Jeremiah 18

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

The word that hath been unto Jeremiah from Jehovah, saying,

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

Rise, and thou hast gone down [to] the potter's house, and there I 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.

and I go down [to] the potter's house, and lo, he is doing a work on the stones,

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 marred is the vessel that he is making, as clay in the hand of the potter, and he hath turned and he maketh it another vessel, as it was right in the eyes of the potter to make.

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

And there is a word of Jehovah 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.

As this potter am I not able to do to you? O house of Israel, an affirmation of Jehovah. Lo, as clay in the hand of the potter, 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;

The moment I speak concerning a nation, And concerning a kingdom, To pluck up and to break down, and to destroy,

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.

And that nation hath turned from its evil, Because I have spoken against it, Then I have repented of the evil that I thought to do to it.

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

And the moment I speak concerning a nation, And concerning a kingdom, to build, and to plant,

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.

And it hath done the evil thing in Mine eyes, So as not to hearken to My voice, Then I have repented of the good That I have spoken of doing to 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.

And now, speak, I pray thee, unto men of Judah, And against inhabitants of Jerusalem, Saying: Thus said Jehovah: Lo, I am framing against you evil, And devising against you a device, Turn back, I pray you, each from his evil way And amen 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.

And they have said, It is incurable, For after our own devices we do go, And each the stubbornness of his evil heart we do.

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 said Jehovah: Ask, I pray you, among the nations, Who hath heard like these? A very horrible thing hath the virgin of Israel done.

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

Doth snow of Lebanon Cease from the rock of the field? Failed are the cold strange waters that flow?

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?

But My people have forgotten Me, to a vain thing they make perfume, And they cause them to stumble in their ways — paths of old, To walk in paths — a way not raised 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 become a desolation, A hissing age-during, Every passer by it is astonished, And bemoaneth with 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 an east wind I scatter them before an enemy, The neck, and not the face, I shew them, 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.

And they say, Come, And we devise against Jeremiah devices, For law doth not perish from the priest, Nor counsel from the wise, Nor the word from the prophet, Come, and we smite him with the tongue, And we do not attend to any of his words.

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

Give attention, O Jehovah, unto me, And hearken to the voice of those contending 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.

Is evil recompensed instead of good, That they have dug a pit for my soul? Remember my standing before Thee to speak good of them, To turn back 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, give up their sons to famine, And cause them to run on the sides of the sword, And their wives are bereaved and widows, And their men are slain by death, Their young men smitten by 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.

A cry is heard from their houses, For Thou bringest against them suddenly a troop, For they dug a pit to capture me, And snares they have hidden 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.

And Thou, O Jehovah, Thou hast known, All their counsel against me [is] for death, Thou dost not cover over their iniquity, Nor their sin from before Thee blottest out, And they are made to stumble before Thee, In the time of Thine anger work against them!