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1 The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,
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2 Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words.
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3 Then I went down to the potter's house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels.
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4 And 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.
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5 Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
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6 O 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.
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7 At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to destroy it;
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8 If that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them.
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9 And at what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it;
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10 If 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.
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11 Now 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.
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12 And 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.
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13 Therefore 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.
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14 Will 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?
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15 Because 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;
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16 To make their land desolate, and a perpetual hissing; every one that passeth thereby shall be astonished, and wag his head.
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17 I 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.
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18 Then 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.
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19 Give heed to me, O LORD, and hearken to the voice of them that contend with me.
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20 Shall 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.
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21 Therefore 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.
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22 Let 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.
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23 Yet, 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.
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- 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 announce My words to you.”
- 3 Then I went down to the potter's house, and there he was, making something on the wheel.
- 4 But the vessel that he was making of clay was spoiled in the hand of the potter; so he remade it into another vessel, as it pleased the potter to make.
- 5 Then the word of the LORD came to me saying,
- 6 “Can I not, O house of Israel, deal with you as this potter 'does?'” declares the LORD. “Behold, like the clay in the potter's hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel.
- 7 “At one moment I might speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to uproot, to pull down, or to destroy it;
- 8 if that nation against which I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent concerning the calamity I planned to bring on it.
- 9 “Or at another moment I might speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to build up or to plant it;
- 10 if it does evil in My sight by not obeying My voice, then I will think better of the good with which I had promised to bless it.
- 11 “So now then, speak to the men of Judah and against the inhabitants of Jerusalem saying, 'Thus says the LORD, “Behold, I am fashioning calamity against you and devising a plan against you. Oh turn back, each of you from his evil way, and reform your ways and your deeds.”'
- 12 “But they will say, 'It's hopeless! For we are going to follow our own plans, and each of us will act according to the stubbornness of his evil heart.'
- 13 “Therefore thus says the LORD, 'Ask now among the nations, Who ever heard the like of this? The virgin of Israel Has done a most appalling thing.
- 14 'Does the snow of Lebanon forsake the rock of the open country? Or is the cold flowing water from a foreign land ever snatched away?
- 15 'For My people have forgotten Me, They burn incense to worthless gods And they have stumbled from their ways, From the ancient paths, To walk in bypaths, Not on a highway,
- 16 To make their land a desolation, An object of perpetual hissing; Everyone who passes by it will be astonished And shake his head.
- 17 'Like an east wind I will scatter them 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 devise plans against Jeremiah. Surely the law is not going to be lost to the priest, nor counsel to the sage, nor the divine word to the prophet! Come on and let us strike at him with our tongue, and let us give no heed to any of his words.”
- 19 Do give heed to me, O LORD, And listen to what my opponents are saying!
- 20 Should good be repaid with evil? For they have dug a pit for me. Remember how I stood before You To speak good on their behalf, So as to turn away Your wrath from them.
- 21 Therefore, give their children over to famine And deliver them up to the power of the sword; And let their wives become childless and widowed. Let their men also be smitten to death, Their young men struck down by the sword in battle.
- 22 May an outcry be heard from their houses, When You suddenly bring raiders upon them; For they have dug a pit to capture me And hidden snares for my feet.
- 23 Yet You, O LORD, know All their deadly designs against me; Do not forgive their iniquity Or blot out their sin from Your sight. But may they be overthrown before You; Deal with them in the time of Your anger!
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