Jeremiah Chapter 18 (Index)

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

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

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

004  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.

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

006  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.

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

008  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.

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

010  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.

011  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.

012  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.

013  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.

014  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?

015  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;

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

017  I will scatter them as with an east wind before the enemy; I will show them the back, and not the face, in the day of their calamity.

018  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.

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

020  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.

021  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.

022  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.

023  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.