Jeremiah 18

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

The word which came to Jeremiah from Jehovah, saying,

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

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

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

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

4 And the vessel that he was making became spoiled as [happeneth] with the clay in the hand of the potter; and he made again thereof another vessel, as it seemed good in the eyes of the potter to make it.

And when the vessel that he made of the clay was marred in the hand of the potter, he made it another vessel again, as seemed good to the potter to make it.

5 Then came the word of the Lord to me, saying,

Then the word of Jehovah came to me, saying,

6 Shall I not be able to do unto you as this potter, O house of Israel? saith the Lord. Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye in my hand, O house of Israel.

O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? says Jehovah. Behold, as the clay in the potter's hand, so are ye in my hand, O house of Israel.

7 At one instant I speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy it;

At that instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up and to break down and to destroy it,

8 But should that nation, against whom I have spoken, return from their wrong-doing: then will I bethink me of the evil that I had thought to do unto them.

if that nation, concerning which I have spoken, turns from their evil, I will relent of the evil that I thought to do to them.

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

And at that instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it,

10 But should it do what is evil in my eyes, so as not to hearken to my voice: then will I bethink me of the good, wherewith I had thought to benefit the same.

if they do that which is evil in my sight, that they obey not my voice, then I will relent of the good with which I said I would benefit them.

11 And now do say to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, as followeth, Thus hath said the Lord, Behold, I form against you evil, and devise against you a device: do but return now every one from his evil way, and amend your ways and your deeds.

Now therefore, speak to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, Thus says Jehovah: Behold, I frame evil against you, and devise a device against you. Return ye now everyone from his evil way, and amend your ways and your doings.

12 And they said, It is useless: for after our own thoughts will we walk, and we will every one do after the stubbornness of his evil heart.

But they say, It is in vain. For we will walk after our own devices, and we will do everyone according to the stubbornness of his evil heart.

13 Therefore thus hath said the Lord, Only ask among the nations, Who hath heard the like things? a very horrible act hath the virgin of Israel committed.

Therefore thus says Jehovah: Ask ye now among the nations, Who has heard such things? The virgin of Israel has done a very horrible thing.

14 Doth the snow of Lebanon ever quit the rock of the field? or do the far-coming, cold, flowing waters ever fail?

Shall the snow of Lebanon fail from the rock of the field? Or shall the cold waters that flow down from afar be dried up?

15 That my people have forgotten me, that they have burnt incense to false gods, and are made to stumble on their ways, the ancient beaten tracks, to walk in paths, on a road which is not leveled?

For my people have forgotten me. They have burned incense to false gods. 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 desolate, a perpetual derision: every one that passeth thereby shall be astonished, and shake his head.

to make their land an astonishment, and a perpetual hissing, everyone who passes by it shall be astonished, and shake his head.

17 Like an east wind will I scatter them before the enemy; with the back, and not the face, will I regard them on the day of their calamity.

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.

18 And they said, Come, and let us contrive devices against Jeremiah; for the law will not be lost 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 listen to any of his words.

Then they said, 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 smite him with the tongue, and let us not give heed to any of his words.

19 Listen to me, O Lord, and hearken to the voice of those that contend with me.

Give heed to me, O Jehovah, and hearken to the voice of those who contend with me.

20 Shall evil be recompensed instead of good, that they have dug a pit for my life? Remember my standing before thee to speak good concerning them, to cause thy wrath to turn away from them.

Shall evil be recompensed for good? For they have dug 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 give up their children to the famine, and let their life ebb out by means of the sword; and let their wives be bereaved of their children, and widows; and let their men be slain by death; their young men smitten by the sword in the battle.

Therefore deliver up their sons to the famine, and give them over to the power of the sword, and let their wives become childless, and widows, and let their men be slain of death, and their young men smitten of the sword in battle.

22 Let a cry be heard from their houses, when thou bringest a troop over them suddenly; for they have dug a pit to catch me, and laid concealed snares for my feet.

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

23 Yet thou, Lord, knowest well all their counsel against me to [procure my] death: forgive not their iniquity, and let their sin not be blotted out from before thee; but let them be brought to stumbling before thee; in the time of thy anger deal thus with them.

Yet, Jehovah, thou know all their counsel against me to kill me. Do not forgive their iniquity, nor blot out their sin from thy sight, but let them be overthrown before thee. Deal thou with them in the time of thine anger.