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Jeremiah 18:11-23
New International Version
Jeremiah 18:11-23
New International Version
11 “Now therefore say to the people of Judah and those living in Jerusalem, ‘This is what the Lord says: Look! I am preparing a disaster(A) for you and devising a plan(B) against you. So turn(C) from your evil ways,(D) each one of you, and reform your ways and your actions.’(E) 12 But they will reply, ‘It’s no use.(F) We will continue with our own plans; we will all follow the stubbornness of our evil hearts.(G)’”
13 Therefore this is what the Lord says:
“Inquire among the nations:
Who has ever heard anything like this?(H)
A most horrible(I) thing has been done
by Virgin(J) Israel.
14 Does the snow of Lebanon
ever vanish from its rocky slopes?
Do its cool waters from distant sources
ever stop flowing?[a]
15 Yet my people have forgotten(K) me;
they burn incense(L) to worthless idols,(M)
which made them stumble(N) in their ways,
in the ancient paths.(O)
They made them walk in byways,
on roads not built up.(P)
16 Their land will be an object of horror(Q)
and of lasting scorn;(R)
all who pass by will be appalled(S)
and will shake their heads.(T)
17 Like a wind(U) from the east,
I will scatter them before their enemies;
I will show them my back and not my face(V)
in the day of their disaster.”
18 They said, “Come, let’s make plans(W) against Jeremiah; for the teaching of the law by the priest(X) will not cease, nor will counsel from the wise,(Y) nor the word from the prophets.(Z) So come, let’s attack him with our tongues(AA) and pay no attention to anything he says.”
19 Listen to me, Lord;
hear what my accusers(AB) are saying!
20 Should good be repaid with evil?(AC)
Yet they have dug a pit(AD) for me.
Remember that I stood(AE) before you
and spoke in their behalf(AF)
to turn your wrath away from them.
21 So give their children over to famine;(AG)
hand them over to the power of the sword.(AH)
Let their wives be made childless and widows;(AI)
let their men be put to death,
their young men(AJ) slain by the sword in battle.
22 Let a cry(AK) be heard from their houses
when you suddenly bring invaders against them,
for they have dug a pit(AL) to capture me
and have hidden snares(AM) for my feet.
23 But you, Lord, know
all their plots to kill(AN) me.
Do not forgive(AO) their crimes
or blot out their sins from your sight.
Let them be overthrown before you;
deal with them in the time of your anger.(AP)
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 18:14 The meaning of the Hebrew for this sentence is uncertain.
Jeremiah 18:11-23
King James Version
Jeremiah 18:11-23
King James Version
11 Now therefore go to, 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 device against you: return ye now every one from his evil way, and make your ways and your doings good.
12 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 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 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 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 desolate, and a perpetual hissing; every one that passeth thereby shall be astonished, and wag his head.
17 I will scatter them as with an east wind before the enemy; I will shew them the back, and not the face, in the day of their calamity.
18 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 heed to me, O Lord, and hearken to the voice of them that contend with me.
20 Shall evil be recompensed for good? for they have digged 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 deliver up 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 Let a cry be heard from their houses, when thou shalt bring a troop suddenly upon them: for they have digged a pit to take me, and hid snares for my feet.
23 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 thine anger.
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Jeremiah 18:11-23
New King James Version
Jeremiah 18:11-23
New King James Version
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. (A)Return now every one from his evil way, and make your ways and your doings (B)good.” ’ ”
God’s Warning Rejected
12 And they said, (C)“That is hopeless! So we will walk according to our own plans, and we will every one [a]obey the (D)dictates[b] of his evil heart.”
13 Therefore thus says the Lord:
(E)“Ask now among the Gentiles,
Who has heard such things?
The virgin of Israel has done (F)a very horrible thing.
14 Will a man [c]leave the snow water of Lebanon,
Which comes from the rock of the field?
Will the cold flowing waters be forsaken for strange waters?
15 “Because My people have forgotten (G)Me,
They have burned incense to worthless idols.
And they have caused themselves to stumble in their ways,
From the (H)ancient paths,
To walk in pathways and not on a highway,
16 To make their land (I)desolate and a perpetual (J)hissing;
Everyone who passes by it will be astonished
And shake his head.
17 (K)I will scatter them (L)as with an east wind before the enemy;
(M)I will [d]show them the back and not the face
In the day of their calamity.”
Jeremiah Persecuted
18 Then they said, (N)“Come and let us devise plans against Jeremiah; (O)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.”
19 Give heed to me, O Lord,
And listen to the voice of those who contend with me!
20 (P)Shall evil be repaid for good?
For they have (Q)dug a pit for my life.
Remember that I (R)stood before You
To speak good [e]for them,
To turn away Your wrath from them.
21 Therefore (S)deliver up their children to the famine,
And pour out their blood
By the force of the sword;
Let their wives become widows
And (T)bereaved of their children.
Let their men be put to death,
Their young men be slain
By the sword in battle.
22 Let a cry be heard from their houses,
When You bring a troop suddenly upon them;
For they have dug a pit to take me,
And hidden snares for my feet.
23 Yet, Lord, You know all their counsel
Which is against me, to slay me.
(U)Provide no atonement for their iniquity,
Nor blot out their sin from Your sight;
But let them be overthrown before You.
Deal thus with them
In the time of Your (V)anger.
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 18:12 Lit. do
- Jeremiah 18:12 stubbornness or imagination
- Jeremiah 18:14 forsake
- Jeremiah 18:17 So with LXX, Syr., Tg., Vg.; MT look them in
- Jeremiah 18:20 concerning
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
New King James Version (NKJV) 
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.