Jérémie 17:14-24

14 Éternel! guéris-moi, et je serai guéri; sauve-moi, et je serai sauvé; car tu es ma louange.

15 Voici, ceux-ci me disent: "Où est la parole de l'Éternel? Qu'elle arrive donc! "

16 Et moi, je n'ai pas refusé d'être pasteur à ta suite, et je n'ai pas désiré le jour du malheur, tu le sais! Ce qui est sorti de mes lèvres a été devant toi.

17 Ne sois pas pour moi un sujet d'effroi! Tu es mon refuge au jour de l'affliction.

18 Que ceux qui me persécutent soient honteux, et que je ne sois point confus; qu'ils soient effrayés, et que je ne sois point effrayé! Amène sur eux le jour du malheur, et frappe-les d'une double plaie!

19 Ainsi m'a dit l'Éternel: Va, et tiens-toi à la porte des enfants du peuple, par laquelle entrent les rois de Juda et par laquelle ils sortent, et à toutes les portes de Jérusalem,

20 Et dis-leur: Écoutez la parole de l'Éternel, rois de Juda, et tout Juda, et vous tous, habitants de Jérusalem, qui entrez par ces portes.

21 Ainsi a dit l'Éternel: Prenez garde à vos âmes, et ne portez aucun fardeau le jour du sabbat, et n'en faites point passer par les portes de Jérusalem;

22 Et ne transportez hors de vos maisons aucun fardeau, le jour du sabbat; et ne faites aucune œuvre; mais sanctifiez le jour du sabbat, comme je l'ai commandé à vos pères.

23 Cependant ils n'ont pas écouté; ils n'ont pas incliné l'oreille; mais ils ont roidi leur cou, pour ne point écouter et ne point recevoir instruction.

24 Mais si vous m'écoutez attentivement, dit l'Éternel, pour ne faire passer aucun fardeau par les portes de cette ville le jour du sabbat, et pour sanctifier le jour du sabbat, en ne faisant aucun travail ce jour-là,

Jérémie 17:14-24 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.