Jeremiah 18

1 The word that hath been unto Jeremiah from Jehovah, saying,

The word which came to Jeremiah 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 down to the potter’s house, and there I will cause thee to hear 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 down to the potter’s house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels.

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

5 And there is a word of Jehovah to me, saying:

Then the word of the LORD came to 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 do with you as this potter? 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 what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, 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.

If that nation, against which I have pronounced, shall turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do to them.

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

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

If it shall do evil in my sight, that it obey not my voice, then I will repent of the good, with which I said I would benefit 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.

Now therefore come, speak to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I frame evil against you, and devise a plot against you: return ye now every one from his evil way, and make your ways and your doings 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.

And they said, There is no hope: but we will walk after our own devices, and we will every one do the imagination of his evil 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; Ask ye now among the heathen, who hath heard such things: the virgin of Israel hath done a very horrible thing.

14 Doth snow of Lebanon Cease from the rock of the field? Failed are the cold strange waters that flow?

Will a man leave the snow of Lebanon which cometh from the rock of the field? or shall the cold 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, they have burned incense to vanity, and they have caused them to stumble in their ways from the ancient paths, to walk in paths, in a way not cast up;

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 hissing; every one that passeth by it shall be astonished, and shake 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 as with an east wind before the enemy; I will show them the back, and not the face, in the day of their calamity.

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 said they, Come, and let us devise devices against Jeremiah; for the law shall not perish 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 give heed to any of his words.

19 Give attention, O Jehovah, unto me, And hearken to the voice of those contending with me.

Give heed to me, O LORD, and hearken to the voice 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 evil be recompensed for good? for they have dug a pit for my soul. Remember that I stood before thee to speak good for them, and to turn 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 deliver their children to the famine, and pour out their blood by the force of the sword; and let their wives be bereaved of their children, and be widows; and let their men be put to death; let their young men be slain by the sword in battle.

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 a cry be heard from their houses, when thou shalt bring a troop suddenly upon them: for they have dug a pit to take me, and hid snares for my feet.

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 all their counsel against me to slay me: forgive not their iniquity, neither blot out their sin from thy sight, but let them be overthrown before thee; deal thus with them in the time of thy anger.