Jeremiah 17:23

Rest and sabbath Obedience

²¹ This is what the LORD says: Take heed for yourselves; do not carry a load or bring it through the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day.

²² You must not carry a load out of your houses or do any work on the Sabbath day, but you must keep the Sabbath day holy, just as I commanded your forefathers.

Yet they would not listen or incline their ear, but they stiffened their necks and would not listen or receive My discipline.

²⁴ If, however, you listen carefully to Me, says the LORD, and bring no load through the gates of this city on the Sabbath day, and keep the Sabbath day holy, and do no work on it,

²⁵ then kings and princes will enter through the gates of this city. They will sit on the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses with their officials, along with the men of Judah and the residents of Jerusalem, and this city will be inhabited forever.

This was said to Israel at a particular time, so it is wise to read it together with the surrounding text. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: Yet they would not listen or incline their ear, but they stiffened their necks and would not listen or receive My discipline.
KJV: But they obeyed not, neither inclined their ear, but made their neck stiff, that they might not hear, nor receive instruction.
WEB: But they didn’t listen. They didn’t turn their ear, but made their neck stiff, that they might not hear, and might not receive instruction.
ASV: But they hearkened not, neither inclined their ear, but made their neck stiff, that they might not hear, and might not receive instruction.
DARBY: but they hearkened not, neither inclined their ear, but hardened their neck, that they might not hear nor receive instruction.
BLB: They did not listen and they did not incline their ear, and they stiffened their neck, that they would not hear, and they would not receive discipline.

ÅB: Men de hørte ikke og vendte ikke sitt øre til; de gjorde sin nakke hård, så de ikke hørte og ikke tok imot tukt.
OTB: Men de lyttet ikke eller bøyde sine ører; de var stivnakkede og ville ikke lytte eller ta imot disiplin.
B1930: Men de hørte ikke og vendte ikke sitt øre til; de gjorde sin nakke hård, så de ikke hørte og ikke tok imot tukt.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Proverbs 29:1
A man who remains stiff-necked after much reproof will suddenly be shattered beyond recovery.
Read in context
Acts 7:51
You stiff-necked people with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit, just as your fathers did.
Read in context
Jeremiah 19:15
“This is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: ‘Behold, I am about to bring on this city and on all the villages around it every disaster I have pronounced against them, because they have stiffened their necks so as not to heed My words.’”
Read in context
Jeremiah 11:10
They have returned to the sins of their forefathers who refused to obey My words. They have followed other gods to serve them. The house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken the covenant I made with their fathers.
Read in context
Jeremiah 7:24–26
Yet they did not listen or incline their ear, but they followed the stubborn inclinations of their own evil hearts. They went backward and not forward.
Read in context
Jeremiah 32:33
They have turned their backs to Me and not their faces. Though I taught them again and again, they would not listen or respond to discipline.
Read in context
Zechariah 7:11–12
But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder; they stopped up their ears from hearing.
Read in context
Isaiah 48:4
For I knew that you are stubborn; your neck is iron and your forehead is bronze.
Read in context