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The Potter and the Clay
The LORD gave another message to Jeremiah. He said,
The LORD gave another message to Jeremiah. He said,
The Potter and the Clay
The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD saying,
The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD saying,
“Go down to the potter’s shop, and I will speak to you there.”
“Arise and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will announce My words to you.”
So I did as he told me and found the potter working at his wheel.
Then I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was, making something on the wheel.
But the jar he was making did not turn out as he had hoped, so he crushed it into a lump of clay again and started over.
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.
“O Israel, can I not do to you as this potter has done to his clay? As the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand.
“Can I not, O house of Israel, deal with you as this potter does?” declares the LORD. “Behold, like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel.
If I announce that a certain nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down, and destroyed,
“At one moment I might speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to uproot, to pull down, or to destroy it;
but then that nation renounces its evil ways, I will not destroy it as I had planned.
if that nation against which I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent concerning the calamity I planned to bring on it.
And if I announce that I will plant and build up a certain nation or kingdom,
“Or at another moment I might speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to build up or to plant it;
but then that nation turns to evil and refuses to obey me, I will not bless it as I said I would.
if it does evil in My sight by not obeying My voice, then I will think better of the good with which I had promised to bless it.
“Therefore, Jeremiah, go and warn all Judah and Jerusalem. Say to them, ‘This is what the LORD says: I am planning disaster for you instead of good. So turn from your evil ways, each of you, and do what is right.’”
“So now then, speak to the men of Judah and against the inhabitants of Jerusalem saying, ‘Thus says the LORD, “Behold, I am fashioning calamity against you and devising a plan against you. Oh turn back, each of you from his evil way, and reform your ways and your deeds.”’
But the people replied, “Don’t waste your breath. We will continue to live as we want to, stubbornly following our own evil desires.”
“But they will say, ‘It’s hopeless! For we are going to follow our own plans, and each of us will act according to the stubbornness of his evil heart.’
So this is what the LORD says:
“Has anyone ever heard of such a thing,
even among the pagan nations?
My virgin daughter Israel
has done something terrible!
“Has anyone ever heard of such a thing,
even among the pagan nations?
My virgin daughter Israel
has done something terrible!
“Therefore thus says the LORD,
‘Ask now among the nations,
Who ever heard the like of this?
The virgin of Israel
Has done a most appalling thing.
‘Ask now among the nations,
Who ever heard the like of this?
The virgin of Israel
Has done a most appalling thing.
Does the snow ever disappear from the mountaintops of Lebanon?
Do the cold streams flowing from those distant mountains ever run dry?
Do the cold streams flowing from those distant mountains ever run dry?
‘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?
Or is the cold flowing water from a foreign land ever snatched away?
But my people are not so reliable, for they have deserted me;
they burn incense to worthless idols.
They have stumbled off the ancient highways
and walk in muddy paths.
they burn incense to worthless idols.
They have stumbled off the ancient highways
and walk in muddy paths.
‘For My people have forgotten Me,
They burn incense to worthless gods
And they have stumbled from their ways,
From the ancient paths,
To walk in bypaths,
Not on a highway,
They burn incense to worthless gods
And they have stumbled from their ways,
From the ancient paths,
To walk in bypaths,
Not on a highway,
Therefore, their land will become desolate,
a monument to their stupidity.
All who pass by will be astonished
and will shake their heads in amazement.
a monument to their stupidity.
All who pass by will be astonished
and will shake their heads in amazement.
To make their land a desolation,
An object of perpetual hissing;
Everyone who passes by it will be astonished
And shake his head.
An object of perpetual hissing;
Everyone who passes by it will be astonished
And shake his head.
I will scatter my people before their enemies
as the east wind scatters dust.
And in all their trouble I will turn my back on them
and refuse to notice their distress.”
as the east wind scatters dust.
And in all their trouble I will turn my back on them
and refuse to notice their distress.”
‘Like an east wind I will scatter them
Before the enemy;
I will show them My back and not My face
In the day of their calamity.’”
Before the enemy;
I will show them My back and not My face
In the day of their calamity.’”
A Plot against Jeremiah
Then the people said, “Come on, let’s plot a way to stop Jeremiah. We have plenty of priests and wise men and prophets. We don’t need him to teach the word and give us advice and prophecies. Let’s spread rumors about him and ignore what he says.”
Then they said, “Come and let us devise plans against Jeremiah. Surely the law is not going to be lost to the priest, nor counsel to the sage, nor the divine word to the prophet! Come on and let us strike at him with our tongue, and let us give no heed to any of his words.”
LORD, hear me and help me!
Listen to what my enemies are saying.
Listen to what my enemies are saying.
Do give heed to me, O LORD,
And listen to what my opponents are saying!
And listen to what my opponents are saying!
Should they repay evil for good?
They have dug a pit to kill me,
though I pleaded for them
and tried to protect them from your anger.
They have dug a pit to kill me,
though I pleaded for them
and tried to protect them from your anger.
Should good be repaid with evil?
For they have dug a pit for me.
Remember how I stood before You
To speak good on their behalf,
So as to turn away Your wrath from them.
For they have dug a pit for me.
Remember how I stood before You
To speak good on their behalf,
So as to turn away Your wrath from them.
So let their children starve!
Let them die by the sword!
Let their wives become childless widows.
Let their old men die in a plague,
and let their young men be killed in battle!
Let them die by the sword!
Let their wives become childless widows.
Let their old men die in a plague,
and let their young men be killed in battle!
Therefore, give their children over to famine
And deliver them up to the power of the sword;
And let their wives become childless and widowed.
Let their men also be smitten to death,
Their young men struck down by the sword in battle.
And deliver them up to the power of the sword;
And let their wives become childless and widowed.
Let their men also be smitten to death,
Their young men struck down by the sword in battle.
Let screaming be heard from their homes
as warriors come suddenly upon them.
For they have dug a pit for me
and have hidden traps along my path.
as warriors come suddenly upon them.
For they have dug a pit for me
and have hidden traps along my path.
May an outcry be heard from their houses,
When You suddenly bring raiders upon them;
For they have dug a pit to capture me
And hidden snares for my feet.
When You suddenly bring raiders upon them;
For they have dug a pit to capture me
And hidden snares for my feet.
LORD, you know all about their murderous plots against me.
Don’t forgive their crimes and blot out their sins.
Let them die before you.
Deal with them in your anger.
Don’t forgive their crimes and blot out their sins.
Let them die before you.
Deal with them in your anger.
Yet You, O LORD, know
All their deadly designs against me;
Do not forgive their iniquity
Or blot out their sin from Your sight.
But may they be overthrown before You;
Deal with them in the time of Your anger!
All their deadly designs against me;
Do not forgive their iniquity
Or blot out their sin from Your sight.
But may they be overthrown before You;
Deal with them in the time of Your anger!