Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

¹⁶¹ Sarim (princes) have persecuted me without a cause; but my lev standeth in awe of Thy Davar.

¹⁶² I rejoice at Thy imrah (word), as one that findeth great plunder.

¹⁶³ I hate and abhor sheker; but Thy torah do I love.

¹⁶⁴ Shevah times a day do I praise Thee because of Thy righteous mishpatim.

¹⁶⁵ Great shalom have they which love Thy torah; nothing shall cause them to stumble.

¹⁶⁶ Hashem, I have hoped for Thy Yeshuah (salvation), and do Thy mitzvot.

¹⁶⁷ My nefesh is shomer over Thy edot (testimonies); and I love them exceedingly.

¹⁶⁸ I have kept Thy pikkudim and Thy edot; for all my ways are before Thee. TAV

18 The Davar which came to Yirmeyah from Hashem, saying,

² Arise, and go down to the bais hayotzer (the house of the potter, Creator), and there I will cause thee to hear My Devar.

³ Then I went down to the bais hayotzer, and, behold, he wrought a work on the [potter’s] wheel.

⁴ And the keli (vessel) that he was making of khomer (clay) was marred in the yad of the yotzer; so he made it again keli acher (another vessel, a different vessel), as seemed good to the eyes of the yotzer to make it.

⁵ Then the Devar Hashem came to me, saying,

⁶ O Bais Yisroel, cannot I do with you as this yotzer? saith Hashem. Hinei, as the khomer (clay) is in the yotzer’s yad, so are ye in Mine yad, O Bais Yisroel.

⁷ At what instant I shall speak concerning a Goy (nation), and concerning a mamlachah (kingdom), to uproot, and to pull down, and to destroy it;

⁸ If that Goy, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their ra’ah, I will relent of the ra’ah that I planned to do unto them.

⁹ And at what instant I shall speak concerning a Goy, and concerning a mamlachah, to build and to plant it;

¹⁰ If it do ra’ah in My sight, that it obey not My voice, then I will relent of the tov, wherewith I said I would benefit them.

¹¹ Now therefore go to, speak to the Ish Yehudah, and to the inhabitants of Yerushalayim, saying, Thus saith Hashem; Hinei, I yotzer (mold as a potter) ra’ah against you, and devise a plan against you; return ye now every ish from his derech ra’ah, and make your ways and your doings good.

²⁰ Then he began to reproach the shtetlach (villages) in which were accomplished most of his gevurot (mighty deeds), because they did not make teshuva.

²¹ Oy l’chah (Woe to you!), Korazin! Oy l’chah, Beit Tzaidah! For if in Tzor and Tzidon were accomplished the gevurot that were accomplished among you, they would have made teshuva long ago in sackcloth and ashes.

²² Nevertheless, I say to you, it will be more bearable for Tzor and Tzidon than for you on Yom HaDin.

²³ And you, Kfar-Nachum, were you lifted up as far as Shomayim? You shall be brought down as far as Sheol [YESHAYAH 14:13,15]. For if in Sdom were accomplished the gevurot that were accomplished among you, Sdom would have a sheerit (remnant) today!

²⁴ Nevertheless, I say to you, it will be more bearable for the land of Sdom on Yom HaDin than for you.