Jeremiah 18

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

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

2 “Arise, and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will 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 Then I went down to the potter’s house, and behold, he was making something on the wheels.

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

4 When the vessel that he made of the clay was marred in the hand of the potter, he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.

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 Then the LORD’s word came to me, saying,

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

6 “House of Israel, can’t I do with you as this potter?” says the LORD. “Behold, as the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand, 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 At the instant I speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up and to break down and to destroy it,

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

8 if that nation, concerning which I have spoken, turns from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do to them.

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 At the instant I speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it,

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

10 if they do that which is evil in my sight, that they not obey my voice, then I will repent of the good with which I said I would benefit them.

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 “Now therefore, speak to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, ‘The LORD says: “Behold, I frame evil against you, and devise a plan against you. Everyone return from his evil way now, 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 But they say, ‘It is in vain; for we will walk after our own plans, and we will each follow 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 the LORD says: “Ask now amongst 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 Will the snow of Lebanon fail from the rock of the field? Will the cold waters that flow down from afar be dried up?

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

15 For my people have forgotten me. They have burnt incense to false gods. They have been made to stumble in their ways in the ancient paths, to walk in byways, in a way not built 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 an astonishment, and a perpetual hissing. Everyone who passes by it will be astonished, and shake his head.

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

17 I will scatter them as with an east wind before the enemy. I will show them the back, 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 Then they said, “Come! Let’s devise plans against Jeremiah; for the law won’t perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. Come, and let’s strike him with the tongue, and let’s not give heed 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 heed to me, LORD, and listen to the voice of those who contend with me.

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

20 Should evil be recompensed for good? For they have dug a pit for my soul. Remember how I stood before you to speak good for them, to turn away 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 deliver up their children to the famine, and give them over to the power of the sword. Let their wives become childless and widows. Let their men be killed and their young men struck by the 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 Let a cry be heard from their houses when you bring a troop suddenly on them; for they have dug a pit to take me and 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 Yet, LORD, you know all their counsel against me to kill me. Don’t forgive their iniquity. Don’t blot out their sin from your sight, Let them be overthrown before you. Deal with 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.