The word which came to Jeremiah
from the LORD
, saying
,
Arise, and go down
to the potter's
house
, and there I will cause thee to hear
my words
.
Then I went down to the potter's
house
, and, behold
, he wrought
a work
on the wheels
.
And the vessel that he made
of clay
was marred
in the hand
of the potter
: so he made
it again
another
vessel
, as seemed
good
to the potter
to make
it .
Then the word of the LORD
came to me, saying
,
O house of Israel
, cannot
I do
with you as this potter
? saith
the LORD
. Behold, as the clay
is in the potter's
hand
, so are ye in mine hand
, O house
of Israel
.
At what instant I shall speak
concerning a nation
, and concerning a kingdom
, to pluck up
, and to pull down
, and to destroy
it ;
If that nation, against whom I have pronounced
, turn
from their evil
, I will repent
of the evil
that I thought
to do
unto them.
And at what instant I shall speak
concerning a nation
, and concerning a kingdom
, to build
and to plant
it ;
If it do evil
in my sight
, that it obey
not my voice
, then I will repent
of the good
, wherewith I said
I would benefit
them.
Now therefore go to, speak to the men
of Judah
, and to the inhabitants
of Jerusalem
, saying
, Thus saith
the LORD
; Behold, I frame
evil
against you, and devise
a device
against you: return
ye now every one
from his evil
way
, and make your ways
and your doings
good
.
And they said, There is no hope
: but we will walk
after
our own devices
, and we will every one
do
the imagination
of his evil
heart
.
Therefore thus saith the LORD
; Ask
ye now among the heathen
, who hath heard
such things: the virgin
of Israel
hath done
a very
horrible thing
.
Will a man leave the snow
of Lebanon
which cometh from the rock
of the field
? or shall the cold
flowing
waters
that come from another place
be forsaken
?
Because my people hath forgotten
me, they have burned incense
to vanity
, and they have caused them to stumble
in their ways
from the ancient
paths
, to walk
in paths
, in a way
not cast up
;
To make their land
desolate
, and a perpetual
hissing
; every one that passeth
thereby shall be astonished
, and wag
his head
.
I will scatter them as with an east
wind
before
the enemy
; I will shew
them the back
, and not the face
, in the day
of their calamity
.
Then 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
.
Give heed to me, O LORD
, and hearken
to the voice
of them that contend
with me.
Shall evil be recompensed
for good
? for they have digged
a pit
for my soul
. Remember
that I stood
before
thee to speak
good
for them, and to turn away
thy wrath
from them.
Therefore deliver up their children
to the famine
, and pour out
their blood by the force
of the sword
; and let their wives
be bereaved
of their children, and be widows
; and let their men
be put
to death
; let their young men
be slain
by the sword
in battle
.
Let 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
.
Yet, LORD, 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
thus with them in the time
of thine anger
.