Jeremiah 18
18
The Potter and the Clay
1The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying: 2“Arise and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will cause you to hear My words.” 3Then I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was, making something at the wheel. 4And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter; so he made it again into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to make.
5Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying: 6“O house of Israel, #Is. 45:9; Rom. 9:20, 21can I not do with you as this potter?” says the Lord. “Look, #Is. 64:8as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel! 7The instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to #Jer. 1:10pluck up, to pull down, and to destroy it, 8#Jer. 7:3–7; 12:16; (Ezek. 18:21; 33:11)if that nation against whom I have spoken turns from its evil, #(Ps. 106:45); Jer. 26:3; (Hos. 11:8; Joel 2:13); Jon. 3:10I will relent of the disaster that I thought to bring upon it. 9And the instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it, 10if it does evil in My sight so that it does not obey My voice, then I will relent concerning the good with which I said I would benefit it.
11“Now therefore, speak to the men of Judah and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Behold, I am fashioning a disaster and devising a plan against you. #2 Kin. 17:13; Is. 1:16–19; Jer. 4:1; Acts 26:20Return now every one from his evil way, and make your ways and your doings #Jer. 7:3–7good.” ’ ”
God’s Warning Rejected
12And they said, #Is. 57:10; Jer. 2:25“That is hopeless! So we will walk according to our own plans, and we will every one obey the #Jer. 3:17; 23:17dictates of his evil heart.”
13Therefore thus says the Lord:
#Is. 66:8; Jer. 2:10, 11; 1 Cor. 5:1“Ask now among the Gentiles,
Who has heard such things?
The virgin of Israel has done #Jer. 5:30; Hos. 6:10a very horrible thing.
14Will a man leave the snow water of Lebanon,
Which comes from the rock of the field?
Will the cold flowing waters be forsaken for strange waters?
15“Because My people have forgotten #Jer. 2:13, 32Me,
They have burned incense to worthless idols.
And they have caused themselves to stumble in their ways,
From the #Jer. 6:16ancient paths,
To walk in pathways and not on a highway,
16To make their land #Jer. 19:8desolate and a perpetual #1 Kin. 9:8; Lam. 2:15; Mic. 6:16hissing;
Everyone who passes by it will be astonished
And shake his head.
17#Jer. 13:24I will scatter them #Ps. 48:7as with an east wind before the enemy;
#Jer. 2:27I will show them the back and not the face
In the day of their calamity.”
Jeremiah Persecuted
18Then they said, #Jer. 11:19“Come and let us devise plans against Jeremiah; #Lev. 10:11; Mal. 2:7; (John 7:48)for the law shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. Come and let us attack him with the tongue, and let us not give heed to any of his words.”
19Give heed to me, O Lord,
And listen to the voice of those who contend with me!
20#Ps. 109:4Shall evil be repaid for good?
For they have #Ps. 35:7; 57:6; Jer. 5:26dug a pit for my life.
Remember that I #Jer. 14:7—15:1stood before You
To speak good for them,
To turn away Your wrath from them.
21Therefore #Ps. 109:9–20; Jer. 11:22; 14:16deliver up their children to the famine,
And pour out their blood
By the force of the sword;
Let their wives become widows
And #Jer. 15:7, 8; Ezek. 22:25bereaved of their children.
Let their men be put to death,
Their young men be slain
By the sword in battle.
22Let a cry be heard from their houses,
When You bring a troop suddenly upon them;
For they have dug a pit to take me,
And hidden snares for my feet.
23Yet, Lord, You know all their counsel
Which is against me, to slay me.
#Neh. 4:5; Ps. 35:14; 109:14; Is. 2:9; Jer. 11:20Provide no atonement for their iniquity,
Nor blot out their sin from Your sight;
But let them be overthrown before You.
Deal thus with them
In the time of Your #Jer. 7:20anger.
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Jeremiah 18: NKJV
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The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.
Jeremiah 18
18
The Potter and the Clay
1The word that came to Jeremiah from Yahweh, saying,#Literally “to say” 2“Stand up and go down to the house of the potter, and there I will let you hear my words.” 3So I went down to the house of the potter and look, there he was doing work at the potter’s wheels. 4And the vessel that he was making with the clay was spoiled in the hand of the potter, so he made again#Literally “he turned back and he made it” another vessel, as it was right in the eyes of the potter to make.
5And the word of Yahweh came to me, saying,#Literally “to say” 6“Like this potter, am I not able to do to you, O house of Israel?” declares#Literally “a declaration of” Yahweh. “Look, like the clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel. 7One moment I speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom, to uproot, and to tear down, and to destroy it.#Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation 8But if that nation turns back from its evil that I have threatened against it, then I will relent concerning the disaster that I planned to do to it. 9And the next moment I speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom, to build, and to plant it.#Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation 10But if it does evil in my sight, to not listen to my voice, then I will relent concerning the good that I said I would do to it.
11“So now then, say, please, to the people#Literally “man” of Judah and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying,#Literally “to say” ‘Thus says Yahweh, “Look, I am preparing evil against you, and I am planning a plan against you. Please turn back, each one from his evil way, and walk rightly in your ways and your deeds.” ’ 12But they will say, ‘It is hopeless, for we will go after our own plans, and each one of us will act according to the stubbornness of his evil heart.’
13“Therefore thus says Yahweh,
‘Please ask among the nations, “Who has heard the like of this?”#Literally “like these”
The virgin of Israel has done something very horrible.
14Does the snow of Lebanon leave from the crags#Hebrew “crag” of Sirion?
Or are the cold waters flowing from distant mountains dried up?
15But my people have forgotten me.
They make smoke offerings to the idols,#Hebrew “idol”
and they caused them to stumble in their ways, the ancient ways,
to go into bypaths,#Literally “paths of way” not one that is built up.
16To make their land a horror,
an object of whistling for eternity.
All who pass by it will be appalled,
and he will shake his head.
17Like the wind from the east
I will scatter them before#Literally “to the face of” the enemy.
I will show them my back and not my face
in the day of their disaster.’ ”
Jeremiah’s Imprecatory Prayer
18Then they said, “Come and let us plan plans against Jeremiah, for instruction will not be lost from the priest, nor advice from the wise man, nor the word from the prophet. Come and let us bring charges against him,#Literally “let us strike him with the tongue” and let us not listen attentively to any of his words.”
19Listen attentively to me, O Yahweh,
and listen to the voice of my opponents.
20Should good be repaid in place of evil?
Yet they have dug a pit for me.
Remember my standing before you#Literally “to the face of you” to speak good for them,
to avert your wrath from them.
21Therefore#Literally “To thus” give their children to the famine,
and hand them over to the power#Literally “hand” of the sword,
and let their wives be bereaved and widows,
and let their men be killed by death,
their young men struck dead
by the sword in the battle.
22Let a cry for help be heard from their houses
when you suddenly bring upon them the raiding band,
for they have dug a pit to catch me,
and they have fixed secretly a trap for my feet.
23But you, O Yahweh, you know
all their plans of assassination against me.#Literally “all of their plan against me to the death”
You must not make atonement for their iniquity,
and you must not cause their sin to be blotted out from before you.#Literally “to the face of you”
But let them be overthrown before you.#Literally “to the face of you”
Deal with them in the time of your anger.
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