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.

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

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, behold, he was at his work on the wheels.

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 whensoever the vessel that he made of the clay was marred in the hand of the potter, he made it again another vessel, as 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 house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay in the potter's hand, so are ye 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 one instant I may speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up and to break down and to destroy it;

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 turn from their evil, because of which I have spoken against it, I repent of the evil that I thought to do unto it.

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

And at one instant I may speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant 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.

but if it do evil in My sight, that it hearken not to My voice, then I repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit 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 do thou 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 amend your ways and your doings.

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 say: There is no hope; but we will walk after our own devices, and we will do every one after the stubbornness of his evil heart.'

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?

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

Doth the snow of Lebanon fail from the rock of the field? or are the strange cold flowing waters plucked up?

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 hath forgotten Me, they offer unto vanity; and they have been made to stumble in their ways, in the ancient paths, to walk in bypaths, in a way not cast 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.

To make their land an astonishment, and a perpetual hissing; every one that passeth thereby shall be astonished, and shake 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 scatter them as with an east wind before the enemy; I will look upon their back, and not their 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 strike him with the tongue, and we will hear all his words.

Then said they: 'Come, and let us devise devices against Jeremiah; for instruction 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 Hear me, O Lord, and hear the voice of my pleading.

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

Shall evil be recompensed for good? For they have digged a pit for my soul. Remember how I stood before Thee to speak good for them, to turn away Thy wrath 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.

Therefore deliver up their children to the famine, and hurl them to the power of the sword; and let their wives be bereaved of their children, and widows; and let their men be slain of death, and their young men smitten of the sword in battle.

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 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 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.

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 made to stumble before Thee; Deal Thou with them in the time of Thine anger.