Jeremiah 18

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

The word that came from the Lord to

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

So I went down to the potter's house, and behold, he was making a vessel on the stones.

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

And the word of the Lord came 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, O house of Israel, to do to you as this potter? behold, as the clay of the potter are you in my hands.

7 At the instant I speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up and to break down and to destroy it,

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

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.

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

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

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

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 “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 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 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, 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 the LORD says: “Ask now 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 Will the snow of Lebanon fail from the rock of the field? Will the cold waters that flow down from afar be dried up?

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

15 For my people have forgotten me. They have burned 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,

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 an astonishment, and a perpetual hissing. Everyone who passes by it will be astonished, and shake 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 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.

I will scatter them before their enemies like an east wind; I will show them the day of their destruction.

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.”

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 heed to me, LORD, and listen to the voice of those who contend with me.

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

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.

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 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 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 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 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 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.

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.