Jeremiah 18

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

The word that came from the Lord to

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

Jeremias, saying, Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there you shall hear my words.

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 behold, he was making a vessel on the stones.

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.

And the vessel which he was making with his hands fell: so he made it again another vessel, as it seemed good to him to make [it].

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

And 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.

Shall I not be able, O house of Israel, to do to you as this potter? behold, as the clay of the potter are you in my hands.

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

[If] I shall pronounce a decree upon a nation, or upon a kingdom, to cut them off, and to destroy [them];

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.

and that nation turn from all their sins, then will I repent of the evils which I purposed to do to them.

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

And [if] I shall pronounce a decree upon a nation and kingdom, to rebuild and to plant [it];

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 they do evil before me, so as not to listen to my voice, then will I repent of the good which I spoke of, to do it to them.

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.”

And now say to the men of Juda, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, Behold, I prepare evils against you, and devise a device against you: let every one turn now from his evil way, and amend your practices.

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.”

And they said, We will quit ourselves like men, for we will pursue our perverse ways, and we will perform each the lusts 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 thus says the Lord; Enquire now amongst the nations, who has heard such very horrible things as the virgin of Israel has done?

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

Will fertilising streams fail [to flow] from a rock, or snow [fail] from Libanus? will water violently impelled by the wind turn aside?

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,

For my people have forgotten me, they have offered incense in vain, and they fail in their ways, [leaving] the ancient tracks, to enter upon impassable paths;

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

to make their land a desolation, and a perpetual hissing; all that go through it shall be amazed, and shall 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 their enemies like an east wind; I will show them the day of their destruction.

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 they said, Come, and let us devise a device 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 we will hear all his words.

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

Hear me, O Lord, and hear the voice of my pleading.

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.

Forasmuch as evil is rewarded for good; for they have spoken words against my soul, and they have hidden the punishment they [meant] for me; remember that I stood before your face, to speak good for them, to turn away 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 do you deliver their sons to famine, and gather them to the power of the sword: let their women be childless and widows; and let their men be cut off by death, and their young men fall by the sword in war.

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 there be a cry in their houses: you shall bring upon them robbers suddenly: for they have formed a plan to take me, and have hidden snares for me.

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!

And you, Lord, know all their deadly counsel against me: account not their iniquities guiltless, and blot not out their sins from before you: let their weakness come before you; deal with them in the time of your wrath.