Jeremiah 18

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

The word that came from Jeremias to the Lord, 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 thou shalt hear my words.

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

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

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 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.

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

Then the word of the Lord 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.

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.

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

I will suddenly speak against a nation, and against a kingdom, to root out, and to pull 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 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.

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

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

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 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.

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.

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.

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

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

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?

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?

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:

16 To make their land desolate, a perpetual derision: every one that passeth thereby shall be astonished, and shake his head.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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 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.

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 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.

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 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.

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.

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.