Jeremiah 18

1 The word that came from Jeremias to the Lord, saying:

The word that has been to Jeremiah from YHWH, saying,

2 Arise, and go down to the potter’s house, and there thou shalt hear my words.

“Rise, and you have gone down [to] the potter’s house, and there I cause you to hear My words”;

3 And I went down into the potter’s house, and behold he was doing a work on the wheel.

and I go down [to] the potter’s house, and behold, he is doing a work on the stones,

4 And the vessel was broken which he was making with clay with his hands: and turning he made another vessel, as it seemed good in his eyes to make it.

and the vessel that he is making is marred, as clay in the hand of the potter, and he has turned and he makes it another vessel, as it was right in the eyes of the potter to make.

5 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying:

And there is a word of YHWH to me, saying,

6 Cannot I do with you as this potter, saith the Lord? behold as clay is in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel.

“O house of Israel, am I not able to do to you as this potter?” A declaration of YHWH. “Behold, as clay in the hand of the potter, So [are] you in My hand, O house of Israel.

7 I will suddenly speak against a nation, and against a kingdom, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy it.

The moment I speak concerning a nation, And concerning a kingdom, To pluck up and to break down, and to destroy,

8 If that nation against which I have spoken, shall repent of their evil, I also will repent of the evil that I have thought to do to them.

And that nation has turned from its evil, Because I have spoken against it, Then I have relented of the calamity that I thought to do to it.

9 And I will suddenly speak of a nation and of a kingdom, to build up and plant it.

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

10 If it shall do evil in my sight, that it obey not my voice: I will repent of the good that I have spoken to do unto it.

And it has done evil in My eyes, So as not to listen to My voice, Then I have relented of the good That I have spoken of doing to it.

11 Now therefore tell the men of Juda, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying: Thus saith the Lord: Behold I frame evil against you, and devise a device against you: let every man of you return from his evil way, and make ye your ways and your doings good.

And now, speak now to men of Judah, And against inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, Thus said YHWH: Behold, I am framing calamity against you, And devising a scheme against you; Please turn back, each from his evil way, And amend your ways and your doings.”

12 And they said: We have no hopes: for we will go after our own thoughts, and we will do every one according to the perverseness of his evil heart.

And they have said, “It is incurable, For we go after our own plans, And each of us does the stubbornness of his evil heart.”

13 Therefore thus saith the Lord: Ask among the nations: Who hath heard such horrible things, as the virgin of Israel hath done to excess?

Therefore, thus said YHWH: “Now ask among the nations, Who has heard such things? The virgin of Israel has done a very horrible thing.

14 Shall now the snow of Libanus fail from the rock of the field? or can the cold waters that gush out and run down, be taken away?

Does snow of Lebanon Cease from the rock of the field? Will the cold strange [waters] that are flowing be forsaken?

15 Because my people have forgotten me, sacrificing in vain, and stumbling in their ways, in ancient paths, to walk by them in a way not trodden:

But My people have forgotten Me, they make incense to a vain thing, And they cause them to stumble in their ways—paths of old, To walk in paths—a way not raised up,

16 That their land might be given up to desolation, and to a perpetual hissing: every one that shall pass by it, shall be astonished, and wag his head.

To make their land become a desolation, A continuous hissing, Everyone passing by it is astonished, And bemoans with his head.

17 As a burning will I scatter them before the enemy: I will shew them the back, and not the face, in the day of their destruction.

I scatter them before an enemy as with an east wind, I show them the neck and not the face, In the day of their calamity.”

18 And they said: Come, and let us invent devices against Jeremias: for the law shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet: come, and let us strike him with the tongue, and let us give no heed to all his words.

And they say, “Come, And we devise schemes against Jeremiah, For law does not perish from the priest, Nor counsel from the wise, Nor the word from the prophet, Come, and we strike him with the tongue, And we do not attend to any of his words.”

19 Give heed to me, O Lord, and hear the voice of my adversaries.

Give attention, O YHWH, to me, And listen to the voice of those contending with me.

20 Shall evil be rendered for good, because they have digged a pit for my soul? Remember that I have stood in thy sight, so speak good for them, and turn away thy indignation from them.

Is evil repaid instead of good, That they have dug a pit for my soul? Remember my standing before You to speak good of them, To turn back Your wrath from them.

21 Therefore deliver up their children to famine, and bring them into the hands of the sword: let their wives be bereaved of children and widows: and let their husbands be slain by death: let their young men be stabbed with the sword in battle.

Therefore, give up their sons to famine, And cause them to run on the sides of the sword, And their wives are bereaved and widows, And their men are slain by death, Their young men [are] struck by sword in battle,

22 Let a cry be heard out of their houses: for thou shalt bring the robber upon them suddenly: because they have digged a pit to take me, and have hid snares for my feet.

A cry is heard from their houses, For You suddenly bring a troop against them, For they dug a pit to capture me, And they have hidden snares for my feet.

23 But thou, O Lord, knowest all their counsel against me unto death: forgive not their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out from thy sight: let them be overthrown before thy eyes, in the time of thy wrath do thou destroy them.

And You, O YHWH, You have known, All their counsel against me [is] for death, You do not cover over their iniquity, Nor blot out their sin from before You, And they are made to stumble before You, Work against them in the time of Your anger!