1 The sinne of Iudah is written with a pen of yron, and with the poynt of a diamonde, and grauen vpon the table of their heart, and vpon the hornes of your altars. 2 They remember their altars as their children, with their groues by the greene trees vpon the hilles. 3 O my mountaine in the fielde, I will giue thy substance, and all thy treasures to be spoyled, for the sinne of thy high places throughout all thy borders. 4 And thou shalt rest, and in thee shall be a rest from thine heritage that I gaue thee, and I will cause thee to serue thine enemies in the land, which thou knowest not: for yee haue kindled a fire in mine anger, which shall burne for euer. 5 Thus saith the Lord, Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arme, and withdraweth his heart from the Lord. 6 For he shall be like the heath in the wildernesse, and shall not see when any good commeth, but shall inhabite the parched places in the wildernesse, in a salt land, and not inhabited. 7 Blessed be the man, that trusteth in ye Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. 8 For he shall be as a tree that is planted by the water, which spreadeth out her rootes by the riuer, and shall not feele when the heate commeth, but her leafe shall be greene, and shall not care for the yeere of drought, neyther shall cease from yeelding fruit. 9 The heart is deceitfull and wicked aboue all things, who can knowe it? 10 I the Lord search the heart, and try ye reines, euen to giue euery man according to his wayes, and according to the fruite of his workes. 11 As the partryche gathereth the yong, which she hath not brought forth: so he that getteth riches, and not by right, shall leaue them in the middes of his dayes, and at his ende shall bee a foole. 12 As a glorious throne exalted from the beginning, so is the place of our Sanctuarie. 13 O Lord, the hope of Israel, all that forsake thee, shall be confounded: they that depart from thee, shalbe written in the earth, because they haue forsaken the Lord, the fountaine of liuing waters. 14 Heale me, O Lord, and I shall bee whole: saue me, and I shall bee saued: for thou art my prayse. 15 Behold, they say vnto me, Where is the word of the Lord? let it come nowe. 16 But I haue not thrust in my selfe for a pastour after thee, neither haue I desired the day of miserie, thou knowest: that which came out of my lips, was right before thee. 17 Be not terrible vnto mee: thou art mine hope in the day of aduersitie. 18 Let them bee confounded, that persecute me, but let not me be confounded: let them be afraide, but let not me be afraide: bring vpon them the day of aduersitie, and destroy them with double destruction. 19 Thus hath the Lord said vnto me, Goe and stande in the gate of the children of the people, whereby the Kings of Iudah come in, and by the which they goe out, and in all ye gates of Ierusalem, 20 And say vnto them, Heare the word of the Lord, ye Kings of Iudah, and al Iudah, and all the inhabitants of Ierusale, that enter in by these gates. 21 Thus sayth the Lord, Take heede to your soules, and beare no burden in the Sabbath day, nor bring it in by the gates of Ierusalem. 22 Neither cary foorth burdens out of your houses in the Sabbath day: neither doe yee any worke, but sanctifie the Sabbath, as I commanded your fathers. 23 But they obeied not, neither inclined their eares, but made their neckes stiffe and would not heare, nor receiue correction. 24 Neuerthelesse if ye will heare me, sayth the Lord, and beare no burden through the gates of the citie in the Sabbath day, but sanctifie ye Sabbath day, so that ye do no worke therein, 25 Then shall the Kings and the princes enter in at the gates of this citie, and shall sit vpon the throne of Dauid, and shall ride vpon charets, and vpon horses, both they and their princes, the men of Iudah, and the inhabitants of Ierusalem: and this citie shall remaine for euer. 26 And they shall come from the cities of Iudah, and from about Ierusalem, and from the land of Beniamin, and from the plaine, and from the mountaines, and from the South, which shall bring burnt offrings, and sacrifices, and meate offrings, and incense, and shall bring sacrifice of prayse into the house of the Lord. 27 But if ye will not heare me to sanctifie the Sabbath day, and not to beare a burden nor to go through the gates of Ierusalem in the Sabbath day, then will I kindle a fire in the gates thereof, and it shall deuoure the palaces of Ierusalem, and it shall not be quenched.
The Sin and Punishment of Judah
1 The Lord says, “People of Judah, your sin is written with an iron pen; it is engraved on your hearts with a diamond point and carved on the corners of your altars. 2 Your people worship at the altars and the symbols that have been set up for the goddess Asherah by every green tree and on the hilltops 3 and on the mountains in the open country. I will have your enemies take away your wealth and your treasures because of all the sins you have committed throughout your land. 4 You will have to give up the land I gave you, and I will make you serve your enemies in a land you know nothing about, because my anger is like a fire, and it will burn forever.”
Various Sayings
5 The Lord says,
“I will condemn those
who turn away from me
and put their trust in human beings,
in the strength of mortals.
6 He is like a bush in the desert,
which grows in the dry wasteland,
on salty ground where nothing else grows.
Nothing good ever happens to him.
7 “But I will bless the person
who puts his trust in me.
8 He is like a tree growing near a stream
and sending out roots to the water.
It is not afraid when hot weather comes,
because its leaves stay green;
it has no worries when there is no rain;
it keeps on bearing fruit.
9 “Who can understand the human heart?
There is nothing else so deceitful;
it is too sick to be healed.
10 I, the Lord, search the minds
and test the hearts of people.
I treat each of them according to the way they live,
according to what they do.”
11 The person who gets money dishonestly
is like a bird that hatches eggs it didn't lay.
In the prime of life he will lose his riches,
and in the end he is nothing but a fool.
12 Our Temple is like a glorious throne,
standing on a high mountain from the beginning.
13 Lord, you are Israel's hope;
all who abandon you will be put to shame.
They will disappear like names written in the dust,
because they have abandoned you, the Lord,
the spring of fresh water.
Jeremiah Asks the Lord for Help
14 Lord, heal me and I will be completely well; rescue me and I will be perfectly safe. You are the one I praise!
15 The people say to me, “Where are those threats the Lord made against us? Let him carry them out now!”
16 But, Lord, I never urged you to bring disaster on them; I did not wish a time of trouble for them. Lord, you know this; you know what I have said. 17 Do not be a terror to me; you are my place of safety when trouble comes. 18 Bring disgrace on those who persecute me, but spare me, Lord. Fill them with terror, but do not terrify me. Bring disaster on them and break them to pieces.
On Observing the Sabbath
19 The Lord said to me, “Jeremiah, go and announce my message at the People's Gate, through which the kings of Judah enter and leave the city; then go to all the other gates of Jerusalem. 20 Tell the kings and all the people of Judah and everyone who lives in Jerusalem and enters these gates, to listen to what I say. 21 Tell them that if they love their lives, they must not carry any load on the Sabbath; they must not carry anything in through the gates of Jerusalem 22 or carry anything out of their houses on the Sabbath. They must not work on the Sabbath; they must observe it as a sacred day, as I commanded their ancestors. 23 Their ancestors did not listen to me or pay any attention. Instead, they became stubborn; they would not obey me or learn from me.
24 “Tell these people that they must obey all my commands. They must not carry any load in through the gates of this city on the Sabbath. They must observe the Sabbath as a sacred day and must not do any work at all. 25 Then their kings and princes will enter the gates of Jerusalem and have the same royal power that David had. Together with the people of Judah and of Jerusalem, they will ride in chariots and on horses, and the city of Jerusalem will always be filled with people. 26 People will come from the towns of Judah and from the villages around Jerusalem; they will come from the territory of Benjamin, from the foothills, from the mountains, and from southern Judah. They will bring to my Temple burnt offerings and sacrifices, grain offerings and incense, as well as thank offerings. 27 But they must obey me and observe the Sabbath as a sacred day. They must not carry any load through the gates of Jerusalem on that day, for if they do, I will set the gates of Jerusalem on fire. Fire will burn down the palaces of Jerusalem, and no one will be able to put it out.”