Jeremiah 18

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

The word that came unto Jeremiah from Yahweh, saying:

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

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

3 Then I went down to the potter’s house, and behold, he was making something on the wheels.

So I went down, to the house of the potter, —and there he was! making a piece of work on the wheels,

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

Then was marred, the vessel that he was making, while yet it was clay in the hand of the potter, —so he turned and made of it another vessel, as seemed right in the eyes of the potter to make it.

5 Then the LORD’s word came to me, saying,

Then came the word of Yahweh unto me, saying:

6 “House of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter?” says the LORD. “Behold, as the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand, house of Israel.

Like this potter, can I not deal with you O house of Israel? Demandeth Yahweh: Lo! as clay in the hand of the potter, So, are, ye, in my hand O house of Israel.

7 At the instant I speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up and to break down and to destroy it,

The moment I speak, concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom, —to pull up and to break down, and to destroy;

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

and that nation return from its wickedness against whom I have spoken, then will I repent concerning the calamity which I had devised to bring upon it.

9 At the instant I speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it,

And, the moment I speak, concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom, —to build and to plant;

10 if they do that which is evil in my sight, that they not obey my voice, then I will repent of the good with which I said I would benefit them.

and it commit wickedness in mine eyes, in not hearkening unto my voice, then will I repent concerning the good wherewith I had said I would do it good.

11 “Now therefore, speak to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, ‘The LORD says: “Behold, I frame evil against you, and devise a plan against you. Everyone return from his evil way now, and amend your ways and your doings.”’

Now, therefore, I pray thee, speak unto the men of Judah and concerning the inhabitants of Jerusalem saying, Thus, saith Yahweh, —Lo! I am fashioning against you calamity, and devising against you, a device, —Return I pray you every man from his wicked way, And amend your ways and your doings.

12 But they say, ‘It is in vain; for we will walk after our own plans, and we will each follow the stubbornness of his evil heart.’”

And, since they will say, Hopeless! For after our own devices, will we walk, And, every one, the stubbornness of his own wicked heart, will we do!

13 Therefore the LORD says: “Ask now among the nations, ‘Who has heard such things?’ The virgin of Israel has done a very horrible thing.

Therefore, Thus saith Yahweh, Ask I pray you among the nations, —Who hath heard such things as these? A very horrible thing, hath, the virgin, Israel done!

14 Will the snow of Lebanon fail from the rock of the field? Will the cold waters that flow down from afar be dried up?

Shall the snow of Lebanon, fail from the rock of the field? Or shall waters from afar, deep, overflowing, be dried up?

15 For my people have forgotten me. They have burned incense to false gods. They have been made to stumble in their ways in the ancient paths, to walk in byways, in a way not built up,

Yet my people have forgotten me, Unto vanity, have they been burning incense; And it hath caused them to stumble In their ways The roads of age-past times, To walk in by-paths—A way not cast up.

16 to make their land an astonishment, and a perpetual hissing. Everyone who passes by it will be astonished, and shake his head.

To make their land a desolation The hissings of age-abiding times, —Every one that passeth by her, shall be astonished and wag his head.

17 I will scatter them as with an east wind before the enemy. I will show them the back, and not the face, in the day of their calamity.

Like an east wind, will I scatter them before the enemy, —The back and not the face, will I let them see in the day of their distress.

18 Then they said, “Come! Let’s devise plans against Jeremiah; for the law will not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. Come, and let’s strike him with the tongue, and let’s not give heed to any of his words.”

Then said they, —Come ye and let us devise against Jeremiah devices, For the law shall not perish from the priest, Nor, counsel, from the wise, Nor, the word from the prophet: Come and let as smite him with the tongue, And let us not give ear to any of his words!

19 Give heed to me, LORD, and listen to the voice of those who contend with me.

Give thou ear O Yahweh unto me, —And hearken unto the voice of mine accusers.

20 Should evil be recompensed for good? For they have dug a pit for my soul. Remember how I stood before you to speak good for them, to turn away your wrath from them.

Shall, evil, be recompensed for good? For they have digged a pit for my life, —Remember how I stood before thee To speak in their behalf what was good! To turn back thine indignation from them.

21 Therefore deliver up their children to the famine, and give them over to the power of the sword. Let their wives become childless and widows. Let their men be killed and their young men struck by the sword in battle.

Therefore, give thou up their sons to the famine And deliver them into the hands of the sword, And let their, wives, become, childless and widows, And let, their men, be slain by death, Their young men be smitten by the sword in battle.

22 Let a cry be heard from their houses when you bring a troop suddenly on them; for they have dug a pit to take me and hidden snares for my feet.

Let there be heard a cry out of their houses, When thou shalt bring in upon them a troop, suddenly, —Because they digged a pit to capture me, And snares, did they hide for my feet.

23 Yet, LORD, you know all their counsel against me to kill me. Do not forgive their iniquity. Do not blot out their sin from your sight, Let them be overthrown before you. Deal with them in the time of your anger.

But, thou, O Yahweh, knowest all their counsels against me to put me to death, Put thou no propitiatory-covering over their iniquity, And their sin from before thee, do not thou blot out, —But let them be overthrown before thee, In the time of thine anger, deal thou effectively with them.