18The LORD said to me,H1697H3414H3068H5592"Go down to the potter's house, where I will give you my message."H6965H3381H3335H1004H8085H16973So I went there and saw the potter working at his wheel.H3381H3335H1004H2009H6213H4399H704Whenever a piece of pottery turned out imperfect, he would take the clay and make it into something else.H3627H6213H2563H7843H3027H3335H6213H7725H312H3627H5869H3474H3335H62135Then the LORD said to me,H1697H3068H5596"Don't I have the right to do with you people of Israel what the potter did with the clay? You are in my hands just like clay in the potter's hands.H1004H3478H3201H6213H3335H5002H3068H2563H3335H3027H3027H1004H34787If at any time I say that I am going to uproot, break down, or destroy any nation or kingdom,H7281H1696H1471H4467H5428H5422H68but then that nation turns from its evil, I will not do what I said I would.H1471H1696H7725H7451H5162H7451H2803H62139On the other hand, if I say that I am going to plant or build up any nation or kingdom,H7281H1696H1471H4467H1129H519310but then that nation disobeys me and does evil, I will not do what I said I would.H6213H7451H5869H8085H6963H5162H2896H559H319011Now then, tell the people of Judah and of Jerusalem that I am making plans against them and getting ready to punish them. Tell them to stop living sinful lives - to change their ways and the things they are doing.H559H376H3063H3427H3389H559H559H3068H3335H7451H2803H4284H7725H376H7451H1870H1870H4611H319012They will answer, 'No, why should we? We will all be just as stubborn and evil as we want to be.' "H559H2976H3212H310H4284H376H6213H8307H7451H3820
The People Reject the Lord
13The LORD says, "Ask every nation if such a thing has ever happened before. The people of Israel have done a terrible thing!H559H3068H7592H1471H8085H1330H3478H6213H3966H818614Are Lebanon's rocky heights ever without snow? Do its cool mountain streams ever run dry?H5800H7950H3844H6697H7704H7119H5140H4325H2114H542815Yet my people have forgotten me; they burn incense to idols. They have stumbled in the way they should go; they no longer follow the old ways; they walk on unmarked paths.H5971H7911H6999H7723H3782H1870H5769H7635H7635H3212H5410H1870H554916They have made this land a thing of horror, to be despised forever. All who pass by will be shocked at what they see; they will shake their heads in amazement.H7760H776H8047H5769H8292H8292H5674H8074H5110H721817I will scatter my people before their enemies, like dust blown by the east wind. I will turn my back on them; I will not help them when the disaster comes."H6327H6921H7307H6440H341H7200H6203H6440H3117H343
A Plot against Jeremiah
18Then the people said, "Let's do something about Jeremiah! There will always be priests to instruct us, the wise to give us counsel, and prophets to proclaim God's message. Let's bring charges against him and stop listening to what he says."H559H3212H2803H4284H3414H8451H6H3548H6098H2450H1697H5030H3212H5221H3956H7181H169719So I prayed, " LORD, hear what I am saying and listen to what my enemies are saying about me.H7181H3068H8085H6963H340120Is evil the payment for good? Yet they have dug a pit for me to fall in. Remember how I came to you and spoke on their behalf, so that you would not deal with them in anger.H7451H7999H2896H3738H7745H5315H2142H5975H6440H1696H2896H7725H253421But now, LORD, let their children starve to death; let them be killed in war. Let the women lose their husbands and children; let the men die of disease and the young men be killed in battle.H5414H1121H7458H5064H3027H2719H802H7909H490H582H2026H4194H970H5221H2719H442122Send a mob to plunder their homes without warning; make them cry out in terror. They have dug a pit for me to fall in and have set traps to catch me.H2201H8085H1004H935H1416H6597H3738H7745H7882H3920H2934H6341H727223But, LORD, you know all their plots to kill me. Do not forgive their evil or pardon their sin. Throw them down in defeat and deal with them while you are angry."H3068H3045H6098H4194H3722H5771H4229H2403H6440H3782H6440H6213H6256H639