick; Who can understand it?10I, the Lord, 27search the heart, I test the 28mind, 29To give to each person according to his ways, According to the 30results of his deeds.11As a partridge that hatches eggs which it has not laid, So is a person who 31makes a fortune, but unjustly; In the middle of his days it will abandon him, And in 32the end he will be a 33fool.”

1234A glorious throne on high from the beginning Is the place of our sanctuary.13Lord, the 35hope of Israel, All who 36abandon You will be put to shame. Those who turn 37away on earth will be 38written down, Because they have forsaken the fountain of living water, that is the Lord.1439Heal me, Lord, and I will be healed; 40Save me and I will be saved, For You are my 41praise.15Look, they keep 42saying 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 following after You, Nor have I longed for the disastrous day; 43You Yourself know that the utterance of my lips Was in Your presence.17Do not be a 44terror to me; You are my 45refuge in a day of disaster.18Let those who persecute me be 46put to shame, but as for me, 47let me not be put to shame; Let them be dismayed, but let me not be dismayed. 48Bring on them a day of disaster, And crush them with double destruction!

The Sabbath Must Be Kept

19This is what the Lord said to me: “Go and stand at the 49public gate, through which the kings of Judah come in and go out, as well as at all the gates of Jerusalem; 20and say to them, ‘50Listen to the word of the Lord, you 51kings of Judah, and all Judah, and all inhabitants of Jerusalem who come in through these gates. 21This is what the Lord says: “52Take care for yourselves, and 53do not carry any 54load 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, just as I 56commanded your 57forefathers. 23Yet they 58did not listen or incline their ears, but 59stiffened their necks so as not to listen or accept discipline.

24“But it will come about, if you 60give your attention 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 officials 64sitting 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 65city will be inhabited forever. 26They will come in from the 66cities of Judah and from the areas surrounding Jerusalem, from the land of Benjamin, from the 67lowland, from the hill country, and from the 68Negev, bringing burnt offerings, sacrifices, grain offerings, and frankincense, 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 set fire to its gates, and it will 71devour the palaces of Jerusalem and 72not go out.”’”