Jeremiah 17:20 (ASV)

Passage

and say unto them, Hear ye the word of Jehovah, ye kings of Judah, and all Judah, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, that enter in by these gates:

Nearby Context

Jeremiah 17:18 Let them be put to shame that persecute me, but let not me be put to shame; let them be dismayed, but let not me be dismayed; bring upon them the day of evil, and destroy them with double destruction.

Jeremiah 17:19 Thus said Jehovah unto me: Go, and stand in the gate of the children of the people, whereby the kings of Judah come in, and by which they go out, and in all the gates of Jerusalem;

Jeremiah 17:20 and say unto them, Hear ye the word of Jehovah, ye kings of Judah, and all Judah, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, that enter in by these gates:

Jeremiah 17:21 Thus saith Jehovah, Take heed to yourselves, and bear no burden on the sabbath day, nor bring it in by the gates of Jerusalem;

Jeremiah 17:22 neither carry forth a burden out of your houses on the sabbath day, neither do ye any work: but hallow ye the sabbath day, as I commanded your fathers.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "hear", "word", "jehovah", "kings", "judah", "inhabitants", and "jerusalem". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "hear" and "word", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 19's "Thus said Jehovah unto me Go and..." into verse 21's "Thus saith Jehovah Take heed to yourselves...", so "hear" and "word" belong inside that flow. In Jeremiah context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "hear" and "word" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.