Jeremiah 18

1The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying:

1The word which came to Jeremiah from Jehovah, saying,

2Arise, and go down into the potter's house, and there thou shalt hear my words.

2Arise, and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words.

3And I went down into the potter's house, and behold he was doing a work on the wheel.

3Then I went down to the potter’s house, and, behold, he was making a work on the wheels.

4And the vessel was broken which he was making of clay with his hands: and turning he made another vessel, as it seemed good in his eyes to make it.

4And when the vessel that he made of the clay was marred in the hand of the potter, he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.

5Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying:

5Then the word of Jehovah came to me, saying,

6Cannot I do with you, as this potter, O house of Israel, saith the Lord? behold as clay is in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel.

6O house 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, O house of Israel.

7I will suddenly speak against a nation, and against a kingdom, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy it.

7At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up and to break down and to destroy it;

8If that nation against which I have spoken, shall repent of their evil, I also will repent of the evil that I have thought to do to them.

8if that nation, concerning which I have spoken, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them.

9And I will suddenly speak of a nation and of a kingdom, to build up and plant it.

9And at what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it;

10If it shall do evil in my sight, that it obey not my voice: I will repent of the good that I have spoken to do unto it.

10if they do that which is evil in my sight, that they obey not my voice, then I will repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit them.

11Now therefore tell the men of Juda, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying: Thus saith the Lord: Behold I frame evil against you, and devise a device against you: let every man of you return from his evil way, and make ye your ways and your doings good.

11Now therefore, speak to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, Thus saith Jehovah: Behold, I frame evil against you, and devise a device against you: return ye now every one from his evil way, and amend your ways and your doings.

12And they said; We have no hopes: for we will go after our own thoughts, and we will do every one according to the perverseness of his evil heart.

12But they say, It is in vain; for we will walk after our own devices, and we will do every one after the stubbornness of his evil heart.

13Therefore thus saith the Lord: Ask among the nations: Who hath heard such horrible things, as the virgin of Israel hath done to excess?

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 Libanus fail from the rock of the field? or can the cold waters that gush out and run down, be taken away?

14Shall the snow of Lebanon fail from the rock of the field? or shall the cold waters that flow down from afar be dried up?

15Because my people have forgotten me, sacrificing in vain, and stumbling in their ways, in ancient paths, to walk by them in a way not trodden:

15For my people have forgotten me, they have burned incense to false gods; and they have been made to stumble in their ways, in the ancient paths, to walk in bypaths, in a way not cast up;

16That their land might be given up to desolation, and to a perpetual hissing: every one that shall pass by it, shall be astonished, and wag his head.

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

17As a burning wind will I scatter them before the enemy: I will shew them the back, and not the face, in the day of their destruction.

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

18And they said: Come, and let us invent devices against Jeremiah: for the law shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet: come, and let us strike him with the tongue, and let us give no heed to all his words.

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

19Give heed to me, O Lord, and hear the voice of my adversaries.

19Give heed to me, O Jehovah, and hearken to the voice of them that contend with me.

20Shall evil be rendered for good, because they have digged a pit for my soul? Remember that I have stood in thy sight, to speak good for them, and to turn away thy indignation from them.

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 deliver up their children to famine, and bring them into the hands of the sword: let their wives be bereaved of children and widows: and let their husbands be slain by death: let their young men be stabbed with the sword in battle.

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

22Let a cry be heard out of their houses: for thou shalt bring the robber upon them suddenly: because they have digged a pit to take me, and have hid snares for my feet.

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 hid snares for my feet.

23But thou, O Lord, knowest all their counsel against me unto death: not their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out from thy sight: let them be overthrown before thy eyes, in the time of thy wrath do thou destroy them.

23Yet, Jehovah, thou 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 thou with them in the time of thine anger.