18
The Potter and the Clay
1 The word which came to Jeremiah from the Loʀᴅ saying, 2 “Arise and AJer 19:1, 2go down to the potter’s house, and there I will announce My words to you.” 3 Then I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was, making something on the 1Lit pair of stone discswheel. 4 But the vessel that he was making of clay was spoiled in the hand of the potter; so he remade it into another vessel, as it pleased the potter to make.
5 Then the word of the Loʀᴅ came to me saying, 6 “Can I not, O house of Israel, deal with you as this potter does?” declares the Loʀᴅ. “Behold, like the AIs 45:9; 64:8; Matt 20:15; Rom 9:21clay 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 AJer 1:10uproot, to pull down, or to destroy it; 8 AJer 7:3-7; 12:16; Ezek 18:21if that nation against which I have spoken turns from its evil, I will 1Lit repent ofBPs 106:45; Jer 26:3, 13, 19; Hos 11:8; Joel 2:13, 14; Jon 3:10relent concerning the calamity I planned to bring on it. 9 “Or at another moment I might speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to AJer 1:10; 31:28; Amos 9:11-15build up or to plant it; 10 if it does APs 125:5; Jer 7:24-28; Ezek 33:18evil in My sight by not obeying My voice, then I will 1Lit repentB1 Sam 2:30; 13:13think better of the good with which I had promised to 2Lit do it goodbless it. 11 “So now then, speak to the men of Judah and against the inhabitants of Jerusalem saying, ‘Thus says the Loʀᴅ, “Behold, I am AIs 5:5; Jer 4:6; 11:11fashioning calamity against you and devising a plan against you. Oh B2 Kin 17:13; Is 1:16-19; Jer 4:1; Acts 26:20turn back, each of you from his evil way, and 1Lit make goodreform your ways and your deeds.” ’ 12 “But AIs 57:10; Jer 2:25they will say, ‘It’s hopeless! For we are going to follow our own plans, and each of us will act according to the BDeut 29:19; Jer 7:24; 16:12stubbornness of his evil heart.’
13 “Therefore thus says the Loʀᴅ,
‘AIs 66:8; Jer 2:10, 11Ask now among the nations,
Who ever heard the like of 1Lit thesethis?
The BJer 14:17; 31:4virgin of Israel
Has done a most CJer 5:30; 23:14; Hos 6:10appalling thing.
14 ‘Does the snow of Lebanon forsake the rock of the open country?
Or is the cold flowing water from a foreign land ever snatched away?
15 ‘For AJer 2:32; 3:21My people have forgotten Me,
BIs 65:7; Jer 7:9; 10:15; 44:17They burn incense 1Lit to worthlessnessto worthless gods
And they 2So ancient versions; Heb caused them tohave stumbled 3Or infrom their ways,
To walk in bypaths,
Not on a DIs 57:14; 62:10highway,
16 To make their land a AJer 25:9; 49:13; 50:13; Ezek 33:28, 29desolation,
An object of perpetual B1 Kin 9:8; Lam 2:15; Mic 6:16hissing;
Everyone who passes by it will be astonished
And CPs 22:7; Is 37:22; Jer 48:27shake his head.
Before the enemy;
I will 1So ancient versions; M.T. reads look them in the back and not in the faceshow them CJer 2:27; 32:33My back and not My face
DJer 46:21In the day of their calamity.’ ”
18 Then they said, “Come and let us AJer 11:19; 18:11devise plans against Jeremiah. Surely the BJer 2:8; Mal 2:7law is not going to be lost to the priest, nor CJob 5:13; Jer 8:8counsel to the sage, nor the divine DJer 5:13word to the prophet! Come on and let us EPs 52:2; Jer 20:10strike at him with our tongue, and let us FJer 43:2give no heed to any of his words.”
19 Do give heed to me, O Loʀᴅ,
And listen to 1Lit the voice of my opponentswhat my opponents are saying!
20 APs 109:4Should good be repaid with evil?
For they have BPs 35:7; 57:6; Jer 5:26; 18:22dug a pit for 1Lit my soulme.
Remember how I CPs 106:23stood before You
To speak good on their behalf,
So as to turn away Your wrath from them.
21 Therefore, APs 109:9-20; Jer 11:22; 14:16give their children over to famine
And deliver them up to the 1Lit hands ofpower of the sword;
And let their wives become B1 Sam 15:33; Is 13:18childless and CJer 15:8; Ezek 22:25widowed.
Let their men also be smitten to death,
Their DJer 9:21; 11:22young men struck down by the sword in battle.
22 May an AJer 6:26; 25:34, 36outcry be heard from their houses,
When You suddenly bring raiders upon them;
BJer 18:20For they have dug a pit to capture me
And CPs 140:5hidden snares for my feet.
23 Yet You, O Loʀᴅ, know
All their 1Lit unto deathdeadly designs against me;
ANeh 4:5; Ps 109:14; Is 2:9Do not 2Lit cover over, atone forforgive their iniquity
Or blot out their sin from Your sight.
But may they be 3Lit ones made to stumbleBJer 6:15, 21overthrown before You;
Deal with them in the CJer 7:20; 17:4time of Your anger!
118:3 Lit pair of stone discs
A18:6 Is 45:9; 64:8; Matt 20:15; Rom 9:21
A18:8 Jer 7:3-7; 12:16; Ezek 18:21
118:8 Lit repent of
B18:8 Ps 106:45; Jer 26:3, 13, 19; Hos 11:8; Joel 2:13, 14; Jon 3:10
A18:9 Jer 1:10; 31:28; Amos 9:11-15
A18:10 Ps 125:5; Jer 7:24-28; Ezek 33:18
118:10 Lit repent
218:10 Lit do it good
B18:11 2 Kin 17:13; Is 1:16-19; Jer 4:1; Acts 26:20
118:11 Lit make good
B18:12 Deut 29:19; Jer 7:24; 16:12
118:13 Lit these
C18:13 Jer 5:30; 23:14; Hos 6:10
B18:15 Is 65:7; Jer 7:9; 10:15; 44:17
118:15 Lit to worthlessness
218:15 So ancient versions; Heb caused them to
318:15 Or in
318:15 Or in
A18:16 Jer 25:9; 49:13; 50:13; Ezek 33:28, 29
B18:16 1 Kin 9:8; Lam 2:15; Mic 6:16
C18:16 Ps 22:7; Is 37:22; Jer 48:27
118:17 So ancient versions; M.T. reads look them in the back and not in the face
118:19 Lit the voice of my opponents
B18:20 Ps 35:7; 57:6; Jer 5:26; 18:22
118:20 Lit my soul
A18:21 Ps 109:9-20; Jer 11:22; 14:16
118:21 Lit hands of
118:23 Lit unto death
A18:23 Neh 4:5; Ps 109:14; Is 2:9
218:23 Lit cover over, atone for
318:23 Lit ones made to stumble