Jeremiah, 17

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;

1. The sin of Judah is engraved with a tool of steel, with a point of diamond. It is written on the tablets of their hearts as on the horns of their altars.

2. Whilst their children remember their altars and their groves by the green trees upon the high hills.

2. Their altars and sacred poles witness of it beside every green tree,

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.

3. on the high hills and in the open country! I will give away your wealth and your treasures as plunder because of your sin in the high places of your land.

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.

4. Because of your fault you will lose the land I gave you. I will give you as slaves to your enemies in a land that you have never known before, for you have kindled the fire of my anger and it will burn forever.

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.

5. This is what Yahweh says, "Cursed is the man who trusts in human beings and depends on a mortal for his life, while his heart is drawn away from Yahweh!

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.

6. He is like a bunch of thistles in dry land, in parched desert places, in a salt land where no one lives and who never finds happiness.

7. Blessed [is] the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is.

7. Blessed is the man who puts his trust in Yahweh and whose confidence is in him!

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.

8. He is like a tree planted by the water, sending out its roots towards the stream. He has no fear when the heat comes, his leaves are always green; the year of drought is no problem and he can always bear fruit.

9. The heart [is] deceitful above all [things], and desperately wicked: who can know it?

9. Most deceitful is the heart. What is there within man, who can understand him?

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.

10. I, Yahweh, search the heart and penetrate the mind. I reward each one according to his ways and the fruit of his deeds.

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.

11. Like a partridge hatching eggs it did not lay, is someone who hoards riches that he unjustly gained. At the noontime of his life, his wealth will abandon him; at the twilight of his breath, his folly will be confirmed."

12. A glorious high throne from the beginning [is] the place of our sanctuary.

12. What a glorious and exalted throne is 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.

13. Yahweh, hope of Israel, all who forsake you will be put to shame and those who turn from you will be cast out from your land, for they have rejected Yahweh, the fountain of living water.

14. Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved: for thou [art] my praise.

14. Heal me, Yahweh, and I shall be whole; save me and I shall be safe, O you, my hope!

15. Behold, they say unto me, Where [is] the word of the LORD? let it come now.

15. People say to me, "Where are Yahweh's threats? Let them be carried out 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.

16. But I did not urge you to bring devastation nor a time of tragic death; you well know my desire and my pleading is in your ears.

17. Be not a terror unto me: thou [art] my hope in the day of evil.

17. Do not terrorize my heart; be my refuge in the day of disaster.

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.

18. Let my persecutors be humbled, rather than me! Let them be terrified but not me! Let the day of misfortune fall on them! Crush them twice over!

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;

19. The word of Yahweh came to me in these terms, "Go and stand at the gate they call the People Gate, where the kings of Judah enter and leave;

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:

20. and tell the king and all the people of Judah that this is what Yahweh says:

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;

21. For the sake of your lives, be careful not to carry a load on the sabbath day or bring it through 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.

22. Carry no burden out of your adobes and refrain from work on the day of the sabbath. Uphold its sacredness as I commanded your forefathers.

23. But they obeyed not, neither inclined their ear, but made their neck stiff, that they might not hear, nor receive instruction.

23. They did not obey me or pay attention to what I said. Stiff-necked as they were, they would not hear or accept my warnings.

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;

24. But if you pay attention - it is Yahweh who speaks - and keep the sabbath holy, not working or carrying loads

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.

25. through the gates of Jerusalem, then you will be witnesses to the entry of kings of David's descent through these gates, riding in chariots and on horses. You shall see them and their princes along with the people of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and this city shall last forever.

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.

26. People will come from the towns of Judah and from the suburbs of Jerusalem, from the territory of Benjamin, from the Lowland and the hill country and from the Negeb, bringing into the temple burnt offerings and sacrifices, grain offerings and incense, as an act of thanksgiving to Yahweh.

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.

27. But if you do not listen and do not keep the sabbath holy, if you work and carry loads through the gates of Jerusalem, then I will set fire to those gates. It will burn the city and will not be quenched."