Jeremiah 18

1 The word that has been to Jeremiah from YHWH, saying,

This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD:

2 “Rise, and you have gone down [to] the potter’s house, and there I cause you to hear My words”;

“Go down at once to the potter’s house, and there I will reveal My message to you.”

3 and I go down [to] the potter’s house, and behold, he is doing a work on the stones,

So I went down to the potter’s house and saw him working at the wheel.

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

But the vessel that he was shaping from the clay became flawed in his hand; so he formed it into another vessel, as it seemed best for him to do.

5 And there is a word of YHWH to me, saying,

Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

6 “O house of Israel, am I not able to do to you as this potter?” A declaration of YHWH. “Behold, as clay in the hand of the potter, So [are] you in My hand, O house of Israel.

“O house of Israel, declares the LORD, can I not treat you as this potter treats his clay? Just like clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel.

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

At any time I might announce that a nation or kingdom will be uprooted, torn down, and destroyed.

8 And that nation has turned from its evil, Because I have spoken against it, Then I have relented of the calamity that I thought to do to it.

But if that nation I warned turns from its evil, then I will relent of the disaster I had planned to bring.

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

And if at another time I announce that I will build up and establish a nation or kingdom,

10 And it has done evil in My eyes, So as not to listen to My voice, Then I have relented of the good That I have spoken of doing to it.

and if it does evil in My sight and does not listen to My voice, then I will relent of the good I had intended for it.

11 And now, speak now to men of Judah, And against inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, Thus said YHWH: Behold, I am framing calamity against you, And devising a scheme against you; Please turn back, each from his evil way, And amend your ways and your doings.”

Now therefore, tell the men of Judah and the residents of Jerusalem that this is what the LORD says: ‘Behold, I am planning a disaster for you and devising a plan against you. Turn now, each of you, from your evil ways, and correct your ways and deeds.’

12 And they have said, “It is incurable, For we go after our own plans, And each of us does the stubbornness of his evil heart.”

But they will reply, ‘It is hopeless. We will follow our own plans, and each of us will act according to the stubbornness of his evil heart.’”

13 Therefore, thus said YHWH: “Now ask among the nations, Who has heard such things? The virgin of Israel has done a very horrible thing.

Therefore this is what the LORD says: “Inquire among the nations: Who has ever heard things like these? Virgin Israel has done a most terrible thing.

14 Does snow of Lebanon Cease from the rock of the field? Will the cold strange [waters] that are flowing be forsaken?

Does the snow of Lebanon ever leave its rocky slopes? Or do its cool waters flowing from a distance ever run dry?

15 But My people have forgotten Me, they make incense to a vain thing, And they cause them to stumble in their ways—paths of old, To walk in paths—a way not raised up,

Yet My people have forgotten Me. They burn incense to worthless idols that make them stumble in their ways, leaving the ancient roads to walk on rutted bypaths instead of on the highway.

16 To make their land become a desolation, A continuous hissing, Everyone passing by it is astonished, And bemoans with his head.

They have made their land a desolation, a perpetual object of scorn; all who pass by will be appalled and shake their heads.

17 I scatter them before an enemy as with an east wind, I show them the neck and not the face, In the day of their calamity.”

I will scatter them before the enemy like the east wind. I will show them My back and not My face in the day of their calamity.”

18 And they say, “Come, And we devise schemes against Jeremiah, For law does not perish from the priest, Nor counsel from the wise, Nor the word from the prophet, Come, and we strike him with the tongue, And we do not attend to any of his words.”

Then some said, “Come, let us make plans against Jeremiah, for the law will never be lost to the priest, nor counsel to the wise, nor an oracle to the prophet. Come, let us denounce him and pay no heed to any of his words.”

19 Give attention, O YHWH, to me, And listen to the voice of those contending with me.

Attend to me, O LORD. Hear what my accusers are saying!

20 Is evil repaid instead of good, That they have dug a pit for my soul? Remember my standing before You to speak good of them, To turn back Your wrath from them.

Should good be repaid with evil? Yet they have dug a pit for me. Remember how I stood before You to speak good on their behalf, to turn Your wrath from them.

21 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 [are] struck by sword in battle,

Therefore, hand their children over to famine; pour out the power of the sword upon them. Let their wives become childless and widowed; let their husbands be slain by disease, their young men struck down by the sword in battle.

22 A cry is heard from their houses, For You suddenly bring a troop against them, For they dug a pit to capture me, And they have hidden snares for my feet.

Let a cry be heard from their houses when You suddenly bring raiders against them, for they have dug a pit to capture me and have hidden snares for my feet.

23 And You, O YHWH, You have known, All their counsel against me [is] for death, You do not cover over their iniquity, Nor blot out their sin from before You, And they are made to stumble before You, Work against them in the time of Your anger!

But You, O LORD, know all their deadly plots against me. Do not wipe out their guilt or blot out their sin from Your sight. Let them be overthrown before You; deal with them in the time of Your anger.