Read the Bible

¹ "The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron, || With the point of a diamond, || Engraved on the tablet of their heart, || And on the horns of your altars,² As their sons remember their altars and their Asherim, || By the green tree, by the high hills.³ O My mountain in the field—your strength, || All your treasures—I give for a prey, || Your high places for sin in all your borders.⁴ And you have let go—even through yourself, || Of your inheritance that I gave to you, || And I have caused you to serve your enemies, || In a land that you have not known, || For you have kindled a fire in My anger, || It burns for all time."

⁵ Thus said YHWH: "Cursed [is] the man who trusts in man, || And has made flesh his arm, || And whose heart turns from YHWH.⁶ And he has been as a naked thing in a desert, || And does not see when good comes, || And has inhabited parched places in a wilderness, || A salt land, and not inhabited.⁷ Blessed [is] the man who trusts in YHWH, || And whose confidence has been YHWH.⁸ And has been as a tree planted by waters, || And he sends forth his roots by a stream, || And he does not see when heat comes, || And his leaf has been green, || And he is not sorrowful in a year of scarcity, || Nor does he cease from making fruit.⁹ The heart [is] deceitful above all things, || And it [is] incurable—who knows it?¹⁰ I, YHWH, search the heart, try the reins, || Even to give to each according to his way, || According to the fruit of his doings.¹¹ A partridge hatching, and not bringing forth, || [Is] one making wealth, and not by right, || In the midst of his days he forsakes it, || And in his latter end—he is a fool."

¹² A throne of glory on high from the beginning, || The place of our sanctuary,¹³ The hope of Israel [is] YHWH, || All forsaking You are ashamed. "And My apostates are written in the earth, || For they have forsaken YHWH, || A fountain of living waters."¹⁴ Heal me, O YHWH, and I am healed, || Save me, and I am saved, || For You [are] my praise.¹⁵ Behold, they are saying to me: "Where [is] the word of YHWH? Pray, let it come."¹⁶ And I did not hurry from feeding after You, || And I have not desired the desperate day, || You have known the produce of my lips, || It has been before Your face,¹⁷ Do not be to me for a terror, || You [are] my hope in a day of calamity.¹⁸ Let my pursuers be ashamed, || And do not let me be ashamed—me! Let them be frightened, || And do not let me be frightened—me! Bring in on them a day of calamity, || And destroy them a second time [with] destruction.

¹⁹ Thus said YHWH to me: "Go, and you have stood in the gate of the sons of the people, by which kings of Judah come in, and by which they go out, and in all gates of Jerusalem,²⁰ and you have said to them: Hear a word of YHWH, you kings of Judah, and all Judah, and all inhabitants of Jerusalem, who are coming in by these gates,"²¹ Thus said YHWH: "Take heed to yourselves, || And you do not bear a burden on the day of rest, || Nor have you brought [it] in by the gates of Jerusalem.²² Nor do you take out a burden from your houses on the day of rest, || Indeed, you do not do any work, || And you have sanctified the day of rest, || As I have commanded your fathers.²³ And they have not listened nor inclined their ear, || And they stiffen their neck not to hear, || And not to receive instruction.²⁴ And it has been, if you certainly listen to Me," || A declaration of YHWH, || "So as not to bring in a burden by the gates of this city on the day of rest, || And to sanctify the day of rest, || So as not to do any work in it—²⁵ Then kings and princes have entered by the gates of this city, || Sitting on the throne of David, || Riding in a chariot, and on horses, || They, and their princes, the man of Judah, || And inhabitants of Jerusalem, || And this city has remained for all time.²⁶ And they have come in from cities of Judah, || And from outskirts of Jerusalem, || And from the land of Benjamin, || And from the low country, || And from the hill-country, || And from the south, || Bringing in burnt-offering, and sacrifice, || And present, and frankincense, || And bringing praise [to] the house of YHWH.²⁷ And if you do not listen to Me to sanctify the day of rest, || And so as not to bear a burden, || And to come in at the gates of Jerusalem on the day of rest, || Then I have kindled a fire in its gates, || And it has consumed the high places of Jerusalem, || And it is not quenched!"