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.
Currently Selected:
Jeremiah 18: LEB
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
2010 Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software
Jeremiah 18
18
1This message came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 2Go down right away to the potter's house. I will give you my message there.
3I went down to the potter's house and saw him working at his potter's wheel. 4But the pot that he was making from the clay went wrong. So he made it into something different as he thought best.
5The Lord's message came to me, saying, 6People of Israel, declares the Lord, can't I deal with you just like this potter does with his clay? I hold you in my hand just like clay in the potter's hand, people of Israel.
7At one time it could happen that I announce that a nation or a kingdom is going to be uprooted, torn down, and destroyed. 8However, if that nation I warned gives up its evil ways, then I will change my mind regarding the disaster I was about to bring.
9At another time I could announce that I'm going to build up and give power to a nation or a kingdom. 10But if it does evil in my sight and refuses to listen to my voice, then I will change my mind regarding the good I had planned for it.
11So tell the people of Judah and those living in Jerusalem that this is what the Lord says: Watch out! I am preparing disaster for you, and working out a plan against you. All of you, give up your evil ways. Live right and act right!
12But they'll say, “We just can't! We'll do whatever we want. Each of us will stubbornly follow our own evil thinking.”
13Consequently this is what the Lord says: Ask around the nations—has anybody ever heard anything like this? Virgin Israel has acted really badly.
14Does the snow of Lebanon ever disappear from its rocky mountain-tops? Do its cool waters that flow from such distant sources ever dry up?
15But my people have rejected me! They burn incense to useless idols which trip them up, making them leave the old roads in order to walk down unmade paths instead of the highway. 16They have turned their country into a horrific wasteland, a place that will always be treated with contempt.#18:16. “Treated with contempt”: literally, “hissed at.” People passing by will be shocked, shaking their heads in disbelief.
17Like a strong wind from the east I will scatter them before the enemy. I will turn my back on them and not look at them when their time of trouble comes.
18Some people decided, “We need a plan to deal with Jeremiah. There'll still be priests to explain the law, there'll still be wise people to give advice, and there'll still be prophets to give prophecies. Let's organize a smear campaign#18:18. “Organize a smear campaign”: literally, “strike him with the tongue.” against him so we don't have to listen to a word he says.”
19Lord, please pay attention to what's happening to me! Listen to what my accusers are saying! 20Should good be paid back with evil? Yet they have dug a pit to trap me! Remember how I stood before you to plead on their behalf, to stop you being angry with them?
21But now may their children starve; may they be killed by the sword. May their wives lose their children and their husbands; may their husbands die from disease; may their young men be killed in battle. 22May cries of agony be heard from their houses when you suddenly bring invaders to attack them, because they dug a pit to capture me and hid traps to catch me as I walk along.
23But Lord, you know about all their plots to try and kill me. Don't forgive their wickedness; don't wipe away their sin. Bring them down! Deal with them when you're angry!
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
Dr. Jonathan Gallagher. Released under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 Unported License. Version 4.3. For corrections send email to jonathangallagherfbv@gmail.com