Jeremiah 18
World English Bible
18 The word which came to Jeremiah from Yahweh, 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 behold, he was making something on the wheels. 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.
5 Then Yahweh’s word came to me, saying, 6 “House of Israel, can’t I do with you as this potter?” says Yahweh. “Behold, as the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand, house of Israel. 7 At the instant I speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up and to break down and to destroy it; 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. 9 At the instant I speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build 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.
11 “Now therefore, speak to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, ‘Yahweh 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.”’ 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.’”
13 Therefore Yahweh says:
“Ask now among the nations,
‘Who has heard such things?’
The virgin of Israel has done a very horrible thing.
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?
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,
16 to make their land an astonishment,
and a perpetual hissing.
Everyone who passes by it will be astonished,
and shake his head.
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.
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.”
19 Give heed to me, Yahweh,
and listen to the voice of those who contend with me.
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.
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.
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.
23 Yet, Yahweh, 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.
Jeremiah 18
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Parable of the Potter
18 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 2 “Go down at once to the potter’s house;(A) there I will reveal My words to you.” 3 So I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was, working away at the wheel.[a] 4 But the jar that he was making from the clay became flawed in the potter’s hand, so he made it into another jar, as it seemed right for him to do.(B)
5 The word of the Lord came to me: 6 “House of Israel, can I not treat you as this potter treats his clay?”—this is the Lord’s declaration. “Just like clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, house of Israel.(C) 7 At one moment I might announce concerning a nation or a kingdom that I will uproot, tear down, and destroy it.(D) 8 However, if that nation I have made an announcement about turns from its evil, I will relent concerning the disaster I had planned to do to it.(E) 9 At another time I announce that I will build and plant a nation or a kingdom.(F) 10 However, if it does what is evil in My sight by not listening to My voice, I will relent concerning the good I had said I would do to it.(G) 11 So now, say to the men of Judah and to the residents of Jerusalem: This is what the Lord says: I am about to bring harm to you and make plans against you. Turn now, each from your evil way, and correct your ways and your deeds.(H) 12 But they will say, ‘It’s hopeless.(I) We will continue to follow our plans, and each of us will continue to act according to the stubbornness of his evil heart.’”
Deluded Israel
13 Therefore, this is what the Lord says:
Ask among the nations,
Who has heard things like these?
Virgin Israel has done a most terrible thing.(J)
14 Does the snow of Lebanon ever leave the highland crags?
Or does cold water flowing from a distance ever fail?
15 Yet My people have forgotten Me.(K)
They burn incense to false idols
that make them stumble in their ways
on the ancient roads(L)
and walk on new paths, not the highway.
16 They have made their land a horror,(M)
a perpetual object of scorn;[b](N)
everyone who passes by it will be horrified(O)
and shake his head.(P)
17 I will scatter them before the enemy like the east wind.(Q)
I will show them[c] My back and not My face
on the day of their calamity.
Plot against Jeremiah
18 Then certain ones said, “Come, let’s make plans against Jeremiah,(R) for instruction will never be lost from the priest,(S) or counsel from the wise, or an oracle from the prophet.(T) Come, let’s denounce him[d] and pay no attention to all his words.”
19 Pay attention to me, Lord.
Hear what my opponents are saying!(U)
20 Should good be repaid with evil?
Yet they have dug a pit for me.(V)
Remember how I stood before You
to speak good on their behalf,
to turn Your anger from them.
21 Therefore, hand their children over to famine,(W)
and pour the sword’s power on them.
Let their wives become childless and widowed,
their husbands slain by deadly disease,[e]
their young men struck down by the sword in battle.
22 Let a cry be heard from their houses
when You suddenly bring raiders against them,
for they have dug a pit to capture me
and have hidden snares for my feet.(X)
23 But You, Lord, know
all their deadly plots against me.
Do not wipe out their guilt;(Y)
do not blot out their sin before You.
Let them be forced to stumble before You;
deal with them in the time of Your anger.
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 18:3 Lit pair of stones
- Jeremiah 18:16 Lit hissing
- Jeremiah 18:17 LXX, Lat, Syr, Tg; MT reads will look at them
- Jeremiah 18:18 Lit let’s strike him with the tongue
- Jeremiah 18:21 Lit by death
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