17:1¹ The sin of Judah is engraved with an iron chisel
on their stone-hearted² hearts.
It is inscribed with a diamond³ point
on the horns of their altars.⁴
17:2 Their children are always thinking about⁵ their⁶ altars
and their sacred poles dedicated to the goddess Asherah
set up beside the green trees on the high hills
17:3 and on the mountains and in the fields.⁷
I will give your wealth and all your treasures away as plunder.
I will give it away as the price⁸ for the sins you have done throughout your land.
17:4 And you will lose your hold on the land⁹
which I gave to you as a permanent possession.
I will make you serve your enemies in a land that you know nothing about.
For you have made my anger burn like a fire that will never be put out.”¹⁰

17:5 The LORD says,

“I will put a curse on people
who trust in mere human beings,
who depend on mere flesh and blood for their strength,¹²
and whose hearts¹³ have turned away from the LORD.
17:6 They will be like a shrub¹⁴ in the desert.
They will not experience good things even when they happen.
It will be as though they were growing in the desert,
in a salt land where no one can live.
17:7 My blessing is on those people who trust in me,
who put their confidence in me.¹⁵
17:8 They will be like a tree planted near a stream
whose roots spread out toward the water.
It has nothing to fear when the heat comes.
Its leaves are always green.
It has no need to be concerned in a year of drought.
It does not stop bearing fruit.
17:9 The human mind is more deceitful than anything else.
It is incurably bad.¹⁶ Who can understand it?
17:10 I, the LORD, probe into peoples’ minds.
I examine peoples’ hearts.¹⁷
And I deal with each person according to how he has behaved.
I give them what they deserve based on what they have done.
17:11 The person who gathers wealth by unjust means
is like the partridge that broods over eggs but does not hatch them.¹⁸
Before his life is half over he will lose his ill-gotten gains.¹⁹
At the end of his life it will be clear he was a fool.”²⁰

17:12 Then I said,²¹

“LORD, from the very beginning
you have been seated on your glorious throne on high.
You are the place where we can find refuge.
17:13 You are the one in whom Israel may find hope.²²
All who leave you will suffer shame.
Those who turn away from you²³ will be consigned to the netherworld.²⁴
For they have left you, the LORD, the fountain of life.²⁵
17:14 LORD, grant me relief from my suffering
so that I may have some relief.
Rescue me from those who persecute me
so that I may be rescued.²⁶
17:15 Listen to what they are saying to me.²⁷
They are saying, “Where are the things the LORD threatens us with?
Come on! Let’s see them happen.”²⁸
17:16 But I have not pestered you to bring disaster.²⁹
I have not desired the time of irreparable devastation.³⁰
You know that.
You are fully aware of every word that I have spoken.³¹
17:17 Do not cause me dismay.³²
You are my source of safety in times of trouble.
17:18 May those who persecute me be disgraced.
Do not let me be disgraced.
May they be dismayed.
Do not let me be dismayed.
Bring days of disaster on them.
Bring on them the destruction they deserve.”³³

17:19 The LORD told me, “Go and stand in the People’s Gate³⁵ through which the kings of Judah enter and leave the city. Then go and stand in all the other gates of the city of Jerusalem. 17:20 As you stand in those places³⁶ announce, ‘Listen, all you people who pass through these gates. Listen, all you kings of Judah, all you people of Judah, and all you citizens of Jerusalem. Listen to what the LORD says.³⁷ 17:21 The LORD says, ‘Be very careful if you value your lives.³⁸ Do not carry any loads³⁹ in through⁴⁰ the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath Day. 17:22 Do not carry any loads out of your houses or do any work on the Sabbath Day.⁴¹ But observe the Sabbath Day as a day set apart to the LORD⁴² as I commanded your ancestors. 17:23 Your ancestors,⁴³ however, did not listen to me or pay any attention to me. They stubbornly refused⁴⁴ to pay any heed or to respond to any discipline.’ 17:24 The LORD says,⁴⁵ ‘You must be careful to obey me. You must not bring any loads through the gates of this city on the Sabbath Day. You must set the Sabbath Day apart to me. You must not do any work on that day. 17:25 If you do this,⁴⁶ then the kings and princes who follow in David’s succession⁴⁷ and ride in chariots or on horses will continue to come through these gates. And so will their officials and the people of Judah and the citizens of Jerusalem.⁴⁸ And this city will always be filled with people.⁴⁹ 17:26 Then people will come here from the towns in Judah. They will come here from the villages surrounding Jerusalem. They will come here from the territory of Benjamin and from the western foothills and from the southern hill country and from the southern part of Judah. They will come bringing offerings to the temple of the LORD. They will bring burnt offerings, sacrifices, grain offerings and incense along with their offerings to give thanks to God.⁵⁰ 17:27 But you must obey me and set the Sabbath Day apart to me. You must not carry any loads in through⁵¹ the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath Day. If you disobey, I will set the gates of Jerusalem on fire. It will burn down all the fortified dwellings in Jerusalem and no one will be able to put it out.’”