The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

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- Chapter 17 -

“The sin of Judah is written with an iron stylus having a diamond point. It is engraved on the tablet of their hearts and on the horns of your altars.

Their children remember their altars and their Asherah poles by the leafy trees on the high hills.

My mountain in the open country and all your wealth along with all of your treasures, I will give as plunder to others. That is the price of your high places and the sin that is throughout all your territories.

You will lose the inheritance that I gave to you. I will enslave you to your enemies in a land that you do not know, for you have ignited a fire in my wrath, which will burn forever.”

Yahweh says, “The person who trusts in mankind is accursed; he makes flesh his strength but turns his heart away from Yahweh.

For he will be like a small bush in the Arabah and will not see anything good coming. He will stay in the stony places in the wilderness, barren land without inhabitants.

But the person who trusts in Yahweh is blessed, for Yahweh is his reason for confidence.

For he will be like a plant beside waters along the stream; his roots will spread out. He will not see that heat is coming, for his leaves will be luxurious. Then in the year of drought he will not be anxious, nor will he stop producing fruit.

The heart is more deceitful than anything else. It is sick; who can understand it?

I am Yahweh, the one who searches through the mind, who tests the kidneys. I give to each person according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.

A partridge hatches an egg that she did not lay. Someone may become rich unjustly, but when half his days are over, those riches will abandon him, and in the end he will be a fool.”

Jeremiah’s Prayer for Deliverance

“The place of our temple is a glorious throne, elevated from the beginning.

Yahweh is the hope of Israel. All who abandon you will be ashamed. Those in the land who turn away from you will be cut off. For they are abandoning Yahweh, the fountain of living waters.

Heal me, Yahweh, and I will be healed! Rescue me, and I will be rescued. For you are my song of praise.

See, they are saying to me, ‘Where is the word of Yahweh? Let it come!’

As for me, I did not run from being a shepherd following you. I did not long for the day of disaster. You know the proclamations that came from my lips. They were made in your presence.

Do not be a terror to me. You are my refuge on the day of calamity.

May my pursuers be ashamed, but do not let me be ashamed. May they be dismayed, but do not let me be dismayed. Send the day of disaster against them and shatter them with a double share of destruction.”

Restoring the Sabbath

(Nehemiah 13:15–22)

Yahweh said this to me: “Go and stand in the gate of the people where the kings of Judah enter and where they exit, then in all the other gates of Jerusalem.

Say to them, ’Hear the word of Yahweh, kings of Judah and all you people of Judah, and every resident of Jerusalem who comes in through these gates.

Yahweh says this: “Be careful for the sake of your lives and do not carry a burden on the Sabbath day to bring it to the gates of Jerusalem.

Do not bring a load out from your house on the Sabbath day. Do not do any work, but set apart the Sabbath day, just as I commanded your ancestors to do.”’

They did not listen or pay attention, but stiffened their neck so they would not hear me nor accept discipline.

It will happen that if you truly listen to me-this is Yahweh’s declaration-and do not bring a load to the gates of this city on the Sabbath day but instead set apart the Sabbath day to Yahweh and not do any work on it,

then kings, princes, and those who sit on David’s throne will come to the gates of this city in chariots and with horses, they and their leaders, men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, and this city will be inhabited forever.

They will come from the cities of Judah and from all around Jerusalem, from the land of Benjamin and the lowlands, from the mountains, and from the Negev, bringing burnt offerings and sacrifices, grain offerings and frankincense, thank offerings to the house of Yahweh.

But if you do not listen to me-to set apart the Sabbath day and do not carry heavy loads and do not enter the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day-then I will light a fire in its gates, and it will consume the fortresses of Jerusalem, and it cannot be put out.”

“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.

Even their children remember their altars and their Asherah poles by the green trees on the high hills.

My 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.

You, 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.”

The LORD says: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man, relies on strength of flesh, and whose heart departs from the LORD.

For 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.

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, and whose confidence is in the LORD.

For 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.

The heart is deceitful above all things and it is exceedingly corrupt. Who can know it?

“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.”

As 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.

Jeremiah’s Prayer for Deliverance

A glorious throne, set on high from the beginning, is the place of our sanctuary.

LORD, 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.

Heal me, O LORD, and I will be healed. Save me, and I will be saved; for you are my praise.

Behold, they ask me, “Where is the LORD’s word? Let it be fulfilled now.”

As 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.

Don’t be a terror to me. You are my refuge in the day of evil.

Let 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.

Restoring the Sabbath

(Nehemiah 13:15–22)

The 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.

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

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

Don’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.

But 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.

It 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;

then 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.

They 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.

But 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.”’”