Jeremiah 18

1 The word that came from Jeremias to the Lord, saying:

The word which came to Jeremiah from Jehovah, saying:

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

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

3 And I went down into the potter’s house, and behold he was doing a work on the wheel.

So I went down to the potter's house, and behold, he was at work at the wheel.

4 And the vessel was broken which he was making with clay with his hands: and turning he made another vessel, as it seemed good in his eyes to make it.

And the vessel which he was making of clay was marred in the hand of the potter; so he began anew 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 came the word of Jehovah to me, saying:

6 Cannot I do with you as this potter, saith the Lord? behold as clay is in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel.

Cannot I do after the manner of this potter With respect to you. O house of Israel, saith Jehovah? Behold, as the clay is in the hand of the potter, So are ye in my hand, O house of Israel!

7 I will suddenly speak against a nation, and against a kingdom, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy it.

Whenever I speak concerning a nation or a kingdom, That I will pluck it up, cast it down, or destroy it,

8 If that nation against which I have spoken, shall repent of their evil, I also will repent of the evil that I have thought to do to them.

If that nation shall turn from its wickedness On account of which I threatened it, Then will I repent of the evil which I purposed to do to it.

9 And I will suddenly speak of a nation and of a kingdom, to build up and plant it.

And whenever I speak concerning a nation or a kingdom, That I will build it, or plant it,

10 If it shall do evil in my sight, that it obey not my voice: I will repent of the good that I have spoken to do unto it.

And it shall do that which is evil in my sight, And not hearken to my voice, Then will I repent of the good with which I promised to bless them.

11 Now therefore tell the men of Juda, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying: Thus saith the Lord: Behold I frame evil against you, and devise a device against you: let every man of you return from his evil way, and make ye your ways and your doings good.

And now speak to the men of Judah, And to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, Thus saith Jehovah: Behold, I am framing evil against you, And meditating a design against you; Return ye now every one from his evil way, And amend your ways and your doings.

12 And they said: We have no hopes: for we will go after our own thoughts, and we will do every one according to the perverseness of his evil heart.

But they say, “There is no remedy, For we will walk after our own devices, And we will practise every one the perverseness of his evil heart.”

13 Therefore thus saith the Lord: Ask among the nations: Who hath heard such horrible things, as the virgin of Israel hath done to excess?

Therefore thus saith Jehovah: Inquire ye now among the nations, Who hath heard such things as these? The virgin of Israel hath done a deed of horror.

14 Shall now the snow of Libanus fail from the rock of the field? or can the cold waters that gush out and run down, be taken away?

Shall the snow from the rocks of Lebanon forsake my fields? Or shall the cold flowing waters, that come from afar, be dried up?

15 Because my people have forgotten me, sacrificing in vain, and stumbling in their ways, in ancient paths, to walk by them in a way not trodden:

Yet my people have forgotten me, And burned incense to vanity; They stumble in their paths, the old ways, And walk in ways that have not been thrown up,

16 That their land might be given up to desolation, and to a perpetual hissing: every one that shall pass by it, shall be astonished, and wag his head.

To make their land a desolation, A perpetual hissing; Every one that passeth through it shall be amazed, And shake his head.

17 As a burning will I scatter them before the enemy: I will shew them the back, and not the face, in the day of their destruction.

I will scatter them before the enemy, as with the east wind; I will show them the back, and not the face, In the day of their calamity.

18 And they said: Come, and let us invent devices 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 let us give no heed to all his words.

But they say, “Come, let us devise measures against Jeremiah; For the law shall not perish from the priest, Nor counsel from the wise, Nor the word from the prophet; Come, let us smite him with the tongue, And not give heed to any of his words.”

19 Give heed to me, O Lord, and hear the voice of my adversaries.

Give heed to me, O Jehovah, And hear the voice of my adversaries!

20 Shall evil be rendered for good, because they have digged a pit for my soul? Remember that I have stood in thy sight, so speak good for them, and turn away thy indignation from them.

Shall evil be returned for good? For they have digged a pit for me. Remember how I have stood before thee, To announce good to them, And to turn away thy wrath from them!

21 Therefore deliver up their children to famine, and bring them into the hands of the sword: let their wives be bereaved of children and widows: and let their husbands be slain by death: let their young men be stabbed with the sword in battle.

Therefore give thou up their sons to famine, And deliver them to the edge of the sword! Let their wives be childless and widows, Let their men be slain by pestilence, And their young men fall by the sword in battle!

22 Let a cry be heard out of their houses: for thou shalt bring the robber upon them suddenly: because they have digged a pit to take me, and have hid snares for my feet.

Let a cry be heard from their houses, When thou shalt bring a troop upon them suddenly! For they have digged a pit to take me, And hidden snares for my feet.

23 But thou, O Lord, knowest all their counsel against me unto death: forgive not their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out from thy sight: let them be overthrown before thy eyes, in the time of thy wrath do thou destroy them.

Thou, O Jehovah, knowest all their plots against my life! Cover not their iniquity, And blot not out their sin from thy sight! But let them be overthrown before thee; Deal with them in the time of thy wrath!