Jeremiah 18

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

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

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

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

3 Then I went down to the potter's house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels.

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

4 And the vessel that he made of clay was ruined in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter 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 Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

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

6 O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? says the LORD. Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are all of you in mine hand, O house of Israel.

“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 At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to destroy it;

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

8 If that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto 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 at what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it;

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

10 If it do evil in my sight, that it obey not my voice, then I will repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit 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 Now therefore go to, speak to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, Thus says the LORD; Behold, I frame evil against you, and devise a device against you: return all of you now every one from his evil way, and make your ways and your doings good.

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, There is no hope: but we will walk after our own devices, and we will every one do the imagination 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 says the LORD; Ask all of you now among the heathen, who has heard such things: the virgin of Israel has done a very horrible thing.

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 a man leave the snow of Lebanon which comes from the rock of the field? or shall the cold flowing waters that come from another place be forsaken?

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

15 Because my people has forgotten me, they have burned incense to vanity, and they have caused them to stumble in their ways from the ancient paths, to walk in paths, in a road not properly built;

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 desolate, and a perpetual hissing; every one that passes thereby shall be astonished, and shake his head.

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

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 said they, Come and let us devise devices against Jeremiah; 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 not give heed to any of 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 Give heed to me, O LORD, and hearken to the voice of them that contend with me.

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

20 Shall evil be recompensed for good? for they have dug a pit for my soul. Remember that I stood before you to speak good for them, and to turn away your 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 deliver up their children to the famine, and pour out their blood by the force of the sword; and let their wives be bereaved of their children, and be widows; and let their men be put to death; let their young men be slain by the sword in battle.

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 a cry be heard from their houses, when you shall bring a troop suddenly upon them: for they have dug a pit to take me, and hid snares for my feet.

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 Yet, LORD, you know all their counsel against me to slay me: forgive not their iniquity, neither blot out their sin from your sight, but let them be overthrown before you; deal thus with them in the time of your anger.

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.