Jeremiah 18

1 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD:

2 “Go down at once to the potter’s house, and there I will give you My message.”

3 So I went down to the potter’s house and saw him working at the wheel.

4 But the vessel that he was shaping from the clay became flawed in his hand; so he formed it into another vessel, as it seemed best for him to do.

5 Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

6 “O house of Israel, declares the LORD, can I not treat you as this potter treats his clay? Just like clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel.

7 At any time I might announce that a nation or kingdom will be uprooted, torn down, and destroyed.

8 But if that nation I warned turns from its evil, then I will relent of the disaster I had planned to bring.

9 And if at another time I announce that I will build up and establish a nation or kingdom,

10 and if it does evil in My sight and does not listen to My voice, then I will relent of the good I had intended for it.

11 Now therefore, tell the men of Judah and the residents of Jerusalem that this is what the LORD says: ‘Behold, I am planning a disaster for you and devising a plan against you. Turn now, each of you, from your evil ways, and correct your ways and deeds.’

12 But they will reply, ‘It is hopeless. We will follow our own plans, and each of us will act according to the stubbornness of his evil heart.’”

13 Therefore this is what the LORD says: “Inquire among the nations: Who has ever heard things like these? Virgin Israel has done a most terrible thing.

14 Does the snow of Lebanon ever leave its rocky slopes? Or do its cool waters flowing from a distance ever run dry?

15 Yet My people have forgotten Me. They burn incense to worthless idols that make them stumble in their ways, leaving the ancient roads to walk on rutted bypaths instead of on the highway.

16 They have made their land a desolation, a perpetual object of scorn; all who pass by will be appalled and shake their heads.

17 I will scatter them before the enemy like the east wind. I will show them My back and not My face in the day of their calamity.”

18 Then some said, “Come, let us make plans against Jeremiah, for the law will never be lost to the priest, nor counsel to the wise, nor an oracle to the prophet. Come, let us denounce him and pay no heed to any of his words.”

19 Attend to me, O LORD. Hear what my accusers are saying!

20 Should good be repaid with evil? Yet they have dug a pit for me. Remember how I stood before You to speak good on their behalf, to turn Your wrath from them.

21 Therefore, hand their children over to famine; pour out the power of the sword upon them. Let their wives become childless and widowed; let their husbands be slain by disease, their young men struck down by the sword in battle.

22 Let a cry be heard from their houses when You suddenly bring raiders against them, for they have dug a pit to capture me and have hidden snares for my feet.

23 But You, O LORD, know all their deadly plots against me. Do not wipe out their guilt or blot out their sin from Your sight. Let them be overthrown before You; deal with them in the time of Your anger.

1 ¶ The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,

2 Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words.

3 Then I went down to the potter's house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels.

4 And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make [it].

5 Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

6 O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay [is] in the potter's hand, so [are] ye in mine hand, O house of Israel.

7 [At what] instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to destroy [it];

8 If that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them.

9 And [at what] instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant [it];

10 If it do evil in my sight, that it obey not my voice, then I will repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit them.

11 ¶ Now therefore go to, speak to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I frame evil against you, and devise a device against you: return ye now every one from his evil way, and make your ways and your doings good.

12 And they said, There is no hope: but we will walk after our own devices, and we will every one do the imagination of his evil heart.

13 Therefore thus saith the LORD; Ask ye now among the heathen, who hath heard such things: the virgin of Israel hath done a very horrible thing.

14 Will [a man] leave the snow of Lebanon [which cometh] from the rock of the field? [or] shall the cold flowing waters that come from another place be forsaken?

15 Because my people hath forgotten me, they have burned incense to vanity, and they have caused them to stumble in their ways [from] the ancient paths, to walk in paths, [in] a way not cast up;

16 To make their land desolate, [and] a perpetual hissing; every one that passeth thereby shall be astonished, and wag his head.

17 I will scatter them as with an east wind before the enemy; I will shew them the back, and not the face, in the day of their calamity.

18 ¶ Then said they, Come, and let us devise devices against Jeremiah; for the law shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. Come, and let us smite him with the tongue, and let us not give heed to any of his words.

19 Give heed to me, O LORD, and hearken to the voice of them that contend with me.

20 Shall evil be recompensed for good? for they have digged a pit for my soul. Remember that I stood before thee to speak good for them, [and] to turn away thy wrath from them.

21 Therefore deliver up their children to the famine, and pour out their [blood] by the force of the sword; and let their wives be bereaved of their children, and [be] widows; and let their men be put to death; [let] their young men [be] slain by the sword in battle.

22 Let a cry be heard from their houses, when thou shalt bring a troop suddenly upon them: for they have digged a pit to take me, and hid snares for my feet.

23 Yet, LORD, thou knowest all their counsel against me to slay [me]: forgive not their iniquity, neither blot out their sin from thy sight, but let them be overthrown before thee; deal [thus] with them in the time of thine anger.

1 This is the word that came unto Jeremiah from the LORD, saying:

2 Arise, go down to the potter's house; there will I make thee hear my words.

3 And I went down to the potter's house, and, behold, he was working at the wheel.

4 And the pot which he made of the clay was displeasing in his hands. And he made another pot again, as it pleased him.

5 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying:

6 Can I not also deal with you, ye of the house of Israel, as with this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye of the house of Israel in mine hand.

7 Suddenly I speak against a nation and a kingdom, to roll them up, and to break them, and to destroy them.

8 But if he turn from his wickedness, which I speak against, then I also shall repent of the evil that I thought to do unto him.

9 And suddenly I speak of a nation and a kingdom, that I may build them and plant them.

10 But if he do evil in mine eyes, and hearken not unto my voice, then the good which I promised him to do shall repent me also.

11 Speak therefore unto them that are in Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I am preparing evil for you, and have thoughts against you: therefore turn ye every man from his evil way, and amend your ways and your doings. Twelve, but they say: Nothing will come of it! We will walk after our own thoughts, and do every man according to the imagination of his evil heart.

13 Therefore saith the LORD, Ask ye of the heathen, who hath heard of such a thing as this, that the virgin of Israel hath done such an abominable thing?

14 If the snow be longer upon the stones of the field, when it snoweth from Lebanon, and the waters of the rain be not so soon as my people forget me.

15 They burn incense unto the gods, and make mischief in their ways for to and fro, and walk in roads not trodden,

16 That their land may become a desolation, and an everlasting reproach unto them: that they which pass by may be astonished, and shake their heads.

17 For I will scatter them before their enemies with an east wind; I will show them the back, and not the face, when they perish.

18 But they say: Come, and let us counsel against Jeremiah: for the priests cannot err in the law, and the wise men cannot fail in counsel, and the prophets cannot teach unrighteously. Come, and let us smite him with our tongues, and give no heed to all his words.

19 Take heed, O Lord, and hear the voice of mine adversaries.

20 Is it right to repay good with evil? For they have digged a pit in my soul. Remember how I stood before thee, and spoke their best, and turned away thine anger from them.

21 Now therefore punish their children with famine, and put them to the sword; that their wives may be without children, and widows; and that their husbands may be slain, and their young men slain with the sword in battle,

22 And a cry shall be heard out of their houses, how that thou hast suddenly sent a people of war upon them. For they have digged a pit for me, and have laid ropes for my feet.

23 And because thou, O LORD, knowest all their plots against me, to kill me, forgive them not their iniquity, neither blot out their sin from before thee. Let them be overthrown before thee, and deal with them according to thine anger.