Jeremiah 18
1 The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying,
The worde which came to Ieremiah from the Lord, saying,
2 Up! go down to the potter's house, and there I will let my words come to your ears.
Arise, and go downe into the potters house, and there shall I shewe thee my words.
3 Then I went down to the potter's house, and he was doing his work on the stones.
Then I went downe to the potters house, and behold, he wrought a worke on the wheeles.
4 And when the vessel, which he was forming out of earth, got damaged in the hand of the potter, he made it again into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to make it.
And the vessell that he made of clay, was broken in the hand of the potter. so he returned, and made it another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.
5 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
Then the worde of the Lord came vnto me, saying,
6 O Israel, am I not able to do with you as this potter does? says the Lord. See, like earth in the potter's hand are you in my hands, O Israel.
O house of Israel, cannot I doe with you as this potter, sayth the Lord? beholde, as the clay is in the potters hande, so are you in mine hande, O house of Israel.
7 Whenever I say anything about uprooting a nation or a kingdom, and smashing it and sending destruction on it;
I will speake suddenly against a nation or against a kingdome to plucke it vp, and to roote it out and to destroy it.
8 If, in that very minute, that nation of which I was talking is turned away from its evil, my purpose of doing evil to them will be changed.
But if this nation, against whom I haue pronounced, turne from their wickednesse, I will repent of the plague that I thought to bring vpon them.
9 And whenever I say anything about building up a nation or a kingdom, and planting it;
And I wil speake suddenly concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdome to builde it and to plant it.
10 If, in that very minute, it does evil in my eyes, going against my orders, then my good purpose, which I said I would do for them, will be changed.
But if it do euill in my sight and heare not my voyce, I will repent of ye good that I thought to do for them.
11 Now, then, say to the men of Judah and to the people of Jerusalem, This is what the Lord has said: See, I am forming an evil thing against you, and designing a design against you: let every man come back now from his evil way, and let your ways and your doings be changed for the better.
Speake thou nowe therefore vnto the men of Iudah, and to the inhabitants of Ierusalem, saying, Thus saith ye Lord, Behold, I prepare a plague for you, and purpose a thing against you: returne you therefore euery one from his euill way, and make your wayes and your workes good.
12 But they will say, There is no hope: we will go on in our designs, and every one of us will do what he is moved by the pride of his evil heart to do.
But they sayde desperately, Surely wee will walke after our owne imaginations, and doe euery man after the stubburnnesse of his wicked heart.
13 So this is what the Lord has said: Make search among the nations and see who has had word of such things; the virgin of Israel has done a very shocking thing.
Therefore thus saith the Lord, Aske now among the heathen, who hath heard such thinges? the virgin of Israel hath done very filthily.
14 Will the white snow go away from the top of Sirion? will the cold waters flowing from the mountains become dry?
Will a man forsake the snowe of Lebanon, which commeth from the rocke of the fielde? or shall the colde flowing waters, that come from another place, be forsaken?
15 For my people have put me out of their memory, burning perfumes to that which is nothing; and because of this, I will put a cause of falling in their ways, even in the old roads, and will make them go on side-roads, in a way not lifted up;
Because my people hath forgotten me, and haue burnt incense to vanitie, and their prophets haue caused them to stumble in their wayes from the auncient wayes, to walke in the pathes and way that is not troden,
16 Making their land a thing of wonder, causing sounds of surprise for ever; everyone who goes by will be overcome with wonder, shaking his head.
To make their land desolate and a perpetual derision, so that euery one that passeth thereby, shalbe astonished and wagge his head,
17 I will send them in flight, as from an east wind, before the attacker; I will let them see my back and not my face on the day of their downfall.
I will scatter them with an East winde before the enemie: I will shewe them the backe, and not the face in the day of their destruction.
18 Then they said, Come, let us make a design against Jeremiah; for teaching will never be cut off from the priest, or wisdom from the wise, or the word from the prophet. Come, let us make use of his words for an attack on him, and let us give attention with care to what he says.
Then sayde they, Come, and let vs imagine some deuice against Ieremiah: for the Lawe shall not perish from the Priest, nor counsell from the wise, nor the worde from the Prophet: come, and let vs smite him with the tongue, and let vs not giue heede to any of his words.
19 Give thought to me, O Lord, and give ear to the voice of those who put forward a cause against me.
Hearken vnto mee, O Lord, and heare the voyce of them that contend with me.
20 Is evil to be the reward of good? for they have made a deep hole for my soul. Keep in mind how I took my place before you, to say a good word for them so that your wrath might be turned away from them.
Shall euill be recompensed for good? for they haue digged a pit for my soule: remember that I stood before thee, to speake good for the, and to turne away thy wrath from them.
21 For this cause, let their children be without food, and give them over to the power of the sword; and let their wives be without children and become widows; let their men be overtaken by death, and their young men be put to the sword in the fight.
Therefore, deliuer vp their children to famine, and let them drop away by the force of the sworde, and let their wiues be robbed of their children, and be widowes: and let their husbands be put to death, and let their yong men be slayne by the sword in the battell.
22 Let a cry for help go up from their houses, when you send an armed band on them suddenly: for they have made a hole in which to take me, and have put nets for my feet secretly.
Let the crye bee heard from their houses, when thou shalt bring an hoste suddenly vpon them: for they haue digged a pit to take me, and hid snares for my feete.
23 But you, Lord, have knowledge of all the designs which they have made against my life; let not their evil-doing be covered or their sin be washed away from before your eyes: but let it be a cause of falling before you: so do to them in the time of your wrath.
Yet Lord thou knowest al their counsel against me tendeth to death: forgiue not their iniquitie, neither put out their sinne from thy sight, but let them be ouerthrowen before thee: deale thus with them in the time of thine anger.
