Jeremiah 18

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The Potter and the Clay

18 <1> This is the message that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: <2> "Jeremiah, go down to the potter's[135] house. I will give you my message there"

<3> So I went down to the potter's house. I saw the potter working with clay at the wheel. <4> He was making a pot from clay. But there was something wrong with the pot. So the potter used that clay again, and he made another pot. He used his hands to shape the pot the way that he wanted it to be.

<5> Then the message from the Lord came to me: <6> "Family of Israel, you know that I can do the same thing with you. You are like the clay in the potter's hands, and I am like the potter. <7> There may come a time when I will speak about a nation or a kingdom that I will pull up. Or maybe I will say that I will pull that nation or kingdom down and destroy it. <8> But if the people of that nation change their hearts and lives and stop doing evil things, I will change my mind and not follow my plans to bring disaster to them. <9> There may come another time when I speak about a nation that I will build up and plant. <10> But if I see that nation doing evil things and not obeying me, I will think again about the good I had planned to do for that nation.

<11> "So, Jeremiah, say to the people of Judah and those who live in Jerusalem, 'This is what the Lord says: I am preparing troubles for you right now. I am making plans against you. So stop doing the evil things you are doing. Each person must change and start doing good things.' <12> But the people of Judah will answer, 'It will not do any good to try. We will continue to do what we want. We will do what our stubborn, evil hearts want.'"

<13> Listen to what the Lord says:

"Ask the other nations this question:

'Have you ever heard of anyone doing the evil things that Israel has done?'

And Israel is special to God.

Israel is like God's bride!

<14> You know that rocks never leave the fields by themselves.[136]

You know that the snow on the mountains of Lebanon never melts.

You know that cool, flowing streams

don't become dry.

<15> But my people have forgotten about me.

They make offerings to worthless idols.

My people stumble in the things they do.

They stumble about in the old paths of their ancestors.[137]

My people would rather walk along back roads and poor highways

than to follow me on the good roads.

<16> So Judah's country will become an empty desert.

People will whistle and shake their heads every time they pass by.

They will be shocked at how the country was destroyed.

<17> I will scatter the people of Judah.

They will run from their enemies.

I will scatter the people of Judah like an east wind that blows things away.

I will destroy them.

They will not see me coming to help them.

No, they will see me leaving."

Jeremiah's Fourth Complaint

<18> Then the enemies of Jeremiah said, "Come, let us make plans against Jeremiah. Surely the teaching of the law by the priest will not be lost, and the advice from the wise men will still be with us. We will still have the words of the prophets. So let us tell lies about him. That will ruin him. We will not pay attention to anything he says."

<19> Lord, listen to me!

Listen to my arguments and decide who is right.

<20> I have been good to the people of Judah,

but now they are paying me back with evil.

They are trying to trap me and kill me.

<21> So make their children starve in a famine.[138]

Let their enemies defeat them with swords.

Let their wives be without children.

Let the men from Judah be put to death.

Turn their wives into widows.

Let the men from Judah be put to death.

Let the young men be killed in battle.

<22> Let there be crying in their houses.

Make them cry when you suddenly bring an enemy against them.

Let all this happen because my enemies

tried to trap me.

They hid traps for me to step in.

<23> Lord, you know about their plans to kill me.

Don't forgive their crimes.

Don't erase their sins.

Destroy my enemies!

Punish them while you are angry!