Jeremiah 18

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

The word which came to Jeremiah from 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 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 wrought 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 the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter 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.

O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay is 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 what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, 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 pronounced, shall turn from their evil, I will repent 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 what 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 it shall do evil in my sight, that it obey not my voice, then I will repent 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 come, 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 plot against you: return ye now every one from his evil way, and make 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, There is no hope: but we will walk after our own devices, and we will every one do the imagination 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 ye now among the heathen, who hath heard such things: the virgin of Israel hath 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?

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

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 hath 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 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 desolate, and a perpetual hissing; every one that passeth 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 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 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 LORD, and hearken to the voice of them that 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 that I stood before thee to speak good for them, and 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 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.

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 shalt 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, 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 overthrown before thee; deal thus with them in the time of thy anger.