Jeremiah 18

1 The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying:

The word that has been to Jeremiah from YHWH, saying,

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

“Rise, and you have gone down [to] the potter’s house, and there I cause you to hear My words”;

3 Then I went down to the potter's house, and, behold, he was at his work on the wheels.

and I go down [to] the potter’s house, and behold, he is doing a work on the stones,

4 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.

and the vessel that he is making is marred, as clay in the hand of the potter, and he has turned and he makes it another vessel, as it was right in the eyes of the potter to make.

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

And there is a word of YHWH to me, saying,

6 '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.

“O house of Israel, am I not able to do to you as this potter?” A declaration of YHWH. “Behold, as clay in the hand of the potter, So [are] you in My hand, O house of Israel.

7 At one instant I may speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up and to break down and to destroy it;

The moment I speak concerning a nation, And concerning a kingdom, To pluck up and to break down, and to destroy,

8 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.

And that nation has turned from its evil, Because I have spoken against it, Then I have relented of the calamity that I thought to do to it.

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

And the moment I speak concerning a nation, And concerning a kingdom, to build, and to plant,

10 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.

And it has done evil in My eyes, So as not to listen to My voice, Then I have relented of the good That I have spoken of doing to it.

11 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.

And now, speak now to men of Judah, And against inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, Thus said YHWH: Behold, I am framing calamity against you, And devising a scheme against you; Please turn back, each from his evil way, And amend your ways and your doings.”

12 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.'

And they have said, “It is incurable, For we go after our own plans, And each of us does the stubbornness of his evil heart.”

13 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.

Therefore, thus said YHWH: “Now ask among the nations, Who has heard such things? The virgin of Israel has done a very horrible thing.

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

Does snow of Lebanon Cease from the rock of the field? Will the cold strange [waters] that are flowing be forsaken?

15 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;

But My people have forgotten Me, they make incense to a vain thing, And they cause them to stumble in their ways—paths of old, To walk in paths—a way not raised up,

16 To make their land an astonishment, and a perpetual hissing; every one that passeth thereby shall be astonished, and shake his head.

To make their land become a desolation, A continuous hissing, Everyone passing by it is astonished, And bemoans with his head.

17 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.

I scatter them before an enemy as with an east wind, I show them the neck and not the face, In the day of their calamity.”

18 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.'

And they say, “Come, And we devise schemes against Jeremiah, For law does not perish from the priest, Nor counsel from the wise, Nor the word from the prophet, Come, and we strike him with the tongue, And we do not attend to any of his words.”

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

Give attention, O YHWH, to me, And listen to the voice of those contending with me.

20 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.

Is evil repaid instead of good, That they have dug a pit for my soul? Remember my standing before You to speak good of them, To turn back Your wrath from them.

21 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.

Therefore, give up their sons to famine, And cause them to run on the sides of the sword, And their wives are bereaved and widows, And their men are slain by death, Their young men [are] struck by sword in battle,

22 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.

A cry is heard from their houses, For You suddenly bring a troop against them, For they dug a pit to capture me, And they have hidden snares for my feet.

23 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.

And You, O YHWH, You have known, All their counsel against me [is] for death, You do not cover over their iniquity, Nor blot out their sin from before You, And they are made to stumble before You, Work against them in the time of Your anger!