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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Jeremiah 18
18
The Potter and the Clay
1This is the word the Lord spoke to Jeremiah: 2“Go down to the potter’s house. I will give you my message there.” 3So I went down to the potter’s house. I saw him working at the potter’s wheel. 4He was making a pot from clay. But something went wrong with it. So the potter used that clay to make another pot. He used his hands to shape the pot the way that he wanted it to be.
5Then the Lord spoke his word to me: 6“Family of Israel, can’t I do the same thing with you?” says the Lord. “You are like the clay in the potter’s hands. 7There may come a time when I will speak about a nation or a kingdom. I might say I will pull that nation up by its roots. Or I might say I will pull that nation down and destroy it. 8But if the people of that nation are sorry for the evil they have done, I would change my mind. I would not carry out my plans to bring disaster to them. 9There may come another time when I will speak about a nation. I might say that I will build up and plant that nation. 10But if I see it doing evil by not obeying me, I would change my mind. I would not carry out my plans to do good for them.
11“So, say this to the people of Judah and those who live in Jerusalem: ‘This is what the Lord says: I am preparing disaster for you right now. I am making plans against you. So stop doing the evil you are doing. Change your ways and do what is right.’ 12But the people of Judah will answer, ‘It won’t do any good to try! We will continue to do what we want. Each of us will do what his stubborn, evil heart wants!’”
13So this is what the Lord says:
“Ask the people in other nations this question:
‘Have you ever heard anything like this?’
The people of Israel have done a horrible thing.
14The snow on the mountains of Lebanon
never melts from the rocks.
Its cool, flowing streams
do not dry up.
15But my people have forgotten me.
They make offerings to worthless idols.
This makes them stumble in what they do.
They stumble about in the old ways of their ancestors.
They walk along back roads
and on poor highways.
16So Judah’s country will become an empty desert.
People will not stop making fun of it.
They will shake their heads as they pass by.
They will be shocked at how the country was destroyed.
17I will scatter them before their enemies
as a strong east wind blows things away.
At that awful time they will not see me coming to help them.
They will see me leaving.”
Jeremiah’s Fourth Complaint
18Then the people said, “Come, let’s make plans against Jeremiah. Surely the teaching of the law by the priest will not be lost. And the advice from the wise men will still be with us. We will still have the words of the prophets. So let’s ruin him by telling lies about him! We won’t pay attention to anything he says.”
19Lord, listen to me.
Listen to what my accusers are saying!
20Good should not be paid back with evil.
But they have dug a pit in order to kill me.
Lord, remember that I stood before you
and asked you to do good things for these people.
I asked you to turn your anger away from them.
21So now, let their children starve.
Let their enemies defeat them with swords.
Let their wives lose their children and husbands.
Let the men from Judah be put to death.
Let the young men be killed in battle.
22Let them cry out in their houses.
Bring an enemy against them suddenly.
Let all this happen because my enemies have dug a pit to trap me.
And they have hidden traps for me to step in.
23Lord, you know
about their plans to kill me.
Don’t forgive their crimes.
Don’t erase their sins.
Make them fall from their places.
Punish them while you are angry.
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