Jer 18 | ABEn | STEP | The word coming to Jeremiah from the lord , saying,

‏ Jeremiah 18

CHAPTER 18 The Potter's House

1 The word coming to Jeremiah from the lord, saying, 2 Rise up and go down unto the house of the potter! and there you shall hear my words. 3 And I went down unto the house of the potter. And behold, he was making a work upon the stones. 4 And [³failed ¹the ²vessel] which he was making with his hands. And again he made it [²vessel ¹into another] as was pleasing before him to make. 5 And came to pass the word of the lord to me, saying, 6 Shall as this potter I not be able to make you, O house of Israel, says the lord? Behold, as the mortar in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hands, O house of Israel. 7 At end I shall speak unto a nation or unto a kingdom to lift them away, and to destroy them. 8 But should [²turn ¹that nation] from their evils, then I shall change my mind concerning the bad things which I devised to do to them. 9 And at end I shall speak unto a nation and unto a kingdom to rebuild and to plant, 10 and they do the wicked things before me, to not hear my voice, then I will change my mind concerning the good things which I spoke to do for them. 11 And now say to the men of Judah, and to the ones dwelling in Jerusalem! Thus says the lord, Behold, I shape against you bad things, and I devise against you a device! Let [³turn ¹indeed ²each] from [³way ¹his ²evil], and [³good ¹make ²your practices] and your ways! 12 And they said, We will be manly, for after our turning, we shall go and each [²the things ³pleasing ⁶heart ⁴his ⁵evil ¹shall do]. 13 On account of this, Thus says the lord, Ask indeed among the nations! who heard such causes for shuddering which [³did ⁴exceedingly ¹virgin ²Israel]? 14 Shall [²fail ³from ⁴the rock ¹nipples], or snow from the Lebanon range? Will [⁵turn aside ¹water ³forcibly ⁴by a wind ²being brought]? 15 For [²forgot ³me ¹my people]. [²in ³vain ¹They burned incense], and they shall weaken in their ways -- [²roads ¹eternal]; to mount roads not having a way for going; 16 to order up their land for extinction, and [³hissing ¹the ²everlasting]. All the ones traveling through it shall be amazed, and shall shake their head. 17 As [²wind ¹a burning] I will scatter them in front of their enemies. The back and not the front I will show to them in a day of their destruction.

The Plot to Kill Jeremiah

18 And they said, Come, we should devise against Jeremiah a device, for [²shall not ³perish ¹the law] from the priest, nor counsel from the discerning, nor the word from the prophet. Come, for we should strike him in the tongue, and we shall not hear all his words. 19 Hear me, O lord, and hear the voice of my right action! 20 Shall [²be recompensed ³for ⁴good things ¹evils], no. For they conversed together things against my soul. Remember my standing in front of you! to speak [²for ³them ¹good], to turn your rage from them. 21 On account of this, give their sons to famine, and gather them into the hands of swords! Let [²become ¹their women] childless and widows, and [²their men ¹let] become men being done away with in death, and their young men falling by sword in war! 22 Let there become a cry in their houses! You shall bring upon them robbers suddenly; for they took in hand a word to seize me, and [²snares ¹they hid] against me. 23 And you, O lord, knew all together their plan against me for death. You should not acquit their iniquities; and [³their sins ⁴from ⁵in front ⁶of you ¹you should not ²wipe away]. Let [²come ¹their weakness] before you! In the time of your rage deal with them!