Jeremiah 17:21-27

21 The Lord God saith these things, Keep ye your souls, and do not ye bear burdens in the day of sabbath (and do not ye carry any burdens on the day of sabbath), neither bring (them) in by the gates of Jerusalem.

22 And do not ye cast burdens out of your houses in the day of sabbath (And do not ye carry any burdens out of your houses on the day of sabbath), and ye shall not do any work; hallow ye the day of sabbath, as I commanded to your fathers.

23 And they heard not, neither bowed down their ear, but they made hard their noll, that they should not hear me, and that they should not take chastising. (But they did not listen, nor bowed down their ear, but they stiffened their necks, or were stubborn, so that they would not listen to me, so that they could receive my discipline, or my correction.)

24 And it shall be, if ye hear me, saith the Lord, that ye bear not in burdens by the gates of this city in the day of sabbath, and if ye hallow the day of sabbath, that ye do not work therein, (And it shall be, if ye listen to, or obey, me, saith the Lord, so that ye do not carry in burdens by the gates of this city on the day of sabbath, and if ye hallow the day of sabbath, so that ye do no work on it,)

25 kings and princes sitting on the seat of David shall enter [in] by the gates of this city, and ascending in chariots and horses; they, and the princes of them, the men of Judah, and the dwellers of Jerusalem; and this city shall be inhabited without end. (then kings and princes sitting on the throne of David shall enter in by the gates of this city, and shall come in chariots and on horses; they, and their princes, and the people of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and this city shall be inhabited forever.)

26 And they shall come from the cities of Judah, and from the compass of Jerusalem (and from all around Jerusalem), and from the land of Benjamin, and from [the] field places, and from [the] hilly places, and from the south, bearing burnt sacrifice, and slain sacrifice, and incense; and they shall bring offering(s) into the house of the Lord.

27 Forsooth if ye hear not me, that ye hallow the day of sabbath, and that ye bear not a burden, and that ye bring not in by the gates of Jerusalem in the day of sabbath, I shall kindle fire in the gates thereof; and it shall devour the houses of Jerusalem, and it shall not be quenched. (But if ye do not listen to me, so that ye hallow the day of sabbath, and so that ye do not carry a burden, and so that ye do not bring it in by the gates of Jerusalem on the day of sabbath, then I shall kindle a fire in its gates; and it shall devour the houses of Jerusalem, and it shall not be quenched.)

Jeremiah 17:21-27 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JEREMIAH 17

This chapter is a further prophecy of the destruction of the Jews, with the causes of it, their sins, as their idolatry, which was notorious; of which their own consciences, their altars, and their children, were witnesses, Jer 17:1,2 for which they are threatened with the spoil of their substance and treasure, and discontinuance in their land, Jer 17:3,4 as also their confidence in an arm of flesh, which brought the curse of God upon them, when such are blessed that trust in him; and the difference between those that trust in men and those that trust in the Lord is illustrated by very apt similes, Jer 17:5-8, the source of which vain confidence is the wicked heart of man, known to none but God, Jer 17:9,10 and the vanity of it is exposed by a partridge sitting on eggs without hatching them, Jer 17:11, and their departure from God, by trusting in the creature, and in outward things, is aggravated by their temple being the throne and seat of the divine Majesty; by what God is to his people that trust in him; and by the shame and ruin that follow an apostasy from him, Jer 17:12,13, wherefore the prophet, sensible of his own backslidings, prays to be healed and saved by the Lord, who should have all the praise and glory, Jer 17:14 and then relates the scoffs of the people at the word of God by him, another cause of their ruin; declares his own innocence and integrity; prays for protection and security from fear in a time of trouble; and for confusion, terror, and destruction to his persecutors, Jer 17:15-18, then follows an order to him from the Lord, to go and stand in the gate of the city, and exhort all ranks of men to the observation of the sabbath, with directions how to keep it, which had not been observed by their fathers, and which was another cause of their ruin, Jer 17:19-23, and the chapter is closed with promises of blessings in city, court, and country, in church and state, should they religiously observe the sabbath day; but if they profaned it, the city of Jerusalem, and its palaces, should be burnt with fire, Jer 17:24-27.