Jeremias 18

1 The word that came from the Lord to

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

2 Jeremias, saying, Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there thou shalt hear my words.

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

3 So I went down to the potter's house, and behold, he was making a vessel on the stones.

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

4 And the vessel which he was making with his hands fell: so he made it again another vessel, as it seemed good to him to make [it].

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 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying,

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

6 Shall I not be able, O house of Israel, to do to you as this potter? behold, as the clay of the potter are ye in my hands.

“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 [If] I shall pronounce a decree upon a nation, or upon a kingdom, to cut them off, and to destroy [them];

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

8 and that nation turn from all their sins, then will I repent of the evils which I purposed to do to them.

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] I shall pronounce a decree upon a nation and kingdom, to rebuild and to plant [it];

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

10 and they do evil before me, so as not to hearken to my voice, then will I repent of the good which I spoke of, to do it to them.

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 And now say to the men of Juda, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, Behold, I prepare evils against you, and devise a device against you: let every one turn now from his evil way, and amend your practices.

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 And they said, We will quit ourselves like men, for we will pursue our perverse ways, and we will perform each the lusts of his evil heart.

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 thus saith the Lord; Enquire now among the nations, who has heard such very horrible things as the virgin of Israel has done?

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 Will fertilising streams fail [to flow] from a rock, or snow [fail] from Libanus? will water violently impelled by the wind turn aside?

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

15 For my people have forgotten me, they have offered incense in vain, and they fail in their ways, [leaving] the ancient tracks, to enter upon impassable paths;

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 to make their land a desolation, and a perpetual hissing; all that go through it shall be amazed, and shall shake their heads.

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 their enemies like an east wind; I will shew them the day of their destruction.

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 they said, Come, and let us devise a device against Jeremias; 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 we will hear all his words.

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 Hear me, O Lord, and hear the voice of my pleading.

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

20 Forasmuch as evil is rewarded for good; for they have spoken words against my soul, and they have hidden the punishment they [meant] for me; remember that I stood before thy face, to speak good for them, to turn away thy wrath from them.

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 do thou deliver their sons to famine, and gather them to the power of the sword: let their women be childless and widows; and let their men be cut off by death, and their young men fall by the sword in war.

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 there be a cry in their houses: thou shalt bring upon them robbers suddenly: for they have formed a plan to take me, and have hidden snares for me.

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 And thou, Lord, knowest all their deadly counsel against me: account not their iniquities guiltless, and blot not out their sins from before thee: let their weakness come before thee; deal with them in the time of thy wrath.

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.