Jeremias 18

1 The word that came from the Lord to

The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying,

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

Up! go down to the potter's house, and there I will let my words come to your ears.

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

Then I went down to the potter's house, and he was doing his work on the stones.

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].

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.

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 you in my hands.

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.

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

Whenever I say anything about uprooting a nation or a kingdom, and smashing it and sending destruction on it;

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

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.

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

And whenever I say anything about building up a nation or a kingdom, and planting it;

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

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.

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, 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.

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 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.

13 Therefore thus says the Lord; Enquire now amongst the nations, who has heard such very horrible things as the virgin of Israel has done?

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.

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

Will the white snow go away from the top of Sirion? will the cold waters flowing from the mountains become 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;

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;

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

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.

17 I will scatter them before their enemies like an east wind; I will show them the day of their destruction.

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.

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 strike him with the tongue, and we will hear all his words.

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.

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

Give thought to me, O Lord, and give ear to the voice of those who put forward a cause against me.

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 your face, to speak good for them, to turn away your wrath from them.

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.

21 Therefore do you 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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.