Jeremiah 19:1-13
Christian Standard Bible
The Clay Jar
19 This is what the Lord says: “Go, buy a potter’s clay(A) jar. Take[a] some of the elders of the people and some of the leading priests(B) 2 and go out to Ben Hinnom Valley(C) near the entrance of the Potsherd Gate. Proclaim there the words I speak to you. 3 Say, ‘Hear the word of the Lord, kings of Judah and residents of Jerusalem.(D) This is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says: I am going to bring such a disaster on this place that everyone who hears about it will shudder[b](E) 4 because they have abandoned me(F) and made this a foreign place. They have burned incense in it to other gods that they, their ancestors, and the kings of Judah have never known. They have filled this place with the blood of the innocent.(G) 5 They have built high places to Baal on which to burn their children in the fire as burnt offerings to Baal, something I have never commanded or mentioned; I never entertained the thought.[c](H)
6 “‘Therefore, look, the days are coming(I)—this is the Lord’s declaration—when this place will no longer be called Topheth and Ben Hinnom Valley, but Slaughter Valley.(J) 7 I will spoil the plans of Judah and Jerusalem in this place. I will make them fall by the sword before their enemies, by the hand of those who intend to take their life. I will provide their corpses as food for the birds of the sky and for the wild animals of the land.(K) 8 I will make this city desolate, an object of scorn. Everyone who passes by it will be appalled and scoff because of all its wounds.(L) 9 I will make them eat the flesh of their sons and their daughters, and they will eat each other’s flesh in the distressing siege inflicted on them by their enemies who intend to take their life.’(M)
10 “Then you are to shatter the jar in the presence of the people going with you, 11 and you are to proclaim to them, ‘This is what the Lord of Armies says: I will shatter these people and this city, like one shatters a potter’s jar that can never again be mended. They will bury the dead in Topheth because there is no other place for burials.(N) 12 That is what I will do to this place—this is the declaration of the Lord—and to its residents, making this city like Topheth. 13 The houses of Jerusalem and the houses of the kings of Judah will become impure like that place Topheth—all the houses on whose rooftops they have burned incense to all the stars in the sky(O) and poured out drink offerings to other gods.’”
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Jeremiah 19:1-13
International Standard Version
The Lesson of the Broken Jug
19 This is what the Lord says: “Go and buy a potter’s clay jug. Take along[a] some of the elders of the people and some of the elders of the priests. 2 Go out to the Valley of Hinnom[b] at the entrance to the Potsherd Gate, and there proclaim the words that I’m telling you.
3 “You are to say, ‘Hear this message from the Lord, you kings of Judah and residents of Jerusalem!
“‘This is what the Lord of the Heavenly Armies, the God of Israel, says: “I’m about to bring a disaster on this place that will make the ears of all who hear about it tingle. 4 For they have forsaken me and have treated this place as foreign. In it they have burned incense to other gods that neither they, their ancestors, nor the kings of Judah knew. They have also filled this place with the blood of innocent people. 5 They built the high places[c] for Baal to burn their children in the fire as a burnt offering to Baal—something I didn’t command, didn’t say, nor did it ever enter my mind!
6 “‘“Therefore, days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when this place will no longer be called Topheth, or the Valley of Hinnom, but rather the Valley of Slaughter. 7 I’ll shatter[d] the counsel of Judah and Jerusalem in this place, and I’ll make them fall by the sword before their enemies and at the hands of those seeking their lives. I’ll give their dead bodies as food to the birds of the sky and to the animals of the land. 8 I’ll make this city into a desolate place and an object of scorn.[e] All who pass by it will be astonished and will scoff[f] because of all its wounds. 9 I’ll cause them to eat the flesh of their sons and daughters,[g] and people will eat the flesh of their neighbors in the siege and in the distress to which their enemies and those seeking their lives will subject them.”’”
10 “Then you are to break the jug in front of the men who have come with you, 11 and say to them, ‘This is what the Lord of the Heavenly Armies says: “In this same way I’ll break this people and this city, just as someone breaks a potter’s vessel which he then cannot put back together again. They’ll bury corpses[h] in Topheth until there is no more room to bury anyone.[i] 12 This is what I’ll do to this place and its residents,” declares the Lord, “making this city like Topheth. 13 The houses of Jerusalem and the houses of the kings of Judah will be polluted like Topheth, as will be all the houses on whose roofs people[j] burned incense to all the host of heaven and poured out liquid offerings to other gods.”’”
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- Jeremiah 19:1 The Heb. lacks along
- Jeremiah 19:2 Lit. Valley of Hinnom’s son
- Jeremiah 19:5 I.e. the places where Canaanite gods were worshipped
- Jeremiah 19:7 Or nullify; MT word for shatter sounds like MT word for jug in v. 1
- Jeremiah 19:8 Lit. hissing
- Jeremiah 19:8 Lit. hiss; i.e. hissing was an expression of contempt
- Jeremiah 19:9 Lit. sons and the flesh of their daughters
- Jeremiah 19:11 The Heb. lacks corpses
- Jeremiah 19:11 The Heb. lacks anyone
- Jeremiah 19:13 Lit. they
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