Jeremiah 18

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

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

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

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

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

Then went I down to the potter's house, and, behold, he was doing work on the wheels.

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 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.

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

Then came the word of the Lord 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 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.

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

At one instant I speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy it;

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 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.

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

And at one instant I speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build 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.

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.

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 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.

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, It is useless: for after our own thoughts will we walk, and we will every one do after 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 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.

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

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

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,

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?

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 desolate, a perpetual derision: every one that passeth thereby shall be astonished, and shake his head.

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.”

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.

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.”

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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 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.

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 thou bringest a troop over them suddenly; for they have dug a pit to catch me, and laid concealed 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!

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.