Beginning
18 The word of the Eternal came to Jeremiah.
Now God’s message comes through another prophetic drama played out in a potter’s shop somewhere in the city. The prophet sees an ordinary event but receives an extraordinary message.
Eternal One: 2 Go down to the potter’s shop in the city, and wait for My word.
3 So I went down to the potter’s shop and found him making something on his wheel. 4 And as I watched, the clay vessel in his hands became flawed and unusable. So the potter started again with the same clay. He crushed and squeezed and shaped it into another vessel that was to his liking. 5 In that moment, I heard again God’s word for His rebellious people.
Eternal One: 6 O people of Israel, can I not do the same to you as this potter has done? You are like clay in My hands—I will mold you as I see fit. 7 If I declare that I am going to uproot, stamp out, or destroy a nation or kingdom because of its wicked ways, and 8 then that same nation I warned turns away from its evil, then I will change My plans. In My compassion, I will not destroy it. 9 If at some other time I declare that I am going to build up and establish a nation, 10 but then it ignores My voice, thus committing evil right in front of Me, I will hold back the good I had planned for them.
(to Jeremiah) 11 Now, prophet, say to the people of Judah and the citizens of Jerusalem these words from the Eternal: “Look! I am planning and shaping disaster against you. Like clay on a wheel, I will shape you and your destiny. Turn back from your evil ways—all of you—before it is too late. Do what is right and good.” 12 But they will tell you, “It’s no use trying to persuade us. We have our own thoughts about how we should live, and each of us is firmly committed to our own way, evil or not.”
13 Who has heard of such betrayal as this? Ask the nations around you.
Even they won’t believe this dreadful thing the virgin Israel has done to Me.
14 Does the snow ever melt on the peaks of Lebanon’s mountains?
Does the cool water of those mountain streams ever run dry?[a]
15 They have forgotten Me. Instead, My people offer incense to worthless gods,
worshiping them as though they are real.
They have lost their way, stumbling from the ancient path of blessing.
Now they walk in the ruts of rebellion instead of taking the high road of obedience.
16 Because of their forgetfulness, their homeland will become a wasteland;
those who pass by will hiss and whistle;
Disturbed at the sight of this eerie desolation,
they will shake their heads in horror.
17 As the strong east wind off the desert scatters the dust,
so I will scatter My people before their enemies.
Just as they turned from Me, now I will turn from them.
I will not even look their way on the day of their disaster.
The strong words of Jeremiah and the warnings from God are difficult to hear. But it seems when evil is entrenched in a life, when people stubbornly persist in their wicked ways, such words are not just difficult, they are infuriating. The people of Judah now conspire again to silence this outspoken prophet.
People of Judah (to one another): 18 Come on. Let’s devise a plan against Jeremiah, for there is no way the teaching of our priests, the wisdom of our elders, or the words of our prophets are going to be lost and proven wrong. Do we really need to hear any more from him? Let’s attack his reputation, ruin his standing among us, and ignore everything he has to say.
19 Jeremiah: O Eternal my God, please listen to me.
Do You hear what my enemies are saying?
20 Should good be repaid with such evil?
They have set a trap for me.
Remember how I stood before You in prayer,
begging You to do them good,
Pleading for You to turn Your anger away from them,
and this is how they repay me!
21 Well then. Let their children starve!
Let their young warriors fall in battle!
Let their wives become childless widows!
Let their husbands be struck down and killed
and their young men die in battle!
22 Let them scream from their houses
when You suddenly release the attackers on them.
Why? Because they have set a trap for me;
they have hidden snares along the way to trip me up.
23 Yet, You knew this already, Eternal.
You know of their plans to kill me.
That’s why I am asking You not to forgive them,
not to forget their sins or erase their crimes from Your sight.
Let them be overthrown and killed before Your eyes.
Deal with them while Your anger is still hot.
19 Eternal One (to Jeremiah): Go again to a potter, but this time buy a clay jar from him. Then invite some community leaders and some of the head priests to walk with you. 2 Take them out of the city through the potsherd gate into the valley of Ben-hinnom, where the city dumps its trash. Once you’re there, cry out for all to hear the words I will give you. 3 Start out saying, “Hear the word of the Eternal, O kings of Judah and citizens of Jerusalem! This is what the Eternal, Commander of heavenly armies and God of Israel, has to say.”
Jeremiah now performs yet another symbolic act. The prophet’s words and sermons are sometimes forgettable; but people cannot forget what they see, hear, smell, and taste. The message registers loud and clear. Standing with community and religious leaders amid the broken pottery shards (that’s what “potsherd” means), God has a strong word for these people. The time of being shaped and re-formed on the potter’s wheel has passed. Like the clay jar Jeremiah is holding, the people’s hearts are hardened. A more drastic measure will now be taken. It is no coincidence that God leads them to stand in this valley of refuse—this place sometimes called Topheth. It is where the horrors of human sacrifice occurred. It is where God’s vengeance would be remembered.
Eternal One: Tell the leaders, I am certainly bringing on this city a dreadful disaster that will echo in the ears of those who hear about it. 4 Why is this happening? Because the people have abandoned Me and defiled this place where you now stand by making sacrifices to foreign gods. They have burned offerings to other gods—idols never before worshiped by My people, their ancestors, or all the kings of Judah. The blood of innocent people has been spilled in this valley—human sacrifices in the shadow of Jerusalem. 5 They have built high places and altars to Baal where they have sacrificed their own children as burnt offerings to this dark and pagan god. How could this be My people? I never taught them to do such unspeakable evil. It never even crossed My mind. 6 So beware: The days are soon coming when this place will not be known as Topheth or even the valley of Ben-hinnom. Soon it will be called the valley of Slaughter. 7 I will spoil the plans of Judah and Jerusalem to defend this city against Babylon. I will cause their people to be killed by enemies in battle and by those who hunt them down to take their lives. No one will bury them; I will feed their dead bodies to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the land. 8 I will destroy this city, making their homeland a wasteland, a place of scorn. Those who pass by and see this desolation will shake their heads in horror. 9 As the enemy lays siege to the city and closes in around them, food will run out and those inside the city walls will become desperate. Then they will turn on each other, eating one another and even their own children to stay alive.
10 At this point, Jeremiah, smash the clay jar in front of your companions, 11 and say to those leaders, “This is what the Eternal, Commander of heavenly armies, has to say: ‘Take a good look at this shattered jar! Is there any hope of these fragments being pieced together again? So, too, will you be without hope of repair when I smash this nation and this city. Topheth will be used as a burial site until there is no room. 12 Then I will make Jerusalem and all its citizens as unclean as Topheth itself. 13 As for the houses of Jerusalem and the palaces of the kings of Judah, they will be defiled like the wasteland of Topheth because people have done shameful things on their rooftops—burning sacrifices to the starry hosts and pouring drink offerings to other gods in My city!’”
14 Jeremiah returned to the city from Topheth where the Eternal sent him to deliver this disturbing message. He stood in the court of the Eternal’s temple and proclaimed the same sermon to all its citizens who came there to worship.
Jeremiah: 15 This is what the Eternal, Commander of heavenly armies and God of Israel, has to say: “Watch as I bring every disaster I have promised onto Jerusalem and all the towns and villages of Judah, because they are a stiff-necked, stubborn people who refuse to listen to what I say.”
The people take these words and actions seriously because they understand something about the power of words and actions. In other words, Jeremiah isn’t just acting out another object lesson for the people; this is God’s declaration that the time has truly come for judgment to begin. God’s words, when spoken by His prophet, create this new reality. When the clay cannot be reworked, more drastic measures are taken. Judah will now be broken.
20 When the priest Pashhur (son of Immer, chief officer of the temple guard) heard what Jeremiah was prophesying, 2 he had the prophet beaten and put in the stocks[b] at the upper Benjamin gate near the temple, a place where everyone in the city could see this painful and embarrassing spectacle. 3 The next morning, Pashhur released him from the stocks, hoping Jeremiah had learned his lesson. Instead, this is what he heard from the prophet:
Jeremiah: The Eternal no longer knows you by the name Pashhur. He has renamed you Magor-missabib, which means “terror on every side.” 4 And these are the words the Eternal has spoken of you: “Certainly I am going to make you a symbol of terror—to yourself and to all your loved ones. You will see those close to you die in battle against the enemy. I will give all of Judah over to the king of Babylon, who will make them either casualties of war or prisoners of war. 5 I will also give the wealth of Jerusalem over as plunder to this enemy. The resources and treasures of this city and Judah’s kings will be taken and carted off to Babylon. 6 And you Pashhur, along with your entire household, will be taken to Babylon and become exiles. You and your friends who have heard your lies will never see home again; you will all die in exile in Babylon and be buried there.”
7 O Eternal, You deceived me into being Your prophet,
and I went along and allowed it to happen!
Your strength is too much for me,
and so You win; I speak Your words.
Just look at what I have become: a laughingstock;
all day long people mock me.
8 The only words coming out of my mouth
are loud cries of “Violence and destruction!”
It is the Eternal’s words—Your words—
that bring me insults and jokes all day long.
9 But when I tell myself, I’ll never mention Your name
or speak for You again, it’s no use.
The word of God burns in my heart; it is like fire in my bones.
I try to hold it all in, but I cannot.
10 I hear the crowds whispering behind my back and mocking my prophecies:
“‘Terror is everywhere we turn,’ he says. Let’s report him for breaking some law.”
Even my trusted friends are waiting for me to make a mistake:
“Maybe he will be deceived,
and then we’ll win, take control, and have our revenge on him.”
11 But I am not alone. The Eternal is here with me.
He stands beside me, as a dreaded warrior.
That is why my tormentors will fail so miserably. They cannot win.
Their humiliation and permanent dishonor will be remembered for all time.
12 Eternal, Commander of heavenly armies, You test the righteous;
You see my deepest thoughts; You know my heart.
Let me see Your vengeance exacted against these people.
for I am trusting my cause, my future to You.
13 Sing to the Eternal God!
Praise the Eternal now for what He will soon do.
For a troubled soul is snatched from the hands of the wicked.
14 Cursed be the day I was born—
cursed, not blessed is the day my mother gave birth to me.
15 Cursed be the man who told my overjoyed father,
“You have a son.”
16 May he be as cursed as the towns of Sodom and Gomorrah,
which the Eternal decimated without a care.
Let him hear cries for help in the morning.
Let him recoil at the shouts of war at noon,
17 For he did not kill me before I was born
so my mother’s womb would become my grave—
my mother’s womb forever enlarged.
18 Why was I ever born? To watch such tragedy?
To feel such sorrow? To live my days in utter shame?
How wild and raw are the emotions of Jeremiah in these days of anticipation! The pain and embarrassment of being publicly punished, the betrayal of his friends, and the ridicule of so many lead to an honest longing for vindication. But there are moments when God’s sustaining love fills the prophet with joy. His are not the rants of a madman. He expects to be vindicated. God has called him to speak truth to powerful people, and those words are becoming reality. To this promise, Jeremiah clings.
But as emotions often do, this sense of resolve again evaporates, leaving the painful awareness of his calling. He must continue to speak hard and frightening words to a people he still loves. He will soon witness the destruction of a country and city he still loves. At times, his task is almost unbearable; but as always, Jeremiah remains honest in his dealings with God who calls him into this role. Sometimes, pouring his heart out is all he can do.
21 It was during this ironic turn of events that the word of the Eternal came again to the prophet, Jeremiah. King Zedekiah sent Pashhur (not the son of Immer mentioned previously, but the son of Malchijah) and the priest Zephaniah (son of Maaseiah) to speak with Jeremiah.
How time changes things! Jeremiah, the rejected prophet, is now being petitioned by those in power. The same man who has been arrested and abused for prophesying God’s judgment is sent a request from the king himself because the words of Jeremiah are indeed coming true before the people’s eyes. Jerusalem now faces certain siege by the Babylonian king. Out of desperation, the same leaders who tried to silence the prophet are now asking him to speak up for them—to God!
King’s Messengers: 2 Please speak to the Eternal on our behalf. We desperately need your help because Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, is attacking Judah and is about to lay siege to Jerusalem. Perhaps the Eternal will respond to you, perform a miracle, and cause this dreaded king to withdraw his forces and leave us alone.
Jeremiah: 3 Tell King Zedekiah that 4 this is what the Eternal, the God of Israel, has to say: “I will indeed rise up and turn back the weapons of war you hold in your hands, the very weapons you plan to use against the approaching enemy—the king of Babylon and his army from Chaldea that now surrounds your city walls. I will bring that enemy inside your walls, into the city itself. 5 With My strong hand and powerful arm I will rise up and fight against you, fueled by My great wrath, anger, and fury. Do you think I will fight beside you? You misunderstand. 6 I will strike those who live in this city with a plague: both man and beast will die. 7 After that,” says the Eternal, “I will hand over King Zedekiah of Judah, his advisors, and the citizens of Jerusalem who survive the plague, the war, and the famine to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, their enemy, and those who seek their lives. In that dreadful day, he will slaughter them without mercy. He[c] will neither pity nor have compassion for them.
Eternal One (to Jeremiah): 8 Tell the people that I said, “I will give you the choice of life or death. 9 Stay in the city, and you will die by war, famine, or plague. But walk outside the city walls and surrender to the Chaldean army about to lay siege to your city, and you will live. You will be prisoners of war, but you’ll be rewarded with life. 10 For I have turned My back on this city, purposing evil instead of good. The city will be delivered into the hands of the king of Babylon, who will burn it to the ground.”
11 To the royal household of Judah say, “Hear the word of the Eternal. 12 O house of David, this is what He has to say to you:
Administer justice each morning;
save the victim from the hand of the thief.
If you do not, My anger will burn and no one will be able to put it out
because they themselves have done evil.
13 I am against you, Jerusalem, enthroned high above the valley,
O rock of the plain,
You who boast, “Who will come down to fight against us,
and who will enter our homes?”
14 I will visit you, Jerusalem, and punish you for your wicked deeds.
I will start a fire in your forests that will surround you and consume everything.
So says the Eternal.
22 Eternal One (to Jeremiah): Go down to the palace of the king of Judah and say to him, 2 “Hear the word of the Eternal. Listen, O king of Judah, who sits on David’s throne. Listen, you advisors of the king. Listen, you people who walk through these city gates. 3 This is what the Eternal has to say: ‘Do what is just and right. Rescue those poor ones being robbed by the extortionists. Protect the outsiders, orphans, and widows in your land from any oppression, for they have no one. Stop the violence and the shedding of innocent blood in this place. 4 If you do what I say, there will always be a king on the throne in Jerusalem. The descendants of David will ride through these gates leading a great processional of chariots and horses, of advisors and subjects. 5 But if you refuse My words of warning, I swear by My name and all that I am that this palace of yours will be laid to waste.’”
6 This is what the Eternal says concerning the king of Judah and his household.
Eternal One: You are as precious to Me as the lush forests of Gilead;
you are like the cedars on the summit of Lebanon.
But I swear I will make you into a wilderness—stripped of trees—
with cities that lie empty and lifeless.
7 I will unleash destroyers against you—
ruthless men with fearful weapons.
They will cut down your best trees
and throw them on the fire.
8 When other nations pass by the ruins of Jerusalem, they will ask each other, “Why did the Eternal destroy this great city?” 9 The answer they will hear is the one you already know: “Because these people violated the covenant they had made with the Eternal their God by worshiping and serving other gods.”
10 Do not cry for the one who is dead; do not mourn for him.
Cry instead for the living one going into exile
For he will not come back again,
he will never see his home again.
11 This is a word of the Eternal for Shallum (son of Josiah), who succeeded his father as king of Judah and went from this place into exile:
Eternal One: He will never return, 12 and he will die in that land of captivity, never to see this place again.
13 Woe to the one[d] who builds his palace on the proceeds of unrighteousness,
who adds upper rooms on the gains of injustice,
Who forces his own people to labor for nothing,
who refuses to pay them for all their hard work.
14 He thinks to himself, “I will build a huge palace
with a large second story and many windows.
I will panel the walls with the best cedar
and paint it red to impress everyone.”
15 Do you become king because you have more cedar than another?
Your father, so different from you, had plenty to eat, plenty to drink.
Didn’t he live his life as a righteous and fair man?
And look how well he did.
16 He stood up for the poor and needy;
then things went well for him and the people.
Isn’t this what it means to know Me?
17 But you are so different: your eyes are focused and your heart is set
on one goal: deceitful personal gain.
You make the innocent pay with their blood;
you violently oppress them and take what is not yours.
18 So this is what the Eternal says
regarding Jehoiakim (son of Josiah), king of Judah:
Eternal One: Upon his death, no one in his family will weep and say,
“Oh my brother, oh my sister—our loved one is gone.”
Nor will any of his subjects weep and say,
“Our leader is gone; our great king is gone.”
19 No, he will be buried like a dead donkey—his body dragged away
and dumped outside Jerusalem’s gates in the trash heap.
20 (to Jerusalem) Go to the mountains of Lebanon and cry out.
Run to Bashan and the peaks of Abarim, and cry out loudly
Because all of your lovers have been destroyed.
21 I warned you when things were going well,
but you said to Me, “I will not listen.”
You have treated Me this way since the days of your youth;
you have never listened to My voice.
22 All your shepherds will be driven away by the wind,
and your lovers will be led into captivity.
In that moment, you will be covered with shame,
humiliated because of your evil ways.
23 You who live in Lebanon,
safe and nestled among the cedars—
How you will cry in anguish when the judgment comes,
like the anguish and pain of a woman giving birth.
24 As surely as I live, I declare the following about Coniah (son of Jehoiakim), king of Judah: Even though you were a signet ring on My right hand, I have torn you away. 25 I will drop you into the hands of those who want you dead, those you fear—Nebuchadnezzar (king of Babylon) and his Chaldean army. 26 I will cast you and your mother into another country, where you were not born. It will be there, in that foreign land, where you will die. 27 Though they will long to come back to this land you call home, they will never return.
28 Is this man, Coniah, a broken and worthless pot?
Is he like something tossed on the garbage heap that no one wants?
Why are he and his children being thrown out—
no, hurled out into a foreign land?
29 O land, land, land!
You must hear the word of the Eternal!
30 Eternal One: Write in the record that this man is childless and disgraced.
As long as he lives, none of his children will succeed him
And sit on the throne of David
and rule over Judah again.
The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.