The Potter and the Clay

1The word that came to Jeremiah from Jehovah, saying, 2Arise and go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words. 3And I went down to the potter's house; and behold, he wrought a work on the wheels. 4And the vessel that he made was marred, as clay, in the hand of the potter; and he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make.

5And the word of Jehovah came to me, saying, 6House of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith Jehovah. Behold, as the clay in the potter's hand, so are ye in my hand, house of Israel. 7At the moment that I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to break down, and to destroy, 8if that nation, concerning which I have spoken, turn from their evil, then I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them. 9And at the moment that I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant, 10if it do evil in my sight, that it hearken not unto my voice, then I will repent of the good wherewith I said I would benefit them. 11And now, speak to the men of Judah and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, Thus saith Jehovah: Behold, I prepare evil against you, and devise a device against you: turn ye then every one from his evil way, and amend your ways and your doings. 12But they say, There is no hope; for we will walk after our own devices, and we will each one do [according to] the stubbornness of his evil heart.

13Therefore thus saith Jehovah: Ask ye now among the nations, Who hath heard such things? The virgin of Israel hath done a very horrible thing.

14Shall the snow of Lebanon cease from the rock of the field? Shall the cool flowing waters coming from afar be dried up?

15For my people hath forgotten me: they burn incense to vanity; and they have caused them to stumble in their ways, the ancient paths, to walk in by-paths of a way not cast up;

16to make their land an astonishment, a perpetual hissing: every one that passeth by shall be astonished, and shake his head.

17As with an east wind will I scatter them before the enemy; I will shew them the back, and not the face, in the day of their calamity.

The Plot against Jeremiah

(Psalm 70:1-5; Psalm 141:1-10; Jeremiah 11:18-23)

18And they said, Come, and let us devise devices against Jeremiah; for law shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor word from the prophet. Come and let us smite him with the tongue, and let us not give heed to any of his words.

19Jehovah, give heed to me, and listen to the voice of those that contend with me.

20Shall evil be recompensed for good? For they have digged a pit for my soul. Remember how I stood before thee to speak good for them, to turn away thy wrath from them.

21Therefore give up their children to the famine, and deliver them over to the power of the sword; and let their wives be bereaved of children and be widows; and let their men be swept off by death, their young men be smitten by the sword in battle.

22Let a cry be heard from their houses, when thou shalt bring a troop suddenly upon them; for they have digged a pit to take me, and have hidden snares for my feet.

23And thou, Jehovah, knowest all their counsel against me to slay me. Forgive not their iniquity, neither blot out their sin from thy sight, but let them be overthrown before thee: deal with them in the time of thine anger.