1
The word which was to▵ Jeremiah◦ from Jehovah, saying,
2
Arise, and go··down··to the potter’s house, and there I will cause thee to hear My words.
3
And I went··down··to the house of the potter, and, behold, he was making a work▵ on the two··stones*.
4
And the vessel that he◦ was making of clay was marred in the hand of the potter; and he returned and made another vessel, as◦ was··upright in the eyes of the potter to make.
5
And the word of Jehovah was to▵ me, saying,
6
O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter? says◦ Jehovah. Behold, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you◦ in My hand, O house of Israel.
7
In a moment I might speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to pluck··up, and to tear··down, and to make··perish;
8
and if that◦ nation, against whom I have spoken, turn··back from their evil, I will repent on··account··of the evil that I thought to do unto them.
9
And if at the moment I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant,
10
and it do evil in My eyes, that it obey not▵ My voice, then I will repent on··account··of the good, with which I said I would do· them ·good.
11
And now, say, I pray◦, to▵ the men◦ of Judah, and to those who dwell··in Jerusalem, saying, Thus says Jehovah; Behold, I▵ form evil against you, and think thoughts against you; return ye, I pray◦, each··man◦ from his evil way, and make· your ways and your actions ·good.
12
And they said, We despair, for we will walk◦ after our own thoughts, and we will do, each··man◦, the stubbornness of his evil heart.
13
Therefore thus says Jehovah: Ask ye now◦ among◦ the nations, who has heard such as these: the virgin of Israel has done a very foul thing.
14
Will the snow of Lebanon from the rock forsake My fields? Shall the strange cold streams of waters be plucked··up?
15
For My people have forgotten Me; they have burned··incense to vanity, and have caused themselves to stumble in their ways, in the footpaths of an age, to walk◦ away* in trails, in a way not built··up,
16
to set their land for an astonishment, and an eternal hissing; everyone who crosses over her shall be astonished and shake* his head.
17
I will scatter them as with an east wind before the enemy; I will show them the back◦, and not the faces, in the day of their downfall.
18
And they said, Go, and let us think thoughts against Jeremiah◦; for the law shall not perish from the priest, and counsel from the wise, and the word from the prophet. Go, and we will smite him with the tongue, and let us not attend to▵ any of his words.
19
Attend to▵ me, O Jehovah, and hearken to the voice of those who strive··with me.
20
Shall evil be repaid in··return··for good, when◦ they have dug··out a ditch for my soul? Remember I stood before Thee to speak good for▵ them, and to turn··back Thy fury from them◦.
21
Therefore give their sons to the famine, and cause them to flow··down by◦ the hands of the sword; and let their wives be bereaved, and be widows; and let their men◦ be killed with death; let their young··men be smitten by the sword in battle.
22
Let a cry be heard from their houses, when◦ Thou shalt bring a troop suddenly upon them; for they have dug··out a ditch to take◦ me, and concealed traps for my feet.
23
But, Jehovah, Thou◦ knowest all their counsel against me for my death; make· not ·atonement for▵ their iniquity, neither wipe··away their sin from before Thee, but let them be a stumbling before Thee; do thus with them in the time of Thine anger.
