Jeremiah 17 | King James Version

King James Version

1 The 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; 2 Whilst their children remember their altars and their groves by the green trees upon the high hills. 3 O 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. 4 And 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. 5 Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD. 6 For 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. 7 Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is. 8 For 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. 9 The heart is deceitful above all things , and desperately wicked: who can know it? 10 I 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. 11 As 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. 12 A glorious high throne from the beginning is the place of our sanctuary. 13 O 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. 14 Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved: for thou art my praise. 15 Behold, they say unto me, Where is the word of the LORD? let it come now. 16 As 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. 17 Be not a terror unto me: thou art my hope in the day of evil. 18 Let 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. 19 Thus 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; 20 And 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: 21 Thus saith the LORD; Take heed to yourselves, and bear no burden on the sabbath day, nor bring it in by the gates of Jerusalem; 22 Neither 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. 23 But they obeyed not, neither inclined their ear, but made their neck stiff, that they might not hear, nor receive instruction. 24 And 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; 25 Then 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. 26 And 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. 27 But 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.

New International Reader’s Version

1 ‘Judah’s sin is carved with an iron tool. It is written with the flint point of the tool. It is carved on the tablets of their hearts. It is written on the horns that stick out from the corners of their altars. 2 Even their children offer sacrifices to other gods on those altars. They use the poles that were made to worship the female god named Asherah. They worship strange gods beside the green trees and on the high hills. 3 I will give away my holy Mount Zion to the Babylonians. Your enemies will carry off your wealth and all your treasures. I will give away your high places. That will happen because you have sinned. You have done it throughout your country. 4 You will lose the land I gave you. And it will be your own fault. I will make you slaves to your enemies. You will serve them in a land you didn’t know about before. You have set my anger on fire. It will burn for ever.’ 5 The LORD says, ‘Those who trust in human beings are under my curse. They depend on human strength. Their hearts turn away from me. 6 They will be like a bush in a dry and empty land. They will not enjoy success when it comes. They will live in dry places in the desert. It is a land of salt where no one else lives. 7 ‘But I will bless anyone who trusts in me. I will do good things for the person who depends on me. 8 They will be like a tree planted near water. It sends out its roots beside a stream. It is not afraid when heat comes. Its leaves are always green. It does not worry when there is no rain. It always bears fruit.’ 9 A human heart is more dishonest than anything else. It can’t be healed. Who can understand it? 10 The LORD says, ‘I look deep down inside human hearts. I see what is in people’s minds. I reward each person in keeping with their conduct. I bless them based on what they have done.’ 11 Some people get rich by doing sinful things. They are like a partridge that hatches eggs it didn’t lay. When their lives are half over, their riches will desert them. In the end they will prove how foolish they have been. 12 Our temple is where the LORD’s glorious throne is. From the beginning it has been high and lifted up. 13 LORD, you are Israel’s only hope. Everyone who deserts you will be put to shame. The names of those who turn away from you will be listed among the dead. LORD, they have deserted you. You are the spring of water that gives life. 14 LORD, heal me. Then I shall be healed. Save me from my enemies. Then I shall be saved. You are the one I praise. 15 They keep saying to me, ‘What has happened to the message the LORD gave you? Let it come true right now!’ 16 I haven’t run away from being the shepherd of your people. You know I haven’t wanted the day of Jerusalem’s fall to come. You are aware of every word that comes from my lips. 17 Don’t be a terror to me. When I’m in trouble, I go to you for safety. 18 Let those who attack me be put to shame. But keep me from shame. Let them be terrified. But keep me from terror. Bring the day of trouble on them. Destroy them once and for all.

Keep the Sabbath day holy

19 The LORD said to me, ‘Go. Stand at the city gate called the Gate of the People. That is where the kings of Judah go in and out. Then stand at all the other gates of Jerusalem. 20 Say, “Listen to the LORD’s message, you kings of Judah and all you people of Judah and Jerusalem. You always come through these gates. 21 The LORD says, ‘Make sure you do not carry a load on the Sabbath day. Do not bring it through the gates of Jerusalem. 22 Do not bring a load out of your houses on the Sabbath day. Do not do any work on that day. Instead, keep the Sabbath day holy. Do as I commanded your people of long ago. 23 But they did not listen. They did not pay any attention to me. They were stubborn. They would not listen or pay attention when I corrected them. 24 Be careful to obey me,’ announces the LORD. ‘Do not bring a load through the gates of this city on the Sabbath day. Instead, keep the Sabbath day holy. Do not do any work on it. 25 Then kings who sit on David’s throne will come through the gates of this city. They and their officials will come riding in chariots and on horses. The people of Judah and Jerusalem will come along with them. And this city will always have people living in it. 26 Some will come from the towns of Judah. And some will come in from the villages around Jerusalem. Others will come from the territory of Benjamin. And others will come in from the western hills. Still others will come from the central hill country and the Negev Desert. All of them will bring burnt offerings and sacrifices. They will come bringing grain offerings, incense and thank-offerings. They will take all these offerings to my house. 27 But what if you do not obey me? Suppose you do not keep the Sabbath day holy. And suppose you carry a load through the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. Then I will start a fire that can’t be put out. It will begin at the gates of Jerusalem. It will destroy its mighty towers.’ ” ’