Jeremiah 18
Lexham English Bible
The Potter and the Clay
18 The word that came to Jeremiah from Yahweh, saying,[a] 2 “Stand up and go down to the house of the potter, and there I will let you hear my words.” 3 So I went down to the house of the potter and look, there he was doing work at the potter’s wheels. 4 And the vessel that he was making with the clay was spoiled in the hand of the potter, so he made again[b] another vessel, as it was right in the eyes of the potter to make.
5 And the word of Yahweh came to me, saying,[c] 6 “Like this potter, am I not able to do to you, O house of Israel?” declares[d] Yahweh. “Look, like the clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel. 7 One moment I speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom, to uproot, and to tear down, and to destroy it.[e] 8 But if that nation turns back from its evil that I have threatened against it, then I will relent concerning the disaster that I planned to do to it. 9 And the next moment I speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom, to build, and to plant it.[f] 10 But if it does evil in my sight, to not listen to my voice, then I will relent concerning the good that I said I would do to it.
11 “So now then, say, please, to the people[g] of Judah and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying,[h] ‘Thus says Yahweh, “Look, I am preparing evil against you, and I am planning a plan against you. Please turn back, each one from his evil way, and walk rightly in your ways and your deeds.”’ 12 But they will say, ‘It is hopeless, for we will go after our own plans, and each one of us will act according to the stubbornness of his evil heart.’
13 “Therefore thus says Yahweh,
‘Please ask among the nations, “Who has heard the like of this?”[i]
The virgin of Israel has done something very horrible.
14 Does the snow of Lebanon leave from the crags[j] of Sirion?
Or are the cold waters flowing from distant mountains dried up?
15 But my people have forgotten me.
They make smoke offerings to the idols,[k]
and they caused them to stumble in their ways, the ancient ways,
to go into bypaths,[l] not one that is built up.
16 To make their land a horror,
an object of whistling for eternity.
All who pass by it will be appalled,
and he will shake his head.
17 Like the wind from the east
I will scatter them before[m] the enemy.
I will show them my back and not my face
in the day of their disaster.’”
Jeremiah’s Imprecatory Prayer
18 Then they said, “Come and let us plan plans against Jeremiah, for instruction will not be lost from the priest, nor advice from the wise man, nor the word from the prophet. Come and let us bring charges against him,[n] and let us not listen attentively to any of his words.”
19 Listen attentively to me, O Yahweh,
and listen to the voice of my opponents.
20 Should good be repaid in place of evil?
Yet they have dug a pit for me.
Remember my standing before you[o] to speak good for them,
to avert your wrath from them.
21 Therefore[p] give their children to the famine,
and hand them over to the power[q] of the sword,
and let their wives be bereaved and widows,
and let their men be killed by death,
their young men struck dead
by the sword in the battle.
22 Let a cry for help be heard from their houses
when you suddenly bring upon them the raiding band,
for they have dug a pit to catch me,
and they have fixed secretly a trap for my feet.
23 But you, O Yahweh, you know
all their plans of assassination against me.[r]
You must not make atonement for their iniquity,
and you must not cause their sin to be blotted out from before you.[s]
But let them be overthrown before you.[t]
Deal with them in the time of your anger.
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 18:1 Literally “to say”
- Jeremiah 18:4 Literally “he turned back and he made it”
- Jeremiah 18:5 Literally “to say”
- Jeremiah 18:6 Literally “a declaration of”
- Jeremiah 18:7 Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
- Jeremiah 18:9 Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
- Jeremiah 18:11 Literally “man”
- Jeremiah 18:11 Literally “to say”
- Jeremiah 18:13 Literally “like these”
- Jeremiah 18:14 Hebrew “crag”
- Jeremiah 18:15 Hebrew “idol”
- Jeremiah 18:15 Literally “paths of way”
- Jeremiah 18:17 Literally “to the face of”
- Jeremiah 18:18 Literally “let us strike him with the tongue”
- Jeremiah 18:20 Literally “to the face of you”
- Jeremiah 18:21 Literally “To thus”
- Jeremiah 18:21 Literally “hand”
- Jeremiah 18:23 Literally “all of their plan against me to the death”
- Jeremiah 18:23 Literally “to the face of you”
- Jeremiah 18:23 Literally “to the face of you”
Jeremiah 18
International Standard Version
The Potter’s House and the Ruined Vessel
18 The message that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 2 “Arise and go down to the potter’s house, and there I’ll allow you to hear my words.” 3 So I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was doing work at the potter’s wheel. 4 But the vessel he was working on with the clay was ruined in the potter’s hand. So he remade it into another vessel that seemed appropriate to him.
5 Then this message from the Lord came to me: 6 “Israel, can’t I deal with you like this potter?” declares the Lord. “Look, Israel, like clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand. 7 At one moment I may speak about a nation or a kingdom to uproot it, pull it down, or destroy it. 8 But if that nation about which I spoke turns from its evil way, I’ll change my mind about the disaster that I had planned for it. 9 At another moment I may speak about a nation or kingdom to build it or plant it. 10 But if that nation does evil in my eyes by not obeying me, I’ll change my mind about the good that I said I would bring on it.
11 “Now say to the people of Judah and to the residents of Jerusalem, ‘This is what the Lord says: “Look, I’m designing a disaster just for you, and I’m making plans against you. Each one of you must repent from his evil way. Make your ways and deeds right.”’ 12 But they’ll say, ‘It’s useless! We will follow our plans and each of us will pursue his own evil desires.’[a]
13 “Therefore, this is what the Lord says:
‘Ask the nations.
Who has ever heard of anything like this?
You have done a most horrible thing,
virgin Israel.
14 Does the snow of Lebanon
ever vanish from its rocky slopes?[b]
Or does the cold water from a foreign land
ever cease to flow?
15 Yet my people have forgotten me,
and they burn incense to worthless idols
that make them stumble in their journey
on the ancient paths.
They walk on trails,
on a way that is not built up.
16 They make their land into a desolate place,
an object of lasting scorn.[c]
All who pass by will be appalled
and will shake their heads.[d]
17 ‘Like the east wind, I’ll scatter them
before the enemy.
I’ll show them my back and not my face,
on the day of their downfall.’”
Jeremiah Reacts to the Plot against Him
18 Then they said, “Come, let’s make up a plot against Jeremiah. After all, the priest’s instruction, the wise man’s counsel, and the prophet’s message won’t be destroyed.[e] So let’s verbally attack him. Pay no attention to anything he says!”
19 Lord, pay attention to me.
Listen to the voice of my accusers!
20 Should good be repaid with evil?
Yet they have dug a pit to take my life.[f]
Remember! I stood before you
and spoke good on their behalf
in order to turn your wrath away from them.
21 Therefore, make their children undergo famine,
and deliver them over to death in time of war.[g]
May their women be childless widows!
May their men be slaughtered![h]
May their young men be slain
by the sword in battle!
22 Let a cry be heard from their houses because you
have brought a raiding party against them suddenly.
For they have dug a pit to capture me
and have set[i] traps for my feet.
23 But you, Lord, know all their plots to kill me.
Don’t forgive their iniquity,
and don’t erase their sin from your sight.
Let them stumble before you.
When it’s time for you to be angry, act against them!
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 18:12 Lit. will do the stubbornness of his evil heart
- Jeremiah 18:14 Or Do rocks ever leave the slopes, or the snow from Lebanon?
- Jeremiah 18:16 Lit. hissing
- Jeremiah 18:16 I.e. in surprise at the magnitude of the destruction
- Jeremiah 18:18 Lit. perish
- Jeremiah 18:20 Or a pit for me
- Jeremiah 18:21 Lit. to the power of the sword.
- Jeremiah 18:21 Lit. killed dead
- Jeremiah 18:22 Or hidden
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