Jeremiah 18

1 The word that came to Jeremiah from Yahweh, saying,

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

2 “Arise and go out to the potter's house, for I will have you hear my word there.”

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

3 So I went out to the potter's house, and behold! The potter was working on the potter's wheel.

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

4 But the object of clay that he was molding was ruined in his hand, so he changed his mind and made another object that seemed good in his eyes to do.

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.

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

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

6 “Should I not be able to act like this potter with you, house of Israel?—this is Yahweh's declaration. Behold! Like clay in a potter's hand—that is how you are in my hand, house of Israel.

“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.

7 At one moment, I may proclaim something about a nation or a kingdom, that I will drive it out, tear it down, or 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 if the nation about which I have made that proclamation turns from its evil, then I will relent from the disaster that I was planning to bring upon it.

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.

9 At another moment, I may proclaim something about a nation or a kingdom, that I will build it up or plant it.

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

10 But if it does evil in my eyes by not listening to my voice, then I will stop the good that I had said I would do for them.

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.

11 So now, speak to the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and say, 'Yahweh says this: See, I am about to form disaster against you. I am about to devise a plan against you. Repent, each person from his wicked way, so your ways and your practices will bring good to you.'

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.”

12 But they will say, 'This is no use. We will act according to our own plans. Each one of us will do what his evil, stubborn heart desires.'

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.”

13 Therefore Yahweh says this, 'Ask the nations, who has ever heard of such a thing as this? The virgin Israel has committed a horrible act.

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

14 Does the snow in Lebanon ever leave the rocky hills on its sides? Are the mountain streams coming from far away ever destroyed, those cold streams?

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

15 Yet my people have forgotten me. They have made offerings to useless idols and been made to stumble in their paths; they have left the ancient paths to walk lesser paths.

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,

16 Their land will become a horror, an object of everlasting hissing. Everyone who passes by her will shudder and shake his head.

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

17 I will scatter them before their enemies like an eastern wind. I will show them my back, and not my face, on the day of their disaster.'”

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.”

18 So the people said, “Come, let us make plots against Jeremiah, since the law will never perish from the priests, or advice from the wise men, or words from the prophets. Come, let us attack him with our words and no longer pay attention to anything he proclaims.”

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.”

19 Pay attention to me, Yahweh, and listen to the voice of my enemies.

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

20 Will disaster from them really be my reward for being good to them? For they have dug a pit for me. Remember how I stood before you to speak for their welfare, to cause your fury to turn away from them.

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.

21 Therefore give their children over to famine, and give them to the hands of those who use the sword. So let their women become bereaved and widows, and their men be killed, and their young men killed by the sword in 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 [are] struck by sword in battle,

22 Let a distressed shout be heard from their houses, as you suddenly bring raiders against them. For they have dug a pit to capture me and have hidden traps for my feet.

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.

23 But you, Yahweh, you know all of their plans against me to kill me. Do not forgive their iniquities and sins. Do not wipe their sins away from you. Instead, let them be overthrown before you. Act against them in the time of your wrath.

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!