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The Deceitful Heart

¹ The ^(C1)sin of Judah is written down with an ^(C2)iron stylus;
With a diamond point it is ^(C3)engraved upon the tablet of their heart
And on the horns of ^(F1)their altars,

² As they remember their ^(C1)children,
So they remember their altars and their ^(F1)(C2)Asherim
By ^(C3)green trees on the high hills.

³ O ^(C1)mountain of Mine in the countryside,
I will ^(C2)give over your wealth and all your treasures for booty,
Your high places for sin throughout your borders.

⁴ And you will, even of yourself, ^(C1)let go of your inheritance
That I gave you;
And I will make you serve your ^(C2)enemies
In the ^(C3)land which you do not know;
For you have ^(C4)kindled a fire in My anger
Which will burn forever.

⁵ Thus says the LORD,
"^(C1)Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind
And makes ^(C2)flesh his ^(F1)strength,
And whose heart turns away from the LORD.

⁶ "For he will be like a ^(C1)bush in the desert
And will not see when prosperity comes,
But will live in stony wastes in the wilderness,
A ^(C2)land of salt ^(F1)without inhabitant.

⁷ "^(C1)Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD
And whose ^(C2)trust is the LORD.

⁸ "For he will be like a ^(C1)tree planted by the water,
That extends 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 ^(C2)drought
Nor cease to yield fruit.

⁹ "The ^(C1)heart is more ^(C2)deceitful than all else
And is desperately ^(C3)sick;
Who can understand it?

¹⁰ "I, the LORD, ^(C1)search the heart,
I test the ^(F1)mind,
Even ^(C2)to give to each man according to his ways,
According to the ^(F2)results of his deeds.

¹¹ "As a partridge that hatches eggs which it has not laid,
So is he who ^(C1)makes a fortune, but unjustly;
In the midst of his days it will forsake him,
And in ^(F1)the end he will be a ^(C2)fool."

^12 (C1)A glorious throne on high from the beginning
Is the place of our sanctuary.

¹³ O LORD, the ^(C1)hope of Israel,
All who ^(C2)forsake You will be put to shame.
Those who turn ^(F1)away on earth will be ^(C3)written down,
Because they have forsaken the fountain of living water, even the LORD.

^14 (C1)Heal me, O LORD, and I will be healed;
^(C2)Save me and I will be saved,
For You are my ^(C3)praise.

¹⁵ Look, they keep ^(C1)saying to me,
"Where is the word of the LORD?
Let it come now!"

¹⁶ But as for me, I have not hurried away from being a shepherd after You,
Nor have I longed for the woeful day;
^(C1)You Yourself know that the utterance of my lips
Was in Your presence.

¹⁷ Do not be a ^(C1)terror to me;
You are my ^(C2)refuge in the day of disaster.

¹⁸ Let those who persecute me be ^(C1)put to shame, but as for me, ^(C2)let me not be put to shame;
Let them be dismayed, but let me not be dismayed.
^(C3)Bring on them a day of disaster,
And crush them with twofold destruction!

The Sabbath Must Be Kept

¹⁹ Thus the LORD said to me, "Go and stand in the ^(F1)public gate, through which the kings of Judah come in and go out, as well as in all the gates of Jerusalem;²⁰ and say to them, '^(C1)Listen to the word of the LORD, ^(C2)kings of Judah, and all Judah and all inhabitants of Jerusalem who come in through these gates:²¹ 'Thus says the LORD, "^(C1)Take heed for yourselves, and ^(C2)do not carry any load on the sabbath day or bring anything in through the gates of Jerusalem.²² "You shall not bring a load out of your houses on the sabbath day ^(C1)nor do any work, but keep the sabbath day holy, as I ^(C2)commanded your ^(F1)forefathers.²³ "Yet they ^(C1)did not listen or incline their ears, but ^(C2)stiffened their necks in order not to listen or take correction.

²⁴ "But it will come about, if you ^(C1)listen attentively to Me," declares the LORD, "to ^(C2)bring no load in through the gates of this city on the sabbath day, ^(C3)but to keep the sabbath day holy by doing no work on it,^25 (C1)then there will come in through the gates of this city kings and princes ^(C2)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 ^(C3)city will be inhabited forever.²⁶ "They will come in from the ^(C1)cities of Judah and from the environs of Jerusalem, from the land of Benjamin, from the ^(C2)lowland, from the hill country and from the ^(C3)Negev, bringing burnt offerings, sacrifices, grain offerings and incense, and bringing sacrifices of thanksgiving to the house of the LORD.²⁷ "But ^(C1)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 ^(C2)I will kindle a fire in its gates and it will ^(C3)devour the palaces of Jerusalem and ^(C4)not be quenched."'"