Jeremiah 18
1 The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying,
The word that came to Jeremiah from Yahweh, saying,
2 Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there will I let thee hear my words.
“Arise and go out to the potter's house, for I will have you hear my word there.”
3 Then went I down to the potter's house, and, behold, he was doing work on the wheels.
So I went out to the potter's house, and behold! The potter was working on the potter's 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.
But the object of clay that he was molding was ruined in his hand, so he changed his mind and made another object that seemed good in his eyes to do.
5 Then came the word of the Lord to me, saying,
Then the word of Yahweh 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.
“Should I not be able to act like this potter with you, house of Israel?—this is Yahweh's declaration. Behold! Like clay in a potter's hand—that is how you are in my hand, 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 one moment, I may proclaim something about a nation or a kingdom, that I will drive it out, tear it down, or 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.
But if the nation about which I have made that proclamation turns from its evil, then I will relent from the disaster that I was planning to bring upon it.
9 And at one instant I speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it;
At another moment, I may proclaim something about a nation or a kingdom, that I will build it up or 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.
But if it does evil in my eyes by not listening to my voice, then I will stop the good that I had said I would do for 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.
So now, speak to the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and say, 'Yahweh says this: See, I am about to form disaster against you. I am about to devise a plan against you. Repent, each person from his wicked way, so your ways and your practices will bring good to you.'
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 will say, 'This is no use. We will act according to our own plans. Each one of us will do what his evil, stubborn heart desires.'
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 Yahweh says this, 'Ask the nations, who has ever heard of such a thing as this? The virgin Israel has committed a horrible act.
14 Doth the snow of Lebanon ever quit the rock of the field? or do the far-coming, cold, flowing waters ever fail?
Does the snow in Lebanon ever leave the rocky hills on its sides? Are the mountain streams coming from far away ever destroyed, those cold streams?
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?
Yet my people have forgotten me. They have made offerings to useless idols and been made to stumble in their paths; they have left the ancient paths to walk lesser paths.
16 To make their land desolate, a perpetual derision: every one that passeth thereby shall be astonished, and shake his head.
Their land will become a horror, an object of everlasting hissing. Everyone who passes by her will shudder 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 before their enemies like an eastern wind. I will show them my back, and not my face, on the day of their disaster.'”
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.
So the people said, “Come, let us make plots against Jeremiah, since the law will never perish from the priests, or advice from the wise men, or words from the prophets. Come, let us attack him with our words and no longer pay attention to anything he proclaims.”
19 Listen to me, O Lord, and hearken to the voice of those that contend with me.
Pay attention to me, Yahweh, and listen to the voice of my enemies.
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.
Will disaster from them really be my reward for being good to them? For they have dug a pit for me. Remember how I stood before you to speak for their welfare, to cause your fury to turn away 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 give their children over to famine, and give them to the hands of those who use the sword. So let their women become bereaved and widows, and their men be killed, and their young men killed by 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 distressed shout be heard from their houses, as you suddenly bring raiders against them. For they have dug a pit to capture me and have hidden traps 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 you, Yahweh, you know all of their plans against me to kill me. Do not forgive their iniquities and sins. Do not wipe their sins away from you. Instead, let them be overthrown before you. Act against them in the time of your wrath.
