Jeremiah 18
18
The Potter and the Clay
1The Lord gave another message to Jeremiah. He said, 2“Go down to the potter’s shop, and I will speak to you there.” 3So I did as he told me and found the potter working at his wheel. 4But the jar he was making did not turn out as he had hoped, so he crushed it into a lump of clay again and started over.
5Then the Lord gave me this message: 6“O Israel, can I not do to you as this potter has done to his clay? As the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand. 7If I announce that a certain nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down, and destroyed, 8but then that nation renounces its evil ways, I will not destroy it as I had planned. 9And if I announce that I will plant and build up a certain nation or kingdom, 10but then that nation turns to evil and refuses to obey me, I will not bless it as I said I would.
11“Therefore, Jeremiah, go and warn all Judah and Jerusalem. Say to them, ‘This is what the Lord says: I am planning disaster for you instead of good. So turn from your evil ways, each of you, and do what is right.’”
12But the people replied, “Don’t waste your breath. We will continue to live as we want to, stubbornly following our own evil desires.”
13So this is what the Lord says:
“Has anyone ever heard of such a thing,
even among the pagan nations?
My virgin daughter Israel
has done something terrible!
14Does the snow ever disappear from the mountaintops of Lebanon?
Do the cold streams flowing from those distant mountains ever run dry?
15But my people are not so reliable, for they have deserted me;
they burn incense to worthless idols.
They have stumbled off the ancient highways
and walk in muddy paths.
16Therefore, their land will become desolate,
a monument to their stupidity.
All who pass by will be astonished
and will shake their heads in amazement.
17I will scatter my people before their enemies
as the east wind scatters dust.
And in all their trouble I will turn my back on them
and refuse to notice their distress.”
A Plot against Jeremiah
18Then the people said, “Come on, let’s plot a way to stop Jeremiah. We have plenty of priests and wise men and prophets. We don’t need him to teach the word and give us advice and prophecies. Let’s spread rumors about him and ignore what he says.”
19 Lord, hear me and help me!
Listen to what my enemies are saying.
20Should they repay evil for good?
They have dug a pit to kill me,
though I pleaded for them
and tried to protect them from your anger.
21So let their children starve!
Let them die by the sword!
Let their wives become childless widows.
Let their old men die in a plague,
and let their young men be killed in battle!
22Let screaming be heard from their homes
as warriors come suddenly upon them.
For they have dug a pit for me
and have hidden traps along my path.
23 Lord, you know all about their murderous plots against me.
Don’t forgive their crimes and blot out their sins.
Let them die before you.
Deal with them in your anger.
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Jeremiah 18: NLT
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Holy Bible, New Living Translation copyright 1996, 2004, 2007, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation.
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Yirmeyah 18
18
1The Davar which came to Yirmeyah from Hashem, saying,
2Arise, and go down to the bais hayotzer (the house of the potter, Creator), and there I will cause thee to hear My Devar.
3Then I went down to the bais hayotzer, and, behold, he wrought a work on the [potterʼs] wheel.
4And the keli (vessel) that he was making of khomer (clay) was marred in the yad of the yotzer; so he made it again keli acher (another vessel, a different vessel), as seemed good to the eyes of the yotzer to make it.
5Then the Devar Hashem came to me, saying,
6O Bais Yisroel, cannot I do with you as this yotzer? saith Hashem. Hinei, as the khomer (clay) is in the yotzerʼs yad, so are ye in Mine yad, O Bais Yisroel.
7At what instant I shall speak concerning a Goy (nation), and concerning a mamlachah (kingdom), to uproot, and to pull down, and to destroy it;
8If that Goy, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their ra'ah, I will relent of the ra'ah that I planned to do unto them.
9And at what instant I shall speak concerning a Goy, and concerning a mamlachah, to build and to plant it;
10If it do ra'ah in My sight, that it obey not My voice, then I will relent of the tov, wherewith I said I would benefit them.
11Now therefore go to, speak to the Ish Yehudah, and to the inhabitants of Yerushalayim, saying, Thus saith Hashem; Hinei, I yotzer (mold as a potter) ra'ah against you, and devise a plan against you; return ye now every ish from his derech ra'ah, and make your ways and your doings good.
12And they said, It is useless; but we will walk according to our own plans, and we will every ish do the sherirut (stubbornness) of his lev ra'ah.
13Therefore thus saith Hashem, Ask ye now among the Goyim, Who hath heard such things? The Betulat Yisroel hath done a most horrible thing.
14Does the sheleg (snow) of Levanon vanish from the tzur of the slope? Or shall the cold flowing mayim that come from distant sources cease?
15Because My people hath forgotten Me, they have burned ketoret to worthless idols, and they have caused them to stumble in their drakhim from the ancient paths, to walk in bypaths, and not on the derech built up;
16To make their eretz desolate, and a perpetual hissing; every one that passeth thereby shall be astonished, and shall shake his rosh.
17I will scatter them as with an east ruach (wind) before the oyev; I will show them My oref (back), and not My panim (face), in the day of their calamity.
18Then said they, Come and let us devise plans against Yirmeyah; for the torah shall not perish from the kohen, nor etzah from the chacham, nor the davar from the navi. Come, and let us attack him with the lashon, and let us not give heed to any of his devarim.
19Give heed to me, Hashem, and take notice of the voice of them that contend with me.
20Shall ra'ah be repaid for tovah? For they have dug a pit for my nefesh. Remember that I stood before Thee to speak tovah concerning them, and to turn away Thy wrath from them.
21Therefore deliver up their banim to the ra'av (famine), and pour out their dahm by the force of the cherev; and let their nashim be bereaved as childless, and be almanot (widows); and let their anashim be put to death; let their bochurim be slain by the cherev in milchamah.
22Let a cry be heard from their batim (houses), when Thou shalt bring a gedud (troop) suddenly upon them; for they have dug a pit to take me, and hid pachim (snares) for my raglayim.
23Yet, Hashem, Thou knowest all their etzah against me to slay me; do not make kapporah for their avon, neither blot out their chattat from Thy sight, but let them be overthrown before Thee; deal thus with them in the time of Thine anger.
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