1 T he word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord saying,

The word that came to Jeremiah from Jehovah, saying,

2 “ Arise and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will announce My words to you.”

Arise and go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words.

3 T hen I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was, making something on the wheel.

And I went down to the potter's house; and behold, he wrought a work on the wheels.

4 B ut 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.

And the vessel that he made was marred, as clay, in the hand of the potter; and he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make.

5 T hen the word of the Lord came to me saying,

And the word of Jehovah 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 clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel.

House of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith Jehovah. Behold, as the clay in the potter's hand, so are ye in my hand, house of Israel.

7 A t one moment I might speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to uproot, to pull down, or to destroy it;

At the moment that I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to break down, and to destroy,

8 i f that nation against which I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent concerning the calamity I planned to bring on it.

if that nation, concerning which I have spoken, turn from their evil, then I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them.

9 O r at another moment I might speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to build up or to plant it;

And at the moment that I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant,

10 i f it does evil in My sight by not obeying My voice, then I will think better of the good with which I had promised to bless it.

if it do evil in my sight, that it hearken not unto my voice, then I will repent of the good wherewith I said I would benefit them.

11 S o now then, speak to the men of Judah and against the inhabitants of Jerusalem saying, ‘Thus says the Lord, “Behold, I am fashioning calamity against you and devising a plan against you. Oh turn back, each of you from his evil way, and reform your ways and your deeds.”’

And now, speak to the men of Judah and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, Thus saith Jehovah: Behold, I prepare evil against you, and devise a device against you: turn ye then every one from his evil way, and amend your ways and your doings.

12 B ut they will say, ‘It’s hopeless! For we are going to follow our own plans, and each of us will act according to the stubbornness of his evil heart.’

But they say, There is no hope; for we will walk after our own devices, and we will each one do the stubbornness of his evil heart.

13 “ Therefore thus says the Lord, ‘ Ask now among the nations, Who ever heard the like of this? The virgin of Israel Has done a most appalling thing.

Therefore thus saith Jehovah: Ask ye now among the nations, Who hath heard such things? The virgin of Israel hath done a very horrible thing.

14 ‘ Does the snow of Lebanon forsake the rock of the open country? Or is the cold flowing water from a foreign land ever snatched away?

Shall the snow of Lebanon cease from the rock of the field? Shall the cool flowing waters coming from afar be dried up?

15 ‘ For My people have forgotten Me, They burn incense to worthless gods And they have stumbled from their ways, From the ancient paths, To walk in bypaths, Not on a highway,

For my people hath forgotten me: they burn incense to vanity; and they have caused them to stumble in their ways, the ancient paths, to walk in by-paths of a way not cast up;

16 T o make their land a desolation, An object of perpetual hissing; Everyone who passes by it will be astonished And shake his head.

to make their land an astonishment, a perpetual hissing: every one that passeth by shall be astonished, and shake his head.

17 ‘ Like an east wind I will scatter them Before the enemy; I will show them My back and not My face In the day of their calamity.’”

As with an east wind will I scatter them before the enemy; I will shew them the back, and not the face, in the day of their calamity.

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

And they said, Come, and let us devise devices against Jeremiah; for law shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor 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 D o give heed to me, O Lord, And listen to what my opponents are saying!

Jehovah, give heed to me, and listen to the voice of those that contend with me.

20 S hould good be repaid with evil? For they have dug a pit for me. Remember how I stood before You To speak good on their behalf, So as to turn away Your wrath from them.

Shall evil be recompensed for good? For they have digged a pit for my soul. Remember how I stood before thee to speak good for them, to turn away thy wrath from them.

21 T herefore, give their children over to famine And deliver them up to the power of the sword; And let their wives become childless and widowed. Let their men also be smitten to death, Their young men struck down by the sword in battle.

Therefore give up their children to the famine, and deliver them over to the power of the sword; and let their wives be bereaved of children and be widows; and let their men be swept off by death, their young men be smitten by the sword in battle.

22 M ay an outcry be heard from their houses, When You suddenly bring raiders upon them; For they have dug a pit to capture me And hidden snares for my feet.

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 have hidden snares for my feet.

23 Y et You, O Lord, know All their deadly designs against me; Do not forgive their iniquity Or blot out their sin from Your sight. But may they be overthrown before You; Deal with them in the time of Your anger!

And thou, Jehovah, 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 with them in the time of thine anger.