Jeremiah 17

Jeremiah 17:1

The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron, and with a point of a diamond: it is graven upon the table of their heart, and upon the horns of your altars;

The state of Judah is desperate: their sin is not slightly sprinkled upon their skins, but is deeply engraven in their hearts; even with a pen of iron, with a point of a diamond, so as it may not be denied, and cannot be amended: and, if they would smother their secret inclinations, yet their idolatries are publicly written, upon the horns of their altars, that all the world may see them;

Jeremiah 17:2

Whilst their children remember their altars and their groves by the green trees upon the high hills.

So as their children and posterity, seeing these monuments of their altars and groves, cannot but call to mind, and into practice also, the superstitions of their forefathers.

Jeremiah 17:3

O my mountain in the field, I will give thy substance and all thy treasures to the spoil, and the high places for sin, throughout all thy borders.

O thou, my chosen and defenced mountain, in which my people do so vainly trust, thou shalt be as unable to guard them from the fury of the enemy, as if thou wert but a plain field: all thy riches and treasures shall be a spoil to the Chaldean; and thy high places, wherein thou hast sinned, shall be wasted alike throughout all thy borders.

Jeremiah 17:4

And thou, even thyself, shalt discontinue from thine heritage that I gave thee; and I will cause thee to serve thine enemies in the land which thou knowest not: for ye have kindled a fire in mine anger, which shall burn for ever.

And thou, O my people, the Jews, shalt be taken away from this thy native land of inheritance, which I gave thee, &c.; ye have stirred up such mine anger and indignation against you, as will not be again appeased for ever.

Jeremiah 17:6

For he shall be like the heath in the desert and shall not see when good cometh.

That man shall be like the heath in a dry wilderness, and shall not partake of the sweet showers when they fall.

Jeremiah 17:11

As the partridge sitteth on eggs, and hatcheth them not; so he that getteth riches and not by right, shall leave them in the midst of his days, and at his end shall be a fool.

The wicked and deceitful man shall be disappointed of his hopes of gain: as the partridge sits on those eggs, which she never laid, and can never hatch and bring forth to perfection; so he, that fraudulently and unjustly gathers wealth, shall not enjoy it, but shall leave it, in the midst of his days, and, in the end, shall find that he hath been a fool.

Jeremiah 17:12

A glorious high throne from the beginning is the place of our sanctuary.

God hath highly honoured Judea above all the nations of the world, in that he hath erected in her the place of his Sanctuary; which is that high and glorious throne, wherein God, from the beginning, ordained and decreed to seat himself.

Jeremiah 17:13

And they that depart from me shall be written in the earth.

They, that take part against me, however they boast themselves to be the holy and noble offspring of faithful Abraham, and God’s peculiar people, yet their memory shall be either base or forgotten; their names shall be written in the dust of the earth.

Jeremiah 17:15

Behold, they say unto me, Where is the word of the Lord? let it come now.

Behold, this obstinate and incredulous people is ready to say, Where is this word of the Lord, which we hear so much talk of? We have been told of grievous things; of plagues, and famines, and the sword; but where are they? Why do they not come, as it is foretold us?

Jeremiah 17:16

As for me, I have not hastened from being a pastor to follow thee: neither have I desired the woeful day; thou knowest, that which came out of my lips was right before thee.

As for me, O Lord, it is thou, that hast called me; and I have not dared to be averse from following thee, in that charge, which thou hast laid upon me; neither have I been ambitious and desirous of this sad and busy task, as thou well knowest, and that, which I have spoken, is thy true message, and no other.

Jeremiah 17:21

Thus saith the Lord; Take heed to yourselves, and bear no burden on the sabbath day, nor bring it in by the gates of Jerusalem.

As ye Jews have shamefully broken all my other commandments, so also this of my sabbath; but now, recollect yourselves, and reform this abuse: see that you do no servile work on that day; bear no burden on that day of the Lord, in or out at the gates of Jerusalem. So verse 22.

Jeremiah 17:23

But made their neck stiff.

But wilfully hardened their hearts, and resolved to persist in their obstinacy.

Jeremiah 17:25

Then shall there enter into the gates of this city kings and princes sitting upon the throne of David, &c.

Then shall your kings and princes be established in this throne of David, and shall rule over you, and maintain that royal magnificence, which is meet for them, amongst you, &c.