Jeremiah 18

The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,

1This is the message the LORD gave to Jeremiah, a prophet who told people what God said.

2Arise, and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words.

2God said, "Get up and go down to the potter's house. A potter makes pots out of clay. There I will let you hear my words."

3Then I went down to the potter’s house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels.

3So I went down to the potter's house. He was shaping clay on his spinning wheel.

4And 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.

4The pot he was making went wrong in his hands. So he made the clay into a different pot, one that seemed good to him.

5Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

5Then the LORD spoke to me again.

6O 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.

6"People of Israel, can I not do with you what this potter does? says the LORD. You are like clay in my hand."

7At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to destroy it;

7Sometimes I say that a nation or kingdom will be pulled up, torn down, and destroyed.

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

8But if that nation stops doing evil, I will change my plan. I will not send the trouble I meant to send.

NoteThe KJV says God will "repent of the evil." Here "repent" means change his plan, and "evil" means the trouble he said he would send. The same words come again in verse 10.

9And at what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it;

9Other times I say that I will build a nation up and plant it, like a tree.

10If 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.

10But if it does evil and will not obey me, I will change my plan about the good I meant to give it.

11Now 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.

11So go and say this to the men of Judah and the people of Jerusalem. The LORD says: I am planning trouble for you. Each of you, turn away from your bad way. Make what you do good.

12And 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.

12But they said, "There is no hope. We will follow our own plans. Each of us will do what his stubborn, evil heart wants."

13Therefore 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.

13So the LORD says: Ask the other nations. Who has ever heard of things like this? Israel, my pure young bride, has done a very terrible thing.

14Will 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?

14Does the snow ever leave the rocky hills of Lebanon? Do its cool streams from far away ever dry up?

15Because 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;

15But my people have forgotten me. They burn sweet-smelling incense to idols that are worth nothing. Those idols make them trip and fall. They have left the old, good roads. Now they walk on rough side paths.

NoteThe KJV says they burned incense "to vanity." In old English, "vanity" here means idols that are worth nothing.

16To make their land desolate, and a perpetual hissing; every one that passeth thereby shall be astonished, and wag his head.

16So their land will be left empty. People will always laugh at it and hiss. Everyone who passes by will be shocked and shake his head.

NoteThe KJV says the land will be "a perpetual hissing." Long ago, people hissed or whistled at something to show shock and scorn.

17I 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.

17I will blow them away before their enemy, like a hot east wind. On the day trouble comes, they will see my back and not my face.

18Then 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.

18Then some people said, "Come, let's make plans against Jeremiah. We will still have priests to teach God's law. We will still have wise people to give advice. We will still have prophets to speak. Let's hurt him with our words. Let's not listen to anything he says."

Note"Smite him with the tongue" means attack him with words, not with weapons.

19Give heed to me, O LORD, and hearken to the voice of them that contend with me.

19Jeremiah prayed: LORD, please listen to me. Hear what the people who fight me are saying.

20Shall 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.

20Should good be paid back with evil? They have dug a pit to trap me. Remember, I stood before you and spoke up for them. I asked you not to be angry with them.

21Therefore 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.

21So let their children go hungry. Let swords cut them down. Let their wives lose their children and their husbands. Let their men die. Let their young men be killed in battle.

22Let 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.

22Let crying be heard from their houses when you suddenly bring soldiers against them. They dug a pit to catch me. They hid traps for my feet.

23Yet, 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.

23LORD, you know all their secret plans to kill me. Do not forgive the wrong they did. Do not wipe their sin away. Let them be brought down in front of you. Deal with them when you are angry.