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Jeremiah 17:5–7

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Individuals Are Challenged to Put Their Trust in the Lord12

17:5The Lord says,

“I will put a curse on people

who trust in mere human beings,

who depend on mere flesh and blood for their strength,13

and whose hearts14 have turned away from the Lord.

17:6They will be like a shrub15 in the desert.

They will not experience good things even when they happen.

It will be as though they were growing in the desert,

in a salt land where no one can live.

17:7My blessing is on those people who trust in me,

who put their confidence in me.16

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Footnotes

  1. 12 Verses 5–11 are a collection of wisdom-like sayings (cf. Ps 1) which set forth the theme of the two ways and their consequences. It has as its background the blessings and the curses of Deut 28 and the challenge to faith in Deut 29–30 which climaxes in Deut 30:15–20. The nation is sinful and God is weary of showing them patience. However, there is hope for individuals within the nation if they will trust in him.
  2. 13 Heb “who make flesh their arm.” The “arm” is the symbol of strength and the flesh is the symbol of mortal man in relation to the omnipotent God. The translation “mere flesh and blood” reflects this.
  3. 14 In the psychology of ancient Hebrew thought the heart was the center not only of the emotions but of the thoughts and motivations. It was also the seat of moral conduct (cf. its placement in the middle of the discussion of moral conduct in Prov 4:20–27, i.e., in v. 23).
  4. 15 This word occurs only here and in Jer 48:6. It has been identified as a kind of juniper, which is a short shrub with minute leaves that look like scales. For a picture and more discussion see Fauna and Flora of the Bible, 131.
  5. 16 Heb “Blessed is the person who trusts in the Lord, and whose confidence is in the Lord.” However, because this is a statement of the Lord and the translation chooses to show that the blessing comes from him, the first person is substituted for the divine name.

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

Thus says the Lord:

“Cursed is the man who trusts in man

and makes flesh his strength,

whose heart turns away from the Lord.

He is like a shrub in the desert,

and shall not see any good come.

He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness,

in an uninhabited salt land.

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,

whose trust is the Lord.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

This is what the Lord says:

“Cursed is the one who trusts in man,

who draws strength from mere flesh

and whose heart turns away from the Lord.

That person will be like a bush in the wastelands;

they will not see prosperity when it comes.

They will dwell in the parched places of the desert,

in a salt land where no one lives.

“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,

whose confidence is in him.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

This is what the Lord says:

Cursed is the person who trusts in mankind.

He makes human flesh his strength,

and his heart turns from the Lord.

He will be like a juniper in the Arabah;

he cannot see when good comes

but dwells in the parched places in the wilderness,

in a salt land where no one lives.

The person who trusts in the Lord,

whose confidence indeed is the Lord, is blessed.

NLTNew Living Translation

This is what the Lord says:

“Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans,

who rely on human strength

and turn their hearts away from the Lord.

They are like stunted shrubs in the desert,

with no hope for the future.

They will live in the barren wilderness,

in an uninhabited salty land.

“But blessed are those who trust in the Lord

and have made the Lord their hope and confidence.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

Thus says Yahweh,

“Cursed is the person who trusts in humankind

and makes flesh his strength,

and turns aside his heart from Yahweh.

And he will be like a juniper in the wilderness,

and he will not see when good comes,

and he will dwell in the parched places in the desert,

in a land of salt flats, where no one lives.

Blessed be the person who trusts in Yahweh,

and Yahweh is his trust.

KJV 1900King James Version

Thus saith the Lord; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord. For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited. Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.