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17 The Lord says, “Judah’s sin is written with an iron pen.
    It is engraved with a diamond point
        on the tablet of their hearts and on the horns of their altars.
Even their children remember their altars
    and their poles dedicated to the goddess Asherah
        beside large trees on high hills
            and on mountains in the open country.[a]
    I will turn your wealth and all your treasures into loot.
    I will do this because of your worship sites and your sin
    throughout all your territory.
        You will lose the inheritance that I gave you.
    I will make you serve your enemies in a land that you haven’t heard of.
    I will do this because you have stirred up the fire of my anger.
    It will burn forever.

“This is what Yahweh says:

Cursed is the person who trusts humans,
    who makes flesh and blood his strength
        and whose heart turns away from Yahweh.
He will be like a bush in the wilderness.
    He will not see when something good comes.
    He will live in the dry places in the desert,
    in a salty land where no one can live.
Blessed is the person who trusts Yahweh.
    Yahweh will be his confidence.
He will be like a tree that is planted by water.
    It will send its roots down to a stream.
    It will not be afraid in the heat of summer.
        Its leaves will turn green.
    It will not be anxious during droughts.
        It will not stop producing fruit.

“The human mind is the most deceitful of all things. It is incurable.
    No one can understand how deceitful it is.
10 I, Yahweh, search minds and test hearts.
    I will reward each person for what he has done.
    I will reward him for the results of his actions.
11 A person who gets rich dishonestly is like a partridge
    that hatches eggs it did not lay.
        During his lifetime, he will lose his wealth.
            In the end, he will be a godless fool.”

12 Our holy place is a glorious throne,
    highly honored from the beginning.
13 O Yahweh, the Miqweh Yisrael, all who abandon you will be put to shame.
    Those who turn away from you will be written in dust,
        because they abandon Yahweh,
            the fountain of life-giving water.

14 Heal me, O Yahweh, and I will be healed.
    Rescue me, and I will be rescued.
        You are the one I praise.
15 People keep asking me,
    “Where is the word of Yahweh?
        Let it come.”
16 I have not run away from being your shepherd,
    and I have not longed for the day of destruction.
        You know what came out of my mouth.
17 Do not terrorize me.
    You are my refuge on the day of disaster.
18 Put my persecutors to shame,
    but do not let me be put to shame.
    Terrify them,
    but do not let me be terrified.
    Bring the day of disaster on them,
    and destroy them completely.

The Blessing That Comes from Observing the Day of Worship as a Holy Day

19 This is what Yahweh said to me: Stand at People’s Gate, where the kings of Judah go in and out. Then stand at every gate in Jerusalem. 20 Tell everyone: “Listen to the word of Yahweh, you kings of Judah, all the people of Judah, and all those who live in Jerusalem, and go through these gates. 21 This is what Yahweh says: Watch out! If you value your lives, do not carry anything on the day of worship or bring it through the gates of Jerusalem. 22 Do not bring anything out of your homes on the day of worship. Do not do any work, but observe the day of worship as a holy day, as I told your ancestors. 23 Your ancestors did not obey me or pay attention to me. They were impossible to deal with and would not listen or accept discipline.

24 “Now,” declares Yahweh, “you must listen to me and not bring anything through the gates of this city on the day of worship. You must observe the day of worship as a holy day by not doing any work on it. 25 If you do this, then the kings and princes who sit on David’s throne will come through the gates of this city. They and their princes will ride in chariots and on horses along with the people of Judah and those who live in Jerusalem. This city will always have people living in it.

26 “People will come from the cities of Judah, from all around Jerusalem, from the territory of Benjamin, from the foothills, from the mountains, and from the Negev. They will bring burnt offerings, sacrifices, grain offerings, and incense. They will also bring thank offerings to Yahweh’s temple. 27 But you must listen to me and observe the day of worship as a holy day by not carrying anything through the gates of Jerusalem on the day of worship. If you don’t do this, I will set its gates on fire. The fire will burn down the palaces in Jerusalem, and you won’t be able to put it out.”

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 17:3 Greek; Masoretic Text “on my mountain.”

17 “Judah’s sin is engraved with an iron tool,(A)
    inscribed with a flint point,
on the tablets of their hearts(B)
    and on the horns(C) of their altars.
Even their children remember
    their altars and Asherah poles[a](D)
beside the spreading trees
    and on the high hills.(E)
My mountain in the land
    and your[b] wealth and all your treasures
I will give away as plunder,(F)
    together with your high places,(G)
    because of sin throughout your country.(H)
Through your own fault you will lose
    the inheritance(I) I gave you.
I will enslave you to your enemies(J)
    in a land(K) you do not know,
for you have kindled my anger,
    and it will burn(L) forever.”

This is what the Lord says:

“Cursed is the one who trusts in man,(M)
    who draws strength from mere flesh
    and whose heart turns away from the Lord.(N)
That person will be like a bush in the wastelands;
    they will not see prosperity when it comes.
They will dwell in the parched places(O) of the desert,
    in a salt(P) land where no one lives.

“But blessed(Q) is the one who trusts(R) in the Lord,
    whose confidence is in him.
They will be like a tree planted by the water
    that sends out its roots by the stream.(S)
It does not fear when heat comes;
    its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought(T)
    and never fails to bear fruit.”(U)

The heart(V) is deceitful above all things
    and beyond cure.
    Who can understand it?

10 “I the Lord search the heart(W)
    and examine the mind,(X)
to reward(Y) each person according to their conduct,
    according to what their deeds deserve.”(Z)

11 Like a partridge that hatches eggs it did not lay
    are those who gain riches by unjust means.
When their lives are half gone, their riches will desert them,
    and in the end they will prove to be fools.(AA)

12 A glorious throne,(AB) exalted from the beginning,
    is the place of our sanctuary.
13 Lord, you are the hope(AC) of Israel;
    all who forsake(AD) you will be put to shame.
Those who turn away from you will be written in the dust(AE)
    because they have forsaken the Lord,
    the spring of living water.(AF)

14 Heal me, Lord, and I will be healed;(AG)
    save(AH) me and I will be saved,
    for you are the one I praise.(AI)
15 They keep saying to me,
    “Where is the word of the Lord?
    Let it now be fulfilled!”(AJ)
16 I have not run away from being your shepherd;
    you know I have not desired the day of despair.
    What passes my lips(AK) is open before you.
17 Do not be a terror(AL) to me;
    you are my refuge(AM) in the day of disaster.(AN)
18 Let my persecutors be put to shame,
    but keep me from shame;
let them be terrified,
    but keep me from terror.
Bring on them the day of disaster;
    destroy them with double destruction.(AO)

Keeping the Sabbath Day Holy

19 This is what the Lord said to me: “Go and stand at the Gate of the People,[c] through which the kings of Judah go in and out; stand also at all the other gates of Jerusalem.(AP) 20 Say to them, ‘Hear the word of the Lord, you kings of Judah and all people of Judah and everyone living in Jerusalem(AQ) who come through these gates.(AR) 21 This is what the Lord says: Be careful not to carry a load on the Sabbath(AS) day or bring it through the gates of Jerusalem. 22 Do not bring a load out of your houses or do any work on the Sabbath, but keep the Sabbath day holy, as I commanded your ancestors.(AT) 23 Yet they did not listen or pay attention;(AU) they were stiff-necked(AV) and would not listen or respond to discipline.(AW) 24 But if you are careful to obey me, declares the Lord, and bring no load through the gates of this city on the Sabbath, but keep the Sabbath day holy(AX) by not doing any work on it, 25 then kings who sit on David’s throne(AY) will come through the gates of this city with their officials. They and their officials will come riding in chariots and on horses, accompanied by the men of Judah and those living in Jerusalem, and this city will be inhabited forever.(AZ) 26 People will come from the towns of Judah and the villages around Jerusalem, from the territory of Benjamin and the western foothills, from the hill country and the Negev,(BA) bringing burnt offerings and sacrifices, grain offerings and incense, and bringing thank offerings to the house of the Lord. 27 But if you do not obey(BB) me to keep the Sabbath(BC) day holy by not carrying any load as you come through the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day, then I will kindle an unquenchable fire(BD) in the gates of Jerusalem that will consume her fortresses.’”(BE)

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 17:2 That is, wooden symbols of the goddess Asherah
  2. Jeremiah 17:3 Or hills / and the mountains of the land. / Your
  3. Jeremiah 17:19 Or Army