The Potter and the Clay
The word which came to Jeremiah from Yahweh saying, 2 “Arise and ago down to the potter’s house, and there I will make you hear My words.” 3 Then I went down to the potter’s house, and behold, he was making something on the wheel. 4 But the vessel that he was making of clay was ruined in the hand of the potter, so he turned around and made it into another vessel, according to what was right in the eyes of the potter to make.
5 Then the word of Yahweh came to me saying, 6 “Can I not, O house of Israel, deal with you as this potter does?” declares Yahweh. “Behold, like the aclay in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel. 7 At one moment I might speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to auproot, to tear down, or to make it perish; 8 abut if that nation against which I have spoken turns from its evil, I will brelent concerning the calamity I planned to do against it. 9 Or at another moment I might speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to abuild up or to plant it; 10 but if it does aevil in My sight by not listening to My voice, then I will brelent concerning the good which I promised, to do good to it. 11 So now then, speak to the men of Judah and against the inhabitants of Jerusalem saying, ‘Thus says Yahweh, “Behold, I am aforming calamity against you and devising a plan against you. Oh bturn back, each of you from his evil way, and do good in your ways and your deeds.”’ 12 But athey will say, ‘It’s hopeless! For we are going to follow our own plans, and each of us will act according to the bstubbornness of his evil heart.’
13 “Therefore thus says Yahweh,
‘aAsk now among the nations,
Who ever heard the like of this?
The bvirgin of Israel
Has done a most cappalling thing.
14 Does the snow of Lebanon forsake the rock of the open country?
Or is the cold flowing water from a strange land ever uprooted?
15 For aMy people have forgotten Me;
bThey burn incense to worthless gods,
And they have stumbled from their ways,
From the cancient paths,
To walk in bypaths,
Not on a dhighway,
16 To make their land an aobject of horror,
An object of perpetual bhissing;
Everyone who passes by it will be horrified
And cshake his head.
17 Like an aeast wind I will bscatter them
Before the enemy;
I will show them cMy back and not My face
dIn the day of their disaster.’”
18 Then they said, “Come and let us adevise plans against Jeremiah. Surely the blaw is not going to perish from the priest, nor ccounsel to the wise man, nor the divine dword to the prophet! Come on and let us estrike at him with our tongue, and let us fgive no heed to any of his words.”
19 Do give heed to me, O Yahweh,
And listen to the voice of those who contend against me!
20 aShould good be repaid with evil?
For they have bdug a pit for me.
Remember how I cstood before You
To speak good on their behalf,
So as to turn away Your wrath from them.
21 Therefore, agive their children over to famine
And deliver them up to the power of the sword;
And let their wives become bchildless and cwidowed.
Let their men also be smitten to death,
Their dyoung men struck down by the sword in battle.
22 May an aoutcry be heard from their houses,
When You suddenly bring raiders upon them;
bFor they have dug a pit to capture me
And chidden snares for my feet.
23 Yet You, O Yahweh, know
All their deadly counsel against me;
aDo not atone for their iniquity
Or blot out their sin from before You.
But may they be boverthrown before You;
Deal with them in the ctime of Your anger!