The Potter and the Clay

18 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.” ³ Then I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was, making something at the ^[a]wheel. ⁴ And the vessel that he ^[b]made of clay was ^[c]marred in the hand of the potter; so he made it again into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to make.

⁵ Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying: ⁶ “O house of Israel, ^(A)can I not do with you as this potter?” says the Lord. “Look, ^(B)as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel! ⁷ The instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to ^(C)pluck up, to pull down, and to destroy it, ^8 (D)if that nation against whom I have spoken turns from its evil, ^(E)I will relent of the disaster that I thought to bring upon it. ⁹ And the instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it, ¹⁰ if it does evil in My sight so that it does not obey My voice, then I will relent concerning the good with which I said I would benefit it.

¹¹ “Now therefore, speak to the men of Judah and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Behold, I am fashioning a disaster and devising a plan against you. ^(F)Return now every one from his evil way, and make your ways and your doings ^(G)good.” ’ ”

God’s Warning Rejected

¹² And they said, ^(H)“That is hopeless! So we will walk according to our own plans, and we will every one ^[d]obey the ^(I)dictates^[e] of his evil heart.”

¹³ Therefore thus says the Lord:

Jeremiah Persecuted

¹⁸ Then they said, ^(S)“Come and let us devise plans against Jeremiah; ^(T)for the law shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. Come and let us attack him with the tongue, and let us not give heed to any of his words.”