The Sin and Punishment of Judah

1The sin of Judah was written with a style of iron, with the nail of diamond: being graved upon the table of their heart, and to the horns of your altars.

2For their sons remember their altars and their images by the green tree upon the high hills.

3O my mountain in the field, thy strength, all thy treasures I will, give for plunder, thy heights for sin in all thy bounds.

4And thou wert thrust in thyself from thine inheritance which I gave to thee; and I caused thee to serve thine enemies in a land which thou knewest not: for ye kindled a fire in mine anger; it shall burn forever.

5Thus said Jehovah: Cursed the man who shall trust in man, and set flesh his arm, and shall turn away his heart from Jehovah.

6And he was as ruins in the sterile region, and he shall not see when good shall come; he inherited the arid places in the desert, a salt land, and it shall not be inhabited.

7Blessed the man who shall trust in Jehovah, and his trust was Jehovah.

8And he was as a tree planted by the waters, and it shall spread out its roots by the river, and it shall not see when heat shall come, and its leaf was green; and it shall not be afraid in the year of restraint, and it shall not withdraw from making fruit.

9The heart is deceitful above all, and man himself, who shall know him?

10I Jehovah searching the heart, trying the reins, to give to each according to his way, according to the fruit of his doings.

11The partridge brooded and she brought not forth; to make riches and not in judgment, he shall leave them in the half of his days, and in his latter part he shall be foolish.

Jeremiah’s Prayer for Deliverance

12A throne of glory being lifted up from the first our holy place.

13The hope of Israel, O Jehovah, all forsaking thee shall be ashamed, turning away from me they shall be written in the earth, for they forsook the fountain of the water of life, Jehovah.

14Heal me, O Jehovah, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved: for thou my praise.

15Behold them saying to me, Where the word of Jehovah? it shall come now.

16And I withdrew not from following after thee; I desired not man's day, thou knewest: the going forth of my lips was straight before thee.

17Thou wilt not be for a terror to me; thou my refuge in the evil day.

18They pursuing me shall be ashamed, and I shall not be ashamed: they shall be dismayed, and I shall not be dismayed: bring upon them the evil day, and break them with a double breaking.

Restoring the Sabbath
(Nehemiah 13:15–22)

19Thus said Jehovah to me: Go and stand in the gate of the sons of the people which the kings of Judah shall come in in it, and which they shall go forth in it, and in all the gates of Jerusalem. 20And say to them, Hear the word of Jehovah, ye kings of Judah, and all Judah, and all inhabiting Jerusalem, coming in by these gates: 21Thus said Jehovah: Watch ye in your souls, and ye shall not lift up a lifting up in the day of the Sabbath, and bring in by the gates of Jerusalem. 22And ye shall not bring forth a burden from your houses in the day of the Sabbath, and all work ye shall not do, and consecrate the day of the Sabbath as I commanded your fathers. 23And they heard not, and they inclined not their ear, and they will harden their neck not to hear, and not to receive instruction.

24And it was, if hearing, ye shall hear to me, says Jehovah, not to bring a burden into the gates of this city in day of the Sabbath, and to consecrate the day of the Sabbath, not to do in it any work; 25And there came into the gates of this city kings and chiefs sitting upon the throne of David, riding in chariots and upon horses, they and their chiefs, men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem: and this city was inhabited forever. 26And they came from the cities of Judah and from round about Jerusalem, and from the land of Benjamin, and from the plain, and from the mountain, and from the south, bringing a burnt-offering and sacrifice, and gift, and frankincense, and bringing praise into the house of Jehovah. 27And if ye will not hear to me to consecrate the day of the Sabbath, not to lift up a burden, and coming into the gates of Jerusalem in the day of the Sabbath; and I kindled a fire in her gates and it consumed the palaces of Jerusalem and it shall not be quenched.