Jeremiah 17

17 ¹Dem carve Judah sin with iron pen, dem write am with diamond point for di tablet of dem heart and for di horns of dem altar,

²"while dem pikin dey remember dem altar and dem Asherah poles wey dey near di green trees for di high hills. ^a a v2 Asherah poles na wooden things wey dem carve, wey dem set up to worship Asherah, wey be one Canaan goddess of fertility. ³My mountain for di open land, your wealth and all your treasure, na plunder I go hand dem over as, your high places too, becos of di sin wey full your whole territory. ⁴With your own hand you go lose di inheritance wey I give you, and I go make you serve your enemies for one land wey you no know, becos you don light fire for my anger wey go burn forever.

⁵Na so our Papa talk: Curse dey for di person wey dey trust ordinary human being, wey dey lean on human strength, and wey im heart turn comot from me. ⁶E go be like bush for di wasteland wey no dey ever find relief even when e come, wey dey live for di dry-dry places of di desert, for salt land wey nobody dey live. ⁷But blessing dey for di person wey dey trust me, wey put im confidence for me. ⁸E go be like tree wey dem plant for waterside, wey dey send im roots go di stream. E no dey fear when heat come; im leaf dey stay green. E no dey worry for di year of drought and e no dey ever stop to bear fruit. ⁹Di heart dey deceive pass anytin else and e pass cure—who fit understand am? ¹⁰Me, your Papa, I dey search di heart and dey test di mind, to pay back every person according to dem ways, according to wetin dem work deserve. ¹¹Like partridge wey dey hatch eggs wey e no lay, na so di person wey dey gain riches for wrong way be. For middle of im life di riches go leave am, and for di end e go show say na fool."

¹²One throne wey full glory, wey dem lift high from di beginning, na im be di place of our sanctuary. ¹³our Papa, hope of Israel, all wey forsake you go carry shame. Dem wey turn comot from you, na for dust dem go write dem name, becos dem don abandon our Papa, di spring of living water.

¹⁴Heal me, my Papa, and I go well; save me, and I go dey saved, becos na you be di one wey I dey praise. ¹⁵Look, dem no dey stop to dey talk to me, "Where di word of God dey? Make e come now!" ¹⁶But I never run comot from being shepherd for your service, and I never long for di day of despair. You know wetin comot for my mouth; e lay open for your front. ¹⁷No become terror to me; na you be my refuge for di day of disaster. ¹⁸Make my persecutors carry shame, but no be me; make dem scatter, but no be me. Bring di day of disaster on dem; scatter dem with double destruction.

our Papa Call for Sabbath Faithfulness

¹⁹Wetin our Papa tell me: Go stand for di People Gate, where di kings of Judah dey enter and comot, and for all di gates of Jerusalem,

²⁰and tell dem: Hear di word of our Papa, una kings of Judah, all Judah, and everybody for Jerusalem wey dey enter dis gates. ²¹Na so our Papa talk: Guard una life—no carry any load for Sabbath day, or bring one enter through di gates of Jerusalem. ²²No carry load comot from una house for Sabbath day, or do any work, and keep di Sabbath holy, as I command una ancestors. ²³But dem no gree listen or pay attention; dem harden dem neck, dem refuse to hear or accept correction. ²⁴But if you truly listen to me, na so our Papa talk, and you no bring load through di gates of dis city for Sabbath day, and you keep di Sabbath holy, wey you no dey do any work on am, ²⁵then kings and princes wey dey sit on David throne go enter di gates of dis city, dey ride chariots and horses—dem, dem officials, di men of Judah, and di people wey dey live for Jerusalem—and dis city go remain with people inside am forever. ²⁶People go come from di towns of Judah, di outskirts of Jerusalem, di land of Benjamin, di lowlands, di hills, and di Negev, dey bring burnt offerings, sacrifices, grain offerings, incense, and thank offerings come our Papa house. ²⁷But if una no go listen to me—keep di Sabbath holy, no carry any load through di gates of Jerusalem for Sabbath day—I go light fire for im gates wey nobody fit quench, wey go consume di palaces of Jerusalem.