Jeremiah 18
18
Jeremiah at the Potter's House
1The LORD said to me, 2“Go down to the potter's house, where I will give you my message.” 3So I went there and saw the potter working at his wheel. 4Whenever a piece of pottery turned out imperfect, he would take the clay and make it into something else.
5Then the LORD said to me, 6“Haven't I the right to do with you people of Israel what the potter did with the clay? You are in my hands just like clay in the potter's hands. 7If at any time I say that I am going to uproot, break down, or destroy any nation or kingdom, 8but then that nation turns from its evil, I will not do what I said I would. 9On the other hand, if I say that I am going to plant or build up any nation or kingdom, 10but then that nation disobeys me and does evil, I will not do what I said I would. 11Now then, tell the people of Judah and of Jerusalem that I am making plans against them and getting ready to punish them. Tell them to stop living sinful lives — to change their ways and the things they are doing. 12They will answer, ‘No, why should we? We will all be just as stubborn and evil as we want to be.’ ”
The People Reject the LORD
13The LORD says,
“Ask every nation if such a thing
has ever happened before.
The people of Israel have done a terrible thing!
14Are Lebanon's rocky heights ever without snow?
Do its cool mountain streams ever run dry?
15Yet my people have forgotten me;
they burn incense to idols.
They have stumbled in the way they should go,
they no longer follow the old ways;
they walk on unmarked paths.
16They have made this land a thing of horror,
to be despised for ever.
All who pass by will be shocked at what they see;
they will shake their heads in amazement.
17I will scatter my people before their enemies,
like dust blown by the east wind.
I will turn my back on them;
I will not help them when the disaster comes.”
A Plot against Jeremiah
18Then the people said, “Let's do something about Jeremiah! There will always be priests to instruct us, the wise to give us counsel, and prophets to proclaim God's message. Let's bring charges against him, and stop listening to what he says.”
19So I prayed, “LORD, hear what I am saying and listen to what my enemies are saying about me. 20Is evil the payment for good? Yet they have dug a pit for me to fall in. Remember how I came to you and spoke on their behalf, so that you would not deal with them in anger. 21But now, LORD, let their children starve to death; let them be killed in war. Let the women lose their husbands and children; let the men die of disease and the young men be killed in battle. 22Send a mob to plunder their homes without warning; make them cry out in terror. They have dug a pit for me to fall in and have set traps to catch me. 23But, LORD, you know all their plots to kill me. Do not forgive their evil or pardon their sin. Throw them down in defeat and deal with them while you are angry.”
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Good News Bible with Deuterocanonicals/Apocrypha. Scripture taken from the Good News Bible (r) (Today's English Version Second Edition, UK/British Edition). Copyright © 1992 British & Foreign Bible Society. Used by permission.
Jeremiah 18
18
Parable of the Potter
1This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 2“Go down at once to the potter’s house; # Is 29:16; Jr 19:1-2 there I will reveal My words to you.” 3So I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was, working away at the wheel. # Lit pair of stones 4But the jar that he was making from the clay became flawed in the potter’s hand, so he made it into another jar, as it seemed right for him to do. # Rm 9:21
5The word of the Lord came to me: 6“House of Israel, can I not treat you as this potter treats his clay? ” — this is the Lord’s declaration. “Just like clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, house of Israel. # Gn 2:7-8; Is 43:1; 64:8 7At one moment I might announce concerning a nation or a kingdom that I will uproot, tear down, and destroy it. # Jr 1:10; 24:6; 31:28 8However, if that nation I have made an announcement about turns from its evil, I will relent concerning the disaster I had planned to do to it. # 2Sm 24:1; Jr 42:10; Jnh 3:10 9At another time I announce that I will build and plant a nation or a kingdom. # Jr 1:10 10However, if it does what is evil in My sight by not listening to My voice, I will relent concerning the good I had said I would do to it. # Ezk 18:25-29; 33:12-13 11So now, say to the men of Judah and to the residents of Jerusalem: This is what the Lord says: I am about to bring harm to you and make plans against you. Turn now, each from your evil way, and correct your ways and your deeds. # Jr 4:18; 7:3; 35:15 12But they will say, ‘It’s hopeless. # Is 57:12; Jr 2:25 We will continue to follow our plans, and each of us will continue to act according to the stubbornness of his evil heart.’ ”
Deluded Israel
13Therefore, this is what the Lord says:
Ask among the nations,
Who has heard things like these?
Virgin Israel has done a most terrible thing. # Jr 5:30; Hs 6:10
14Does the snow of Lebanon ever leave the highland crags?
Or does cold water flowing from a distance ever fail?
15Yet My people have forgotten Me. # Jr 2:32; 3:21; 13:25; Ezk 22:12; 23:35; Hs 8:14
They burn incense to false idols
that make them stumble in their ways # Ezk 14:3,4,7; 44:12; Rv 2:14
on the ancient roads # Jr 6:16
and walk on new paths, not the highway.
16They have made their land a horror, # Dt 28:37; 2Ch 29:8; 30:7; Jr 5:30; 19:8; 25:9,18; 29:18; 42:18; 44:12,22; 50:13; Mc 6:16; Zph 2:15
a perpetual object of scorn; # Lit hissing # Lm 2:15
everyone who passes by it will be horrified # Jr 19:8; 49:17
and shake his head. # Jb 2:11; 42:11; Ps 22:7; 69:20; Is 51:19; Jr 15:5; 48:27; Nah 3:7
17I will scatter them before the enemy like the east wind. # Ex 10:13; 14:21; Jb 27:21; 38:24; Ps 48:7; Is 27:8; Jr 13:24
I will show them # LXX, Lat, Syr, Tg; MT reads will look at them My back and not My face # 2Ch 29:6; Jr 2:27; 32:33; Ezk 8:16
on the day of their calamity.
Plot against Jeremiah
18Then certain ones said, “Come, let’s make plans against Jeremiah, # Jr 11:19 for instruction will never be lost from the priest, # Jr 2:8,26; 5:31; 6:13; 8:10; 13:13; 23:11,33; Ezk 7:26; Mc 3:11; Zph 3:4 or counsel from the wise, or an oracle from the prophet. # Jr 5:13 Come, let’s denounce him # Lit let’s strike him with the tongue and pay no attention to all his words.”
19Pay attention to me, Lord.
Hear what my opponents are saying! # Ps 55:2-3; 142:6
20Should good be repaid with evil?
Yet they have dug a pit for me. # Ps 35:7; 57:6
Remember how I stood before You
to speak good on their behalf,
to turn Your anger from them.
21Therefore, hand their children over to famine, # Ps 109:9-20
and pour the sword’s power on them.
Let their wives become childless and widowed,
their husbands slain by deadly disease, # Lit by death
their young men struck down by the sword in battle.
22Let a cry be heard from their houses
when You suddenly bring raiders against them,
for they have dug a pit to capture me
and have hidden snares for my feet. # Ps 140:5; 142:3
23But You, Lord, know
all their deadly plots against me.
Do not wipe out their guilt; # Neh 4:5
do not blot out their sin before You.
Let them be forced to stumble before You;
deal with them in the time of Your anger.
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