Jeremiah 18
1 The word that hath been unto Jeremiah from Jehovah, saying,
The worde which came to Ieremiah from the Lord, saying,
2 Rise, and thou hast gone down [to] the potter's house, and there I cause thee to hear My words;
Arise, and go downe into the potters house, and there shall I shewe thee my words.
3 and I go down [to] the potter's house, and lo, he is doing a work on the stones,
Then I went downe to the potters house, and behold, he wrought a worke on the wheeles.
4 and marred is the vessel that he is making, as clay in the hand of the potter, and he hath turned and he maketh it another vessel, as it was right in the eyes of the potter to make.
And the vessell that he made of clay, was broken in the hand of the potter. so he returned, and made it another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.
5 And there is a word of Jehovah to me, saying:
Then the worde of the Lord came vnto me, saying,
6 As this potter am I not able to do to you? O house of Israel, an affirmation of Jehovah. Lo, as clay in the hand of the potter, So [are] ye in My hand, O house of Israel.
O house of Israel, cannot I doe with you as this potter, sayth the Lord? beholde, as the clay is in the potters hande, so are you in mine hande, 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,
I will speake suddenly against a nation or against a kingdome to plucke it vp, and to roote it out and to destroy it.
8 And that nation hath turned from its evil, Because I have spoken against it, Then I have repented of the evil that I thought to do to it.
But if this nation, against whom I haue pronounced, turne from their wickednesse, I will repent of the plague that I thought to bring vpon them.
9 And the moment I speak concerning a nation, And concerning a kingdom, to build, and to plant,
And I wil speake suddenly concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdome to builde it and to plant it.
10 And it hath done the evil thing in Mine eyes, So as not to hearken to My voice, Then I have repented of the good That I have spoken of doing to it.
But if it do euill in my sight and heare not my voyce, I will repent of ye good that I thought to do for them.
11 And now, speak, I pray thee, unto men of Judah, And against inhabitants of Jerusalem, Saying: Thus said Jehovah: Lo, I am framing against you evil, And devising against you a device, Turn back, I pray you, each from his evil way And amen your ways and your doings.
Speake thou nowe therefore vnto the men of Iudah, and to the inhabitants of Ierusalem, saying, Thus saith ye Lord, Behold, I prepare a plague for you, and purpose a thing against you: returne you therefore euery one from his euill way, and make your wayes and your workes good.
12 And they have said, It is incurable, For after our own devices we do go, And each the stubbornness of his evil heart we do.
But they sayde desperately, Surely wee will walke after our owne imaginations, and doe euery man after the stubburnnesse of his wicked heart.
13 Therefore, thus said Jehovah: Ask, I pray you, among the nations, Who hath heard like these? A very horrible thing hath the virgin of Israel done.
Therefore thus saith the Lord, Aske now among the heathen, who hath heard such thinges? the virgin of Israel hath done very filthily.
14 Doth snow of Lebanon Cease from the rock of the field? Failed are the cold strange waters that flow?
Will a man forsake the snowe of Lebanon, which commeth from the rocke of the fielde? or shall the colde flowing waters, that come from another place, be forsaken?
15 But My people have forgotten Me, to a vain thing they make perfume, And they cause them to stumble in their ways — paths of old, To walk in paths — a way not raised up,
Because my people hath forgotten me, and haue burnt incense to vanitie, and their prophets haue caused them to stumble in their wayes from the auncient wayes, to walke in the pathes and way that is not troden,
16 To make their land become a desolation, A hissing age-during, Every passer by it is astonished, And bemoaneth with his head.
To make their land desolate and a perpetual derision, so that euery one that passeth thereby, shalbe astonished and wagge his head,
17 As an east wind I scatter them before an enemy, The neck, and not the face, I shew them, In the day of their calamity.'
I will scatter them with an East winde before the enemie: I will shewe them the backe, and not the face in the day of their destruction.
18 And they say, Come, And we devise against Jeremiah devices, For law doth not perish from the priest, Nor counsel from the wise, Nor the word from the prophet, Come, and we smite him with the tongue, And we do not attend to any of his words.
Then sayde they, Come, and let vs imagine some deuice against Ieremiah: for the Lawe shall not perish from the Priest, nor counsell from the wise, nor the worde from the Prophet: come, and let vs smite him with the tongue, and let vs not giue heede to any of his words.
19 Give attention, O Jehovah, unto me, And hearken to the voice of those contending with me.
Hearken vnto mee, O Lord, and heare the voyce of them that contend with me.
20 Is evil recompensed instead of good, That they have dug a pit for my soul? Remember my standing before Thee to speak good of them, To turn back Thy wrath from them.
Shall euill be recompensed for good? for they haue digged a pit for my soule: remember that I stood before thee, to speake good for the, and to turne away thy 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 smitten by sword in battle,
Therefore, deliuer vp their children to famine, and let them drop away by the force of the sworde, and let their wiues be robbed of their children, and be widowes: and let their husbands be put to death, and let their yong men be slayne by the sword in the battell.
22 A cry is heard from their houses, For Thou bringest against them suddenly a troop, For they dug a pit to capture me, And snares they have hidden for my feet.
Let the crye bee heard from their houses, when thou shalt bring an hoste suddenly vpon them: for they haue digged a pit to take me, and hid snares for my feete.
23 And Thou, O Jehovah, Thou hast known, All their counsel against me [is] for death, Thou dost not cover over their iniquity, Nor their sin from before Thee blottest out, And they are made to stumble before Thee, In the time of Thine anger work against them!
Yet Lord thou knowest al their counsel against me tendeth to death: forgiue not their iniquitie, neither put out their sinne from thy sight, but let them be ouerthrowen before thee: deale thus with them in the time of thine anger.
