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Jeremiah 17
International Standard Version
Jeremiah 17
International Standard Version
Judah’s Sin and Its Consequence
17 The sin of Judah is engraved
with an iron stylus.
It is inscribed with a diamond point
on the tablet of their heart
and on the horns of their[a] altars.
2 When their sons remember,
they remember their altars[b] and their Asherah poles[c]
beside green trees on the high hills.
3 My mountain in the field, your wealth and your treasures
I’ll give as spoil;
along with your high places as the price of your sin
throughout your territory.
4 You will let go of your inheritance
which I gave you,
and I’ll make you serve your enemies
in a land that you don’t know.
For with my anger you have started a fire
that will burn forever.
Two Ways Contrasted
5 This is what the Lord says:
“Cursed is the person who trusts in mankind,
who makes flesh his strength,
and whose heart turns away from the Lord.
6 He will be like a bush in the desert,
and he won’t see when good comes.
He will dwell in parched places in the wilderness,[d]
a land of salt, without inhabitants.
7 Blessed is the person who trusts in the Lord,
making the Lord his trust.
8 He will be like a tree planted by the water
that sends out its roots by a stream.
He won’t fear when the heat comes,
and his leaves will be green.
In a year of drought he won’t be concerned,
nor will he stop producing fruit.”
The Deceitfulness of the Human Heart
9 “The heart is more deceitful than anything.
It is incurable—
who can know it?
10 I am the Lord who searches the heart,
who tests the inner depths
to give to each person
according to what he deserves,[e]
according to the fruit of his deeds.
11 As a partridge gathers together eggs
that it didn’t lay,
so is a person who amasses wealth unjustly.
In the middle of his life[f] it will leave him,
and in the end he will prove to be a fool.”
The Lord: The Hope of Israel
12 A glorious throne exalted from the beginning
is the place of our sanctuary.
13 Lord, you are the hope of Israel;
all who forsake you will be put to shame.
Those who turn aside from you[g] will be
written in the dust,[h]
because they have forsaken the Lord,
the spring of living water.
The Prophet’s Call for Help and Justice
14 Heal me, Lord, and I’ll be healed;
deliver me, and I’ll be delivered,
because you are my praise.
15 Look, they’re saying to me,
“Where is the message from the Lord?
Let it come about!”
16 I haven’t run away from being your shepherd,[i]
and I haven’t longed for the day of sickness.[j]
You know what comes out from my lips,
it’s open before you.[k]
17 Don’t be a terror to me.
You are my refuge in a day of trouble.
18 Let those who pursue me be put to shame,
but don’t put me to shame.
Let them be terrified,
but don’t let me be terrified.
Bring the day of judgment[l] on them,
and destroy them with double destruction!
A Test Case: Keeping the Sabbath
19 The Lord told me, “Go, stand in the gate of the people,[m] where the kings of Judah come in and go out, and in the other gates of Jerusalem as well. 20 Say to them, ‘Kings of Judah, all Judah, and all the residents of Jerusalem entering these gates, hear this message from the Lord. 21 This is what the Lord says: “Be careful! On the Sabbath day, don’t carry any load or bring anything through the gates of Jerusalem. 22 Don’t bring any load out of your houses on the Sabbath day, nor are you to do any work. You are to consecrate[n] the Sabbath day, just as I commanded your ancestors. 23 But they didn’t listen, nor did they pay attention.[o] They were determined[p] not to listen and not to accept instruction.[q] 24 If you listen to me carefully,” declares the Lord, “and don’t bring a load through the gates of this city on the Sabbath day, and you consecrate the Sabbath day and don’t do any work on it, 25 then kings and princes, sitting on the throne of David will come through the gates of this city. They, their princes, the men of Judah, and the residents of Jerusalem will come riding in chariots and on horses, and this city will be inhabited forever. 26 They’ll come from the cities of Judah, from the places around Jerusalem, from the territory of Benjamin, from the Shephelah,[r] from the hill country, and from the Negev,[s] bringing burnt offerings, sacrifices, grain offerings, and incense, and bringing thanksgiving offerings to the Lord’s Temple. 27 But if you don’t listen to me, to consecrate the Sabbath day and not carry any load as you enter the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day, then I’ll start a fire in its gates. It will consume the palaces of Jerusalem and won’t be extinguished.”’”
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 17:1 Lit. your
- Jeremiah 17:2 Lit. it is their altars
- Jeremiah 17:2 I.e. sacred poles representing the goddess Asherah
- Jeremiah 17:6 Or desert
- Jeremiah 17:10 Lit. according to his way
- Jeremiah 17:11 Lit. at half of his days
- Jeremiah 17:13 Lit. me
- Jeremiah 17:13 Or recorded in the underworld
- Jeremiah 17:16 Lit. from shepherding after you
- Jeremiah 17:16 I.e. the day of judgment
- Jeremiah 17:16 Lit. it is in front of you
- Jeremiah 17:18 Or disaster
- Jeremiah 17:19 Lit. gate of the sons of the people
- Jeremiah 17:22 I.e. set it apart
- Jeremiah 17:23 Lit. incline the ear
- Jeremiah 17:23 Lit. stiffened their necks
- Jeremiah 17:23 Or discipline
- Jeremiah 17:26 I.e. the verdant central lowlands of Israel; cf. Josh 10:40
- Jeremiah 17:26 I.e. southern region of Israel; cf. Josh 10:40
Jeremiah 17
New International Version
Jeremiah 17
New International Version
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.
2 Even their children remember
their altars and Asherah poles[a](D)
beside the spreading trees
and on the high hills.(E)
3 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)
4 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.”
5 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)
6 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.
7 “But blessed(Q) is the one who trusts(R) in the Lord,
whose confidence is in him.
8 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)
9 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
- Jeremiah 17:2 That is, wooden symbols of the goddess Asherah
- Jeremiah 17:3 Or hills / 3 and the mountains of the land. / Your
- Jeremiah 17:19 Or Army
International Standard Version (ISV) 
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New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.