Jeremias 17
1 Cursed is the man who trusts in man, and will lean his arm of flesh upon him, while his heart departs from the Lord.
The sin of Judah is inscribed with an iron stylus, engraved with an adamant point, on their minds and on corners of their altars where they worship.
Even their children remember to worship at their pagan altars and Asherah poles, set up by the green trees and on the high hills,
on my mountain in the fields. I will hand over your wealth and all your valuable possessions as plunder, because of the sin committed on your pagan high places inside your country.
You will have to give up the land I gave you. I will have your enemies make you their slaves in an unfamiliar country for you made my anger blaze, and it will burn forever.
This is what the Lord says: Cursed are those who put their confidence in human beings, who trust in human strength and give up relying on the Lord.
6 And he shall be as the wild tamarisk in the desert: he shall not see when good comes; but he shall dwell in barren [places], and in the wilderness, in a salt land which is not inhabited.
They will be like a shrub alone in the desert that isn't even aware when good things happen. It just goes on living in the dry desert, in a salt flat that's uninhabited.
7 But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord shall be.
Blessed are those who trust in the Lord, who put their confidence in him.
8 And he shall be as a thriving tree by the waters, and he shall cast forth his root toward a moist place: he shall not fear when heat comes, and there shall be upon him shady branches: he shall not fear in a year of drought, and he shall not fail to bear fruit.
They are like trees planted by water, sending out roots toward the stream. They don't panic when it gets hot; their leaves are always green. They don't worry during a time of drought—they go on producing fruit.
9 The heart is deep beyond all things, and it is the man, and who can know him?
The mind is more deceptive than anything else—it's incurably sick! Who can possibly understand it?
10 I the Lord try the hearts, and prove the reins, to give to every one according to his ways, and according to the fruits of his devices.
But I, the Lord, see what people are thinking. I examine their minds, so I can reward them depending on their attitudes and the way they behave.
11 The partridge utters her voice, she gathers [eggs] which she did not lay; [so is a man] gaining his wealth unjustly; in the midst of his days [his riches] shall leave him, and at his latter end he will be a fool.
Like a partridge hatching eggs it didn't lay is someone who makes a fortune by cheating others. Their riches will fly away at midday, and in the end they'll look like a fool.
12 An exalted throne of glory is our sanctuary.
Our Temple is a throne of glory, raised up high from the beginning.
13 O Lord, the hope of Israel, let all that have left you be ashamed, let them that have revolted be written on the earth, because they have forsaken the fountain of life, the Lord.
Lord, you are Israel's hope, anyone who deserts you will be disgraced. Anyone who turns their back on you will vanish like names written in the dust, for they have abandoned the Lord, the source of living water.
14 Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved; for you are my boast.
Please heal me, Lord, and I'll be healed; save me, and I'll be saved, for you are the one I praise.
15 Behold, they say to me, Where is the word of the Lord? let it come.
See how they keep on saying to me, “Where is the disaster that the Lord's predicted? Is it ever going to happen?”
16 But I have not been weary of following you, nor have I desired the day of man; you know; the [words] that proceed out of my lips are before your face.
But I haven't been in a hurry to give up being your shepherd. I haven't wanted the time of trouble to come. You know that whatever I said was said in front of you.
17 Be not to me a stranger, [but] spare me in the evil day.
Please don't be the one who terrifies me! You are my protection in the time of trouble.
18 Let them that persecute me be ashamed, but let me not be ashamed: let them be alarmed, but let me not be alarmed: bring upon them the evil day, crush them with double destruction.
Bring shame on my persecutors, but not on me. Terrify them, but not me, Let them experience the time of trouble, and smash them to pieces.
19 Thus says the Lord; Go and stand in the gates of the children of your people, by which the kings of Juda enter, and by which they go out, and in all the gates of Jerusalem:
This is what the Lord told me: Go and stand at the main gate of the city, the one used by kings of Judah, and do the same at all the other gates of Jerusalem.
20 and you shall say to them, Hear the word of the Lord, you kings of Juda, and all Judea, and all Jerusalem, [all] who go in at these gates:
Tell them, Listen to the Lord's message, kings of Judah, and all you people of Judah and Jerusalem who come in through these gates.
21 thus says the Lord; Take heed to your souls, and take up no burdens on the sabbath-day, and go not forth [through] the gates of Jerusalem;
This is what the Lord says: Pay attention, if you value your lives! Don't carry a load on the Sabbath day, and don't bring it through the gates of Jerusalem.
22 and carry forth no burdens out of your houses on the sabbath-day, and you shall do no work: sanctify the sabbath-day, as I commanded your fathers.
Don't carry a load out of your houses, and don't do any work on the Sabbath day. Keep the Sabbath day holy, just as I ordered your forefathers.
23 But they listened not, and inclined not their ear, but stiffened their neck more than their fathers [did], so as not to hear me, and not to receive correction.
However, they refused to listen or pay attention. Instead they were stubborn and refused to obey or accept instruction.
24 And it shall come to pass, if you will listen to me, says the Lord, to carry in no burdens through the gates of this city on the sabbath-day, and to sanctify the sabbath-day, so as to do no work [upon it],
Listen carefully to me, says the Lord, and don't bring any load through the gates of this city on the Sabbath day, and keep the Sabbath day holy, and don't do any work on it.
25 that there shall enter through the gates of this city kings and princes sitting on the throne of David, and riding on their chariots and horses, they, and their princes, the men of Juda, and the dwellers in Jerusalem: and this city shall be inhabited for ever.
Then kings and princes will enter through the gates of this city. They will sit on the throne of David. They will ride in chariots and on horses with their officials, accompanied by the people of Judah and those living in Jerusalem, and this city will be inhabited forever.
26 And [men] shall come out of the cities of Juda, and from round about Jerusalem, and out of the land of Benjamin, and out of the plain country, and from the hill country, and from the south [country], bringing whole burnt offerings, and sacrifices, and incense, and manna, and frankincense, bringing praise to the house of the Lord.
People will come from the towns of Judah and everywhere around Jerusalem, from the land of Benjamin, and from the lowlands the hill country, and the Negev. They will bring burnt offerings and sacrifices, grain offerings and frankincense, and thank offerings to the Lord's Temple.
27 But it shall come to pass, if you will not listen to me to sanctify the sabbath-day, to bear no burdens, nor go in [with them by] the gates of Jerusalem on the sabbath-day; then will I kindle a fire in the gates thereof, and it shall devour the streets of Jerusalem, and shall not be quenched.
But if you refuse to listen to me and keep the Sabbath day holy by not carrying a load while entering the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day, then I will set its gates alight with a fire that can't be put out, and it will burn down Jerusalem's fortresses.
