Jeremiah 17

¹“The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron ,

and with the point of a diamond .

It is engraved on the tablet of their heart ,

and on the horns of your altars .

²Even their children remember their altars

and their Asherah poles by the green trees on the high hills .

³My mountain in the field ,

I will give your substance and all your treasures for a plunder,

and your high places , because of sin , throughout all your borders .

⁴You , even of yourself , will discontinue from your heritage that I gave you .

I will cause you to serve your enemies in the land which you don’t know ,

for you have kindled a fire in my anger which will burn forever .”

⁵The LORD says :

“Cursed is the man who trusts in man ,

relies on strength of flesh ,

and whose heart departs from the LORD .

⁶For he will be like a bush in the desert ,

and will not see when good comes ,

but will inhabit the parched places in the wilderness ,

an uninhabited salt land .

⁷“Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD ,

and whose confidence is in the LORD .

⁸For he will be as a tree planted by the waters ,

who spreads out its roots by the river ,

and will not fear when heat comes ,

but its leaf will be green ,

and will not be concerned in the year of drought .

It won’t cease from yielding fruit .

⁹The heart is deceitful above all things

and it is exceedingly corrupt.

Who can know it ?

¹⁰“I , the LORD , search the mind .

I try the heart ,

even to give every man according to his ways ,

according to the fruit of his doings .”

¹¹As the partridge that sits on eggs which she has not laid ,

so is he who gets riches , and not by right .

In the middle of his days , they will leave him .

At his end, he will be a fool .

¹²A glorious throne , set on high from the beginning ,

is the place of our sanctuary .

¹³LORD , the hope of Israel ,

all who forsake you will be disappointed.

Those who depart from me will be written in the earth,

because they have forsaken the LORD ,

the spring of living waters .

¹⁴Heal me , O LORD , and I will be healed .

Save me , and I will be saved ;

for you are my praise .

¹⁵Behold , they ask me ,

“Where is the LORD ’s word ?

Let it be fulfilled now .”

¹⁶As for me , I have not hurried from being a shepherd after you .

I haven’t desired the woeful day . You know .

That which came out of my lips was before your face .

¹⁷Don’t be a terror to me .

You are my refuge in the day of evil .

¹⁸Let them be disappointed who persecute me ,

but don’t let me be disappointed.

Let them be dismayed ,

but don’t let me be dismayed .

Bring on them the day of evil ,

and destroy them with double destruction .

¹⁹The LORD said this to me : “Go and stand in the gate of the children of the people , through which the kings of Judah come in and by which they go out , and in all the gates of Jerusalem .

²⁰Tell them , ‘Hear the LORD ’s word , you kings of Judah , all Judah , and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem , that enter in by these gates :

²¹The LORD says , “Be careful , and bear no burden on the Sabbath day , nor bring it in by the gates of Jerusalem .

²²Don’t carry a burden out of your houses on the Sabbath day . Don’t do any work , but make the Sabbath day holy , as I commanded your fathers.

²³But they didn’t listen . They didn’t turn their ear , but made their neck stiff , that they might not hear , and might not receive instruction .

²⁴It will happen , if you diligently listen to me ,” says the LORD , “to bring in no burden through the gates of this city on the Sabbath day , but to make the Sabbath day holy , to do no work therein;

²⁵then there will enter in by the gates of this city kings and princes sitting on David ’s throne , riding in chariots and on horses , they and their princes , the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem ; and this city will remain forever .

²⁶They will come from the cities of Judah , and from the places around Jerusalem , from the land of Benjamin , from the lowland , from the hill country , and from the South , bringing burnt offerings , sacrifices , meal offerings , and frankincense , and bringing sacrifices of thanksgiving to the LORD ’s house .

²⁷But if you will not listen to me to make the Sabbath day holy , and not to bear a burden and enter in at the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day , then I will kindle a fire in its gates , and it will devour the palaces of Jerusalem . It will not be quenched .”’”