Jeremiah 17:19–27

Keep the Sabbath Holy

¹⁹Thus said the Lord to me: “Go and stand in the People’s Gate, by which ^bthe kings of Judah enter and by which they go out, and in all the gates of Jerusalem, ²⁰and say: ‘Hear the word of the Lord, ^byou kings of Judah, and all Judah, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, who enter by these gates. ²¹Thus says the Lord: Take care for the sake of your lives, and ^cdo not bear a burden on the Sabbath day or bring it in by the gates of Jerusalem. ²²And do not carry a burden out of your houses on the Sabbath ^dor do any work, but ^ekeep the Sabbath day holy, as I commanded your fathers. ²³Yet ^fthey did not listen or incline their ear, ^gbut stiffened their neck, that they ^hmight not hear and receive instruction.

²⁴“ ‘But if you listen to me, declares the Lord, and ^cbring in no burden by the gates of this city on the Sabbath day, but ^ekeep the Sabbath day holy and do no work on it, ²⁵then ⁱthere shall enter by the gates of this city kings and princes who sit on the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, they and their officials, the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And this city shall be inhabited forever. ²⁶And people shall come from ^jthe cities of Judah ^kand the places around Jerusalem, ^jfrom the land of Benjamin, ^kfrom the Shephelah, from the hill country, ^kand from ^lthe Negeb, bringing ^mburnt offerings and sacrifices, grain offerings and frankincense, and ^mbringing thank offerings to the house of the Lord. ²⁷But if you do not listen to me, to ^ekeep the Sabbath day holy, ^cand not to bear a burden and enter by the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day, then I will ⁿkindle a fire in its gates, and it shall ^odevour the palaces of Jerusalem and ^pshall not be quenched.’ ”