Jeremiah 18

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

This message came to Jeremiah from the Lord:

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

Go down right away to the potter's house. I will give you my message there.

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

I went down to the potter's house and saw him working at his potter's wheel.

4 And when the vessel that he made of the clay was marred in the hand of the potter, he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.

But the pot that he was making from the clay went wrong. So he made it into something different as he thought best.

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

The Lord's message came to me, saying,

6 O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay in the potter’s hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel.

People of Israel, declares the Lord, can't I deal with you just like this potter does with his clay? I hold you in my hand just like clay in the potter's hand, people of Israel.

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

At one time it could happen that I announce that a nation or a kingdom is going to be uprooted, torn down, and destroyed.

8 if that nation, concerning which I have spoken, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them.

However, if that nation I warned gives up its evil ways, then I will change my mind regarding the disaster I was about to bring.

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

At another time I could announce that I'm going to build up and give power to a nation or a kingdom.

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.

But if it does evil in my sight and refuses to listen to my voice, then I will change my mind regarding the good I had planned for it.

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 amend your ways and your doings.

So tell the people of Judah and those living in Jerusalem that this is what the Lord says: Watch out! I am preparing disaster for you, and working out a plan against you. All of you, give up your evil ways. Live right and act right!

12 But they say, There is no hope: for we will walk after our own devices, and we will do every one after the stubbornness of his evil heart.

But they'll say, “We just can't! We'll do whatever we want. Each of us will stubbornly follow our own evil thinking.”

13 Therefore thus saith the LORD: Ask ye now among the nations, who hath heard such things; the virgin of Israel hath done a very horrible thing.

Consequently this is what the Lord says: Ask around the nations—has anybody ever heard anything like this? Virgin Israel has acted really badly.

14 Shall the snow of Lebanon fail from the rock of the field? [or] shall the cold waters that flow down from afar be dried up?

Does the snow of Lebanon ever disappear from its rocky mountain-tops? Do its cool waters that flow from such distant sources ever dry up?

15 For my people hath forgotten me, they have burned incense to vanity; and they have caused them to stumble in their ways, in the ancient paths, to walk in bypaths, in a way not cast up;

But my people have rejected me! They burn incense to useless idols which trip them up, making them leave the old roads in order to walk down unmade paths instead of the highway.

16 to make their land an astonishment, and a perpetual hissing; every one that passeth thereby shall be astonished, and shake his head.

They have turned their country into a horrific wasteland, a place that will always be treated with contempt. People passing by will be shocked, shaking their heads in disbelief.

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

Like a strong wind from the east I will scatter them before the enemy. I will turn my back on them and not look at them when their time of trouble comes.

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.

Some people decided, “We need a plan to deal with Jeremiah. There'll still be priests to explain the law, there'll still be wise people to give advice, and there'll still be prophets to give prophecies. Let's organize a smear campaign against him so we don't have to listen to a word he says.”

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

Lord, please pay attention to what's happening to me! Listen to what my accusers are saying!

20 Shall evil be recompensed for good? for they have digged a pit for my soul. Remember how I stood before thee to speak good for them, to turn away thy fury from them.

Should good be paid back with evil? Yet they have dug a pit to trap me! Remember how I stood before you to plead on their behalf, to stop you being angry with them?

21 Therefore deliver up their children to the famine, and give them over to the power of the sword; and let their wives become childless, and widows; and let their men be slain of death, [and] their young men smitten of the sword in battle.

But now may their children starve; may they be killed by the sword. May their wives lose their children and their husbands; may their husbands die from disease; may their young men be killed in battle.

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.

May cries of agony be heard from their houses when you suddenly bring invaders to attack them, because they dug a pit to capture me and hid traps to catch me as I walk along.

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 thou with them in the time of thine anger.

But Lord, you know about all their plots to try and kill me. Don't forgive their wickedness; don't wipe away their sin. Bring them down! Deal with them when you're angry!