Jeremiah 18

1. The Word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,

2. “Arise and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will cause you to hear My words.”

3. Then I went down to the potter’s house, and, behold, he was working at his wheel.

4. And the vessel that he made of clay was ruined in the hand of the potter; so he made it again into another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.

5. Then the Word of the LORD came to me, saying,

6. “O house of Israel, can I not do with you even as this potter?” says the LORD. “Behold, as the clay is in the potter’s hands, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel.

7. If at any time I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck it up and to pull it down, and to destroy it;

8. If that nation, against whom I have spoken, will turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do to them.

9. And if at any time I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build it and to plant it;

10. If it does evil in My sight, that it not obey My voice, then I will repent of the good with which I said I would do them good.”

11. “Now therefore, speak to the men of Judah, and to the people of Jerusalem, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD, “Behold, I am forming evil against you, and devising a plan against you. Return now, each one from his evil way, and make your ways and your doings good.” ’ ”

12. And they said, “There is no hope; but we will walk after our own ways, and we will each one do according to the stubbornness of his evil heart.”

13. Therefore thus says the LORD, “Ask now among the nations; who has heard such things? The virgin of Israel has done a very horrible thing.

14. Does the snow of Lebanon fail from the rock of the field? Or shall the cold waters that come from another place cease to flow?

15. Because My people have forgotten Me, they have burned incense to vanity, and they have caused themselves to stumble in their ways from the ancient paths, to walk in by-paths, not on the highway,

16. To make their land desolate and a perpetual hissing. Everyone who passes by shall be astonished, and will shake his head.

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

18. Then they said, “Come and let us plot schemes against Jeremiah. For the law shall not perish from the priest, nor wisdom from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. Come and let us strike him with the tongue, and let us not pay attention to any of his words.”

19. Give heed to me, O LORD, and hearken to what my accusers are saying against me.

20. Should evil be repaid for good? For they have dug a pit for my soul. Remember that I stood before You to do good for them, and to turn away Your wrath from them.

21. Therefore deliver up their children to the famine, and pour them out upon the hands of the sword. And let their wives be bereaved, and be widows, and their men be slain to death; let their young men be struck by the sword in battle.

22. Let a cry be heard from their houses, when You suddenly bring a raiding party on them. For they have dug a pit to take me, and have hidden snares for my feet.

23. Yet, LORD, You know all their counsel against me to kill me. Do not forgive their iniquity, nor blot out their sin from Your sight, but let them be overthrown before You; deal with them in the time of Your anger.