Jeremiah 18

The Potter and the Clay

1The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord saying, 2“Arise and 1go down to the potter’s house, and there I will announce My words to you.” 3Then I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was, making something on the 2wheel. 4But the vessel that he was making of clay was spoiled in the hand of the potter; so he remade it into another vessel, as it pleased the potter to make.

5Then the word of the Lord came to me saying, 6“Can I not, O house of Israel, deal with you as this potter does?” declares the Lord. “Behold, like the 3clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel. 7At one moment I might speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to 4uproot, to pull down, or to destroy it; 85if that nation against which I have spoken turns from its evil, I will 67relent concerning the calamity I planned to bring on it. 9Or at another moment I might speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to 8build up or to plant it; 10if it does 9evil in My sight by not obeying My voice, then I will 1011think better of the good with which I had promised to 12bless it. 11So now then, speak to the men of Judah and against the inhabitants of Jerusalem saying, ‘Thus says the Lord, “Behold, I am 13fashioning calamity against you and devising a plan against you. Oh 14turn back, each of you from his evil way, and 15reform your ways and your deeds.”’ 12But 16they will say, ‘It’s hopeless! For we are going to follow our own plans, and each of us will act according to the 17stubbornness of his evil heart.’

13“Therefore thus says the Lord, ‘18Ask now among the nations, Who ever heard the like of 19this? The 20virgin of Israel Has done a most 21appalling thing.14Does the snow of Lebanon forsake the rock of the open country? Or is the cold flowing water from a foreign land ever snatched away?15For 22My people have forgotten Me, 23They burn incense 24to worthless gods And they 25have stumbled 26from their ways, 27From the 28ancient paths, To walk in bypaths, Not on a 29highway,16To make their land a 30desolation, An object of perpetual 31hissing; Everyone who passes by it will be astonished And 32shake his head.17Like an 33east wind I will 34scatter them Before the enemy; I will 35show them 36My back and not My face 37In the day of their calamity.’”

18Then they said, “Come and let us 38devise plans against Jeremiah. Surely the 39law is not going to be lost to the priest, nor 40counsel to the sage, nor the divine 41word to the prophet! Come on and let us 42strike at him with our tongue, and let us 43give no heed to any of his words.”

19Do give heed to me, O Lord, And listen to 44what my opponents are saying!2045Should good be repaid with evil? For they have 46dug a pit for 47me. Remember how I 48stood before You To speak good on their behalf, So as to turn away Your wrath from them.21Therefore, 49give their children over to famine And deliver them up to the 50power of the sword; And let their wives become 51childless and 52widowed. Let their men also be smitten to death, Their 53young men struck down by the sword in battle.22May an 54outcry be heard from their houses, When You suddenly bring raiders upon them; 55For they have dug a pit to capture me And 56hidden snares for my feet.23Yet You, O Lord, know All their 57deadly designs against me; 58Do not 59forgive their iniquity Or blot out their sin from Your sight. But may they be 6061overthrown before You; Deal with them in the 62time of Your anger!