The Potter and the Clay

1The word which was to Jeremiah from Jehovah, saying, 2Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause thee to hear my word. 3And I shall go down to the potter's house, and behold him doing a work upon the stone. 4And the vessel which he made was destroyed as clay in the hand of the potter: and he turned back, and he will make another vessel as was right in the eyes of the potter to make.

5And the word of Jehovah will be to me, saying, 6As this potter shall I not be able to do to you, O house of Israel? says Jehovah. Behold, as the clay in the hand of the potter, thus are ye in my hand, O house of Israel. 7The moment I shall speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up and to tear down, and to destroy: 8And that nation which I spake against it turned back from its evil, and I lamented for the evil which I proposed to do to it. 9And the moment I shall speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant: 10And it did evil in mine eyes not to hear to my voice, and I lamented for the good which I said to do well to it. 11And now, say now to the men of Judah, and concerning the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, Thus said Jehovah: Behold, I will form evil against you, and purpose a purpose against you; turn ye back now each from his evil way, and make your ways and your doings good. 12And they said, We shall despair; for after our purposes we will go, and we will do each the stubbornness of his evil heart.

13For this, thus said Jehovah: Ask now among the nations, who heard like as these things: the virgin of Israel did very horrible things.

14Shall the field cut loose from the rock the snow of Lebanon? or shall the cold flowing waters of an inundation be dried up?

15Because my people forgat me they will burn incense in vain; by their ways they will cause the paths of old to fail, to go beaten paths, a way not cast up;

16To set their land for a desolation, eternal hissings; every one passing over it shall be astonished and shall shake with his head.

17As the east wind I will scatter them before the face of the enemy; I will cause them to see the neck and not the face, in the day of their destruction.

Another Plot against Jeremiah
(Jeremiah 11:18–23)

18And they will say, Come, and we will purpose purposes against Jeremiah; for law shall not perish from the priest, and counsel from the wise, and the word from the prophet Come, and we will strike him with the tongue, and we will not attend to any of his words.

19Attend to me, O Jehovah, and hear for the voice of mine adversary.

20Shall evil be requited for good? for they dug a pit for my soul. Remember my standing before thee to speak good for them, to turn back thy wrath from them.

21For this, give their sons to the famine, and pour them out upon the hands of the sword; and their wives shall be bereaved of offspring, and be widows; and their men shall be slain by death; their young men struck of the sword in battle.

22A cry shall be heard from their houses, for thou shalt bring upon them a trap suddenly, for they dug a pit to take me, and hid snares for my feet.

23And thou, O Jehovah, knewest all their counsel against me to kill: thou wilt not expiate for their iniquity, and their sin from before thee thou wilt not wipe away, and they shall be weak before thee; do with them in the time of thine anger.