The Deceitful Heart

1The sin of Judah is written down with an iron stylus;

With a diamond point it is engraved upon the tablet of their heart

And on the horns of [†]their altars,

2As they remember their children,

So they remember their altars and their [†]Asherim

By green trees on the high hills.

3O mountain of Mine in the countryside,

I will give over your wealth and all your treasures for plunder,

Your high places for sin throughout your borders.

4And you will, even of yourself, let go of your inheritance

That I gave you;

And I will make you serve your enemies

In the land which you do not know,

For you have kindled a fire in My anger

Which will burn forever.

5Thus says Yahweh,

“Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind

And makes flesh his [†]strength,

And whose heart turns away from Yahweh.

6And he will be like a juniper in the desert

And will not see when prosperity comes,

But will dwell in stony wastes in the wilderness,

A land of salt [†]which is not inhabited.

7Blessed is the man who trusts in Yahweh

And whose trust is Yahweh.

8And he will be like a tree planted by the water,

That sends forth its roots by a stream

And will not fear when the heat comes;

But its leaves will be green,

And it will not be anxious in a year of drought

Nor refrain from yielding fruit.

9“The heart is more deceitful than all else

And is [†]desperately sick;

Who can know it?

10I, Yahweh, search the heart;

I test the [†]inmost being,

Even to give to each man according to his ways,

According to the fruit of his deeds.

11As a partridge that hatches eggs which it has not laid,

So is he who makes a fortune, but unjustly;

In the midst of his days it will forsake him,

And in [†]the end he will be a wicked fool.”

12A glorious throne on high from the beginning

Is the place of our sanctuary.

13O Yahweh, the hope of Israel,

All who forsake You will be put to shame.

Those who turn [†]away on earth will be written down

Because they have forsaken the fountain of living water, even Yahweh.

14Heal me, O Yahweh, and I will be healed;

Save me and I will be saved,

For You are my praise.

15Behold, they keep saying to me,

“Where is the word of Yahweh?

Let it come now!”

16But as for me, I have not hurried away from being a shepherd after You,

Nor have I longed for the [†]sickening day;

You Yourself know that the utterance of my lips

Was in Your presence.

17Do not be a terror to me;

You are my refuge in the day of calamity.

18Let those who pursue me be put to shame, but as for me, let me not be put to shame;

Let them be dismayed, but let me not be dismayed.

Bring on them a day of calamity,

And [†]crush them with twofold [†]crushing!

Keep the Sabbath Day Holy

19Thus Yahweh said to me, “Go and stand in the [†]public gate, through which the kings of Judah come in and go out, as well as in all the gates of Jerusalem, 20and say to them, ‘Listen to the word of Yahweh, kings of Judah and all Judah and all inhabitants of Jerusalem who come in through these gates: 21Thus says Yahweh, “Take care of yourselves, and do not carry any load on the sabbath day or bring anything in through the gates of Jerusalem. 22You shall not bring a load out of your houses on the sabbath day nor do any work, but keep the sabbath day holy, as I commanded your fathers. 23Yet they did not listen or incline their ears, but stiffened their necks in order not to listen or receive discipline.

24“But it will be, if you listen carefully to Me,” declares Yahweh, “to bring no load in through the gates of this city on the sabbath day, but to keep the sabbath day holy by doing no work on it, 25then there will come in through the gates of this city kings and princes [†]sitting on 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 will be inhabited forever. 26And they will come in from the cities of Judah and from all around Jerusalem, from the land of Benjamin, from the [†]Shephelah, from the hill country, and from the Negev, bringing burnt offerings, sacrifices, grain offerings, and frankincense, and bringing sacrifices of thanksgiving to the house of Yahweh. 27But if you do not listen to Me to keep the sabbath day holy by not carrying a load and coming in through 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 and not be quenched.”’”