Jeremiah 18

1 The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,

The word that came to Jeremiah from Yahweh, saying,

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

“Arise and go out to the potter's house, for I will have you hear my word there.”

3 Then I went down to the potter’s house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels.

So I went out to the potter's house, and behold! The potter was working on the potter's wheel.

4 And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make [it].

But the object of clay that he was molding was ruined in his hand, so he changed his mind and made another object that seemed good in his eyes to do.

5 Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

Then the word of Yahweh came to me, saying,

6 O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay [is] in the potter’s hand, so [are] ye in mine hand, O house of Israel.

“Should I not be able to act like this potter with you, house of Israel?—this is Yahweh's declaration. Behold! Like clay in a potter's hand—that is how you are in my hand, house of Israel.

7 [At what] instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to destroy [it; ]

At one moment, I may proclaim something about a nation or a kingdom, that I will drive it out, tear it down, or destroy it.

8 If that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them.

But if the nation about which I have made that proclamation turns from its evil, then I will relent from the disaster that I was planning to bring upon it.

9 And [at what] instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant [it; ]

At another moment, I may proclaim something about a nation or a kingdom, that I will build it up or plant it.

10 If it do evil in my sight, that it obey not my voice, then I will repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit them.

But if it does evil in my eyes by not listening to my voice, then I will stop the good that I had said I would do for them.

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.

So now, speak to the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and say, 'Yahweh says this: See, I am about to form disaster against you. I am about to devise a plan against you. Repent, each person from his wicked way, so your ways and your practices will bring good to you.'

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.

But they will say, 'This is no use. We will act according to our own plans. Each one of us will do what his evil, stubborn heart desires.'

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.

Therefore Yahweh says this, 'Ask the nations, who has ever heard of such a thing as this? The virgin Israel has committed a horrible act.

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?

Does the snow in Lebanon ever leave the rocky hills on its sides? Are the mountain streams coming from far away ever destroyed, those cold streams?

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;

Yet my people have forgotten me. They have made offerings to useless idols and been made to stumble in their paths; they have left the ancient paths to walk lesser paths.

16 To make their land desolate, [and] a perpetual hissing; every one that passeth thereby shall be astonished, and wag his head.

Their land will become a horror, an object of everlasting hissing. Everyone who passes by her will shudder and shake 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.

I will scatter them before their enemies like an eastern wind. I will show them my back, and not my face, on the day of their disaster.'”

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.

So the people said, “Come, let us make plots against Jeremiah, since the law will never perish from the priests, or advice from the wise men, or words from the prophets. Come, let us attack him with our words and no longer pay attention to anything he proclaims.”

19 Give heed to me, O LORD, and hearken to the voice of them that contend with me.

Pay attention to me, Yahweh, and listen to the voice of my enemies.

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.

Will disaster from them really be my reward for being good to them? For they have dug a pit for me. Remember how I stood before you to speak for their welfare, to cause your fury to turn away 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.

Therefore give their children over to famine, and give them to the hands of those who use the sword. So let their women become bereaved and widows, and their men be killed, and their young men killed 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.

Let a distressed shout be heard from their houses, as you suddenly bring raiders against them. For they have dug a pit to capture me and have hidden traps 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.

But you, Yahweh, you know all of their plans against me to kill me. Do not forgive their iniquities and sins. Do not wipe their sins away from you. Instead, let them be overthrown before you. Act against them in the time of your wrath.