1   The sin of Judah is recorded with an iron tool, engraved on the tablet of their heart with a point of adamant and carved on the horns of their ^note altars to bear witness against them. ^note 2   Their altars and their sacred poles stand by every spreading tree, 3   on the heights and the hills in the mountain country. I will give away your wealth as spoil, and all your treasure for no payment, ^note because of your ^note sin throughout your country. 4   You will lose possession ^note of the patrimony which I gave you. I will make you serve your enemies as slaves in a land you do not know; for my anger is a blazing fire ^note and it shall burn for ever.

5   These are the words of the Lord:

A curse on the man who trusts in man
  and leans for support on human kind,
  while his heart is far from the Lord!
   6   He shall be like a juniper ^note in the desert;
  when good comes he shall not see it.
  He shall dwell among the rocks in the wilderness,
  in a salt land where no man can live.
7   Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,
  and rests his confidence upon him.
8   He shall be like a tree planted by the waterside,
  that stretches its roots along the stream.
When the heat comes it has nothing to fear;
  its spreading foliage stays green.
  In a year of drought it feels no care,
    and does not cease to bear fruit.


   9   The heart is the most deceitful of all things,
desperately sick; ^note who can fathom it?
   10   I, the Lord, search the mind
    and test the heart,
  requiting man for his conduct,
    and as his deeds deserve.
     11   Like a partridge which gathers into its nest

Confessions and addresses
    eggs which it has not laid,
    so is the man who amasses wealth unjustly.
    Before his days are half done he must leave it,
  and prove but a fool at the last.


   12   O throne of glory, exalted from the beginning,
    the place of our sanctuary,
     13   O Lord on whom Israel's hope is fixed,
    all who reject thee shall be put to shame;
  all in this land who forsake thee shall be humbled, ^note
for they have rejected the fountain of living water. ^note
14   Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed,
  save me and I shall be saved;
    for thou art my praise.
15   They say to me, ‘Where is the word of the Lord?
    Let it come if it can!’
16   It is not the thought of disaster that makes me press after thee;
  never did I desire this day of despair.
  Thou knowest all that has passed my lips;
    it was approved by thee.
   17   Do not become a terror to me;
  thou art my only refuge on the day of disaster.
18   May my persecutors be foiled, not I;
may they be terrified, not I.
  Bring on them the day of disaster;
    destroy them, destroy them utterly.

19   These were the words of the Lord to me: Go and stand in the Benjamin ^note Gate, through which the kings of Judah go in and out, and in all the gates of Jerusalem. 20   Say, Hear the words of the Lord, you princes of Judah, all you men of Judah, and all you inhabitants of Jerusalem who come in through these gates. 21   These are the words of the Lord: Observe this with care, that you do not carry any load on the sabbath or bring it through the gates of Jerusalem. 22   You shall not bring any load out of your houses or do any work on the sabbath, but you shall keep the sabbath day holy as I commanded your forefathers. 23   Yet they did not obey or pay attention, but obstinately refused to hear or learn their lesson. 24   Now if you will obey me, says the Lord, and refrain from bringing any load through the gates of this city on the sabbath, and keep that day holy by doing no work on it, 25   then kings shall come through the gates of this city, kings ^note who shall sit on David's throne. They shall come riding in chariots or on horseback, escorted by their captains, by

Confessions and addresses the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and this city shall be inhabited for ever. 26   People shall come from the cities of Judah, the country round Jerusalem, the land of Benjamin, the Shephelah, the hill-country and the Negeb, bringing whole-offerings, sacrifices, grain-offerings, and frankincense, bringing also thank-offerings to the house of the Lord. 27   But if you do not obey me by keeping the sabbath day holy and by not carrying any load as you come through the gates of Jerusalem on the sabbath, then I will set fire to those gates; it shall consume the palaces of Jerusalem and shall not be put out.

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