Yirmeyahu 18 ירמיהו י״ח

The word which came to Yirmeyahu from the Lord, saying,

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

Then I went down to the potter’s house, and, behold, he was at work on the wheels.

And the vessel that he was making of clay was spoiled in the hand of the potter: so he made it again into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to make it.

Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying,

O house of Yisra᾽el, cannot I do with you as this potter? says the Lord. Behold, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Yisra᾽el.

At one time I speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, or to destroy;

but if that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I repent of the evil that I thought to do to them.

And at another time, I speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant;

but if it do evil in my sight, that it obey not my voice, then I repent of the good, with which I said I would benefit them.

Now therefore speak to the men of Yehuda, and to the inhabitants of Yerushalayim, saying, Thus says the Lord; Behold, I frame evil against you, and devise a device against you: return now every one from his evil way, and amend your ways and your doings.

And they said, There is no hope: but we will walk after our own devices, and we will every one do after the stubbornness of his evil heart.

Therefore thus says the Lord; Ask now among the heathen, who has heard such things: the virgin of Yisra᾽el has done a very horrible thing.

Does the snow of Levanon fail from the crags of the fields? or do the far off cold and flowing waters cease to run?

but my people have forgotten me; they burn incense to vain gods, and they stumble in their ways from the ancient paths, to walk in bypaths, in a way not levelled,

to make their land an astonishment, a perpetual hissing; everyone that passes by it shall be astonished, and shake his head.

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

Then said they, Come and let us contrive devices against Yirmeyahu; for Tora 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.

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

Shall evil be recompensed for good? for they have dug a pit for my soul. Remember that I stood before Thee to speak good for them, and to turn away Thy wrath from them.

Therefore deliver up their children to the famine, and pour out their blood by 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.

Let a cry be heard from their houses, when thou shalt bring a troop suddenly upon them: for they have dug a pit to take me, and hid snares for my feet.

Yet, Lord, Thou knowst 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 Thy anger.