1“The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron; with a point of diamond it is engraved on the tablet of their heart, and on the horns of their altars, (Ex 27:2; Job 19:24; Ps 118:27; Pr 3:3; Pr 7:3; 2Co 3:3)2while their children remember their altars and their Asherim, beside every green tree and on the high hills, (De 16:21; Jud 3:7; Isa 1:29; Jer 2:20; Jer 19:5)3on the mountains in the open country. Your wealth and all your treasures I will give for spoil as the price of your high places for sin throughout all your territory. (Ps 48:1; Ps 87:1; Isa 2:3; Jer 15:13)4You shall loosen your hand from your heritage that I gave to you, and I will make you serve your enemies in a land that you do not know, for in my anger a fire is kindled that shall burn forever.” (De 32:22; Jer 15:14)5Thus says the Lord: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength,[1] whose heart turns away from the Lord. (2Ch 32:8; Ps 146:3)6He is like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see any good come. He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land. (De 29:23; Job 20:17; Job 39:6; Ps 34:12; Jer 29:32; Jer 48:6)7“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. (Ps 2:12; Ps 25:2; Ps 34:8; Ps 71:5; Ps 125:1)8He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.” (Ps 1:3; Eze 47:12)9The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?10“I the Lord search the heart and test the mind,[2] to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.” (1Sa 16:7; 1Ch 28:9; Job 34:11; Ps 62:12; Ps 139:23; Jer 11:20; Jer 32:19; Ro 8:27)11Like the partridge that gathers a brood that she did not hatch, so is he who gets riches but not by justice; in the midst of his days they will leave him, and at his end he will be a fool. (1Sa 26:20; Ps 39:6; Ps 55:23; Lu 12:20)12A glorious throne set on high from the beginning is the place of our sanctuary.13O Lord, the hope of Israel, all who forsake you shall be put to shame; those who turn away from you[3] shall be written in the earth, for they have forsaken the Lord, the fountain of living water. (Jos 24:20; Ps 73:27; Isa 1:28; Jer 1:16; Jer 2:13; Jer 14:8; Lu 10:20; Joh 4:10; Joh 4:14)
Jeremiah Prays for Deliverance
14Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved, for you are my praise. (De 10:21; Ps 6:2)15Behold, they say to me, “Where is the word of the Lord? Let it come!” (Isa 5:19; 2Pe 3:4)16I have not run away from being your shepherd, nor have I desired the day of sickness. You know what came out of my lips; it was before your face. (Ps 40:9; Ps 139:4; Jer 15:15)17Be not a terror to me; you are my refuge in the day of disaster. (Jer 16:19)18Let those be put to shame who persecute me, but let me not be put to shame; let them be dismayed, but let me not be dismayed; bring upon them the day of disaster; destroy them with double destruction! (Ps 35:4; Ps 35:8; Ps 40:14; Jer 11:20)
Keep the Sabbath Holy
19Thus said the Lord to me: “Go and stand in the People’s Gate, by which the kings of Judah enter and by which they go out, and in all the gates of Jerusalem, (Jer 13:13)20and say: ‘Hear the word of the Lord, you kings of Judah, and all Judah, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, who enter by these gates. (Jer 17:19)21Thus says the Lord: Take care for the sake of your lives, and do not bear a burden on the Sabbath day or bring it in by the gates of Jerusalem. (Ne 13:15; Joh 5:10)22And do not carry a burden out of your houses on the Sabbath or do any work, but keep the Sabbath day holy, as I commanded your fathers. (Ex 20:8; Ex 23:12; Ex 31:13; Nu 15:32; De 5:12; Isa 56:2; Isa 58:13; Eze 20:12; Eze 20:20)23Yet they did not listen or incline their ear, but stiffened their neck, that they might not hear and receive instruction. (2Ch 30:8; Jer 5:3; Jer 7:24; Jer 7:26; Jer 11:10; Ac 7:51)24“But if you listen to me, declares the Lord, and bring in no burden by the gates of this city on the Sabbath day, but keep the Sabbath day holy and do no work on it, (Jer 17:21; Jer 17:22)25then there shall enter by the gates of this city kings and princes who sit 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 city shall be inhabited forever. (Jer 22:4)26And people shall come from the cities of Judah and the places around Jerusalem, from the land of Benjamin, from the Shephelah, from the hill country, and from the Negeb, bringing burnt offerings and sacrifices, grain offerings and frankincense, and bringing thank offerings to the house of the Lord. (Ge 13:1; Le 7:12; Le 22:29; 2Ch 33:16; Ps 107:22; Ps 116:17; Jer 32:44; Jer 33:13; Zec 7:7)27But if you do not listen to me, to keep the Sabbath day holy, and not to bear a burden and enter by the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day, then I will kindle a fire in its gates, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem and shall not be quenched.’” (2Ki 25:9; Jer 7:20; Jer 17:21; Jer 17:22; Jer 21:14; Jer 43:12; Jer 49:27; Jer 50:32; Jer 52:13; La 4:11; Am 1:14)
Jeremiah 17
King James Version
1The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron, and with the point of a diamond: it is graven upon the table of their heart, and upon the horns of your altars;2Whilst their children remember their altars and their groves by the green trees upon the high hills.3O my mountain in the field, I will give thy substance and all thy treasures to the spoil, and thy high places for sin, throughout all thy borders.4And thou, even thyself, shalt discontinue from thine heritage that I gave thee; and I will cause thee to serve thine enemies in the land which thou knowest not: for ye have kindled a fire in mine anger, which shall burn for ever.5Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD.6For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited.7Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is.8For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.9The heart is deceitful above all things , and desperately wicked: who can know it?10I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.11As the partridge sitteth on eggs , and hatcheth them not; so he that getteth riches, and not by right, shall leave them in the midst of his days, and at his end shall be a fool.12A glorious high throne from the beginning is the place of our sanctuary.13O LORD, the hope of Israel, all that forsake thee shall be ashamed, and they that depart from me shall be written in the earth, because they have forsaken the LORD, the fountain of living waters.14Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved: for thou art my praise.15Behold, they say unto me, Where is the word of the LORD? let it come now.16As for me, I have not hastened from being a pastor to follow thee: neither have I desired the woeful day; thou knowest: that which came out of my lips was right before thee.17Be not a terror unto me: thou art my hope in the day of evil.18Let them be confounded that persecute me, but let not me be confounded: let them be dismayed, but let not me be dismayed: bring upon them the day of evil, and destroy them with double destruction.19Thus said the LORD unto me; Go and stand in the gate of the children of the people, whereby the kings of Judah come in, and by the which they go out, and in all the gates of Jerusalem;20And say unto them, Hear ye the word of the LORD, ye kings of Judah, and all Judah, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, that enter in by these gates:21Thus saith the LORD; Take heed to yourselves, and bear no burden on the sabbath day, nor bring it in by the gates of Jerusalem;22Neither carry forth a burden out of your houses on the sabbath day, neither do ye any work, but hallow ye the sabbath day, as I commanded your fathers.23But they obeyed not, neither inclined their ear, but made their neck stiff, that they might not hear, nor receive instruction.24And it shall come to pass, if ye diligently hearken unto me, saith the LORD, to bring in no burden through the gates of this city on the sabbath day, but hallow the sabbath day, to do no work therein;25Then shall there enter into the gates of this city kings and princes sitting upon 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 city shall remain for ever.26And they shall come from the cities of Judah, and from the places about Jerusalem, and from the land of Benjamin, and from the plain, and from the mountains, and from the south, bringing burnt offerings, and sacrifices, and meat offerings, and incense, and bringing sacrifices of praise, unto the house of the LORD.27But if ye will not hearken unto me to hallow the sabbath day, and not to bear a burden, even entering in at the gates of Jerusalem on the sabbath day; then will I kindle a fire in the gates thereof, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem, and it shall not be quenched.