Jeremiah 19

1 This is what the LORD says: “Go and buy a clay jar from a potter. Take some of the elders of the people and leaders of the priests,

2 and go out to the Valley of Ben-hinnom near the entrance of the Potsherd Gate. Proclaim there the words I speak to you,

3 saying, ‘Hear the word of the LORD, O kings of Judah and residents of Jerusalem. This is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: I am going to bring such disaster on this place that the ears of all who hear of it will ring,

4 because they have abandoned Me and made this a foreign place. They have burned incense in this place to other gods that neither they nor their fathers nor the kings of Judah have ever known. They have filled this place with the blood of the innocent.

5 They have built high places to Baal on which to burn their children in the fire as offerings to Baal—something I never commanded or mentioned, nor did it even enter My mind.

6 So behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when this place will no longer be called Topheth or the Valley of Ben-hinnom, but the Valley of Slaughter.

7 And in this place I will ruin the plans of Judah and Jerusalem. I will make them fall by the sword before their enemies, by the hands of those who seek their lives, and I will give their carcasses as food to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth.

8 I will make this city a desolation and an object of scorn. All who pass by will be appalled and will scoff at all her wounds.

9 I will make them eat the flesh of their sons and daughters, and they will eat one another’s flesh in the siege and distress inflicted on them by their enemies who seek their lives.’

10 Then you are to shatter the jar in the presence of the men who accompany you,

11 and you are to proclaim to them that this is what the LORD of Hosts says: I will shatter this nation and this city, like one shatters a potter’s jar that can never again be repaired. They will bury the dead in Topheth until there is no more room to bury them.

12 This is what I will do to this place and to its residents, declares the LORD. I will make this city like Topheth.

13 The houses of Jerusalem and the houses of the kings of Judah will be defiled like that place, Topheth—all the houses on whose rooftops they burned incense to all the host of heaven and poured out drink offerings to other gods.”

14 Then Jeremiah returned from Topheth, where the LORD had sent him to prophesy, and he stood in the courtyard of the house of the LORD and proclaimed to all the people,

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.’”

1 ¶ Thus saith the LORD, Go and get a potter's earthen bottle, and [take] of the ancients of the people, and of the ancients of the priests;

2 And go forth unto the valley of the son of Hinnom, which [is] by the entry of the east gate, and proclaim there the words that I shall tell thee,

3 And say, Hear ye the word of the LORD, O kings of Judah, and inhabitants of Jerusalem; Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, the which whosoever heareth, his ears shall tingle.

4 Because they have forsaken me, and have estranged this place, and have burned incense in it unto other gods, whom neither they nor their fathers have known, nor the kings of Judah, and have filled this place with the blood of innocents;

5 They have built also the high places of Baal, to burn their sons with fire [for] burnt offerings unto Baal, which I commanded not, nor spake [it], neither came [it] into my mind:

6 Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that this place shall no more be called Tophet, nor The valley of the son of Hinnom, but The valley of slaughter.

7 And I will make void the counsel of Judah and Jerusalem in this place; and I will cause them to fall by the sword before their enemies, and by the hands of them that seek their lives: and their carcases will I give to be meat for the fowls of the heaven, and for the beasts of the earth.

8 And I will make this city desolate, and an hissing; every one that passeth thereby shall be astonished and hiss because of all the plagues thereof.

9 And I will cause them to eat the flesh of their sons and the flesh of their daughters, and they shall eat every one the flesh of his friend in the siege and straitness, wherewith their enemies, and they that seek their lives, shall straiten them.

10 ¶ Then shalt thou break the bottle in the sight of the men that go with thee,

11 And shalt say unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Even so will I break this people and this city, as [one] breaketh a potter's vessel, that cannot be made whole again: and they shall bury [them] in Tophet, till [there be] no place to bury.

12 Thus will I do unto this place, saith the LORD, and to the inhabitants thereof, and [even] make this city as Tophet:

13 And the houses of Jerusalem, and the houses of the kings of Judah, shall be defiled as the place of Tophet, because of all the houses upon whose roofs they have burned incense unto all the host of heaven, and have poured out drink offerings unto other gods.

14 Then came Jeremiah from Tophet, whither the LORD had sent him to prophesy; and he stood in the court of the LORD'S house; and said to all the people,

15 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring upon this city and upon all her towns all the evil that I have pronounced against it, because they have hardened their necks, that they might not hear my words.

1 Thus saith the LORD; Go and buy thee an earthenware jar of the potter, and some of the elders of the people, and of the elders of the priests.

2 And go forth into the valley of Ben-hinnom, which is before the brick gate, and preach there the words which I say unto thee,

3 And say, Hear the word of the LORD, ye kings of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem. Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring such calamity upon this place, that whosoever shall hear it, his ears shall ring,

4 Because they have forsaken me, and given this place to a strange god, and have burned incense in it unto other gods, which they knew not, nor their fathers, nor the kings of Judah: and they have made this place full of innocent blood.

5 For they have built high places for Baal, to burn their children unto Baal for burnt offerings, which I commanded them not, neither spake I unto them, neither came it into mine heart.

6 Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that this place shall no more be called Topheth, nor the valley of Ben-hinnom, but the valley of choke.

7 For I will destroy the worship of Judah and Jerusalem of this place, and will cause them to fall by the sword before their enemies, under the hand of them that seek their life; and I will give their dead bodies for meat unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the earth;

8 And I will make this city desolate, and a mockery: and all that pass by shall marvel at all the plague thereof, and mock at it.

9 I will cause them to eat the flesh of their sons and of their daughters, and one shall eat another's flesh in distress and in anguish; and they shall afflict their enemies, and them that seek their life.

10 And thou shalt break the pitcher before the men that went with thee.

11 And say unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; As a potter's vessel is broken, and shall not be whole again; so will I break this people and this city, and they shall be buried in Ethiopia, because there shall be no other place to bury them.

12 Thus will I deal with this place, saith the LORD, and with the inhabitants thereof; and this city shall be as Topheth.

13 And the houses of Jerusalem, and the houses of the kings of Judah, shall be as unclean as the place of Topheth, even all the houses, because they have burned incense upon the housetops unto all the host of heaven, and have offered drink offerings unto other gods.

14 And when Jeremiah was come again from Topheth, whither the LORD had sent him to prophesy, he stood in the court of the LORD'S house, and spake unto all the people:

15 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring upon this city, and upon all the cities thereof, all the evil that I have spoken against them, because they are stiffnecked, and will not hearken unto my words;