Jeremiah 18

1The word that came from the Lord to 2Jeremias, saying, Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there you shall hear mywords. 3So I went down to the potter's house, and behold, he was making a vessel on the stones. 4And the vessel which he was making with his hands fell: so he made it again another vessel,as it seemed good to him to makeit. 5And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 6Shall I not be able, O house of Israel, to do to you as this potter? behold, as the clayof the potter are you⌃ in my hands. 7If I shall pronounce a decree upon a nation, or upon a kingdom, to cut them off, and to destroythem; 8and that nation turn from all their sins, then will I repent of the evils which I purposedto do to them. 9Andif I shall pronounce a decree upon a nation and kingdom, to rebuild and to plantit; 10and they do evil before me, so as not to hearken to my voice, then will I repent of thegood which I spoke of, to do it to them. 11And now say to the men of Juda, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, Behold, I prepareevils against you, and devise a device against you: let every one turn now from his evil way, and amendyour practices. 12And they said, We will quit ourselves like men, for we will pursue our perverse ways,and we will perform each the lusts of his evil heart. 13Therefore thus says the Lord; Enquire now among the nations, who has heard such veryhorrible things as the virgin of Israel has done? 14Will fertilising streams failto flow from a rock, or snowfail from Libanus? will water violently impelled by the wind turn aside? 15For my people have forgotten me, they have offered incense in vain, and they fail intheir ways,leaving the ancient tracks, to enter upon impassable paths; 16to make their land a desolation, and a perpetual hissing; all that go through it shallbe amazed, and shall shake their heads. 17I will scatter them before their enemies like an east wind; I will show them the dayof their destruction. 18Then they said, Come, and let us devise a device against Jeremias; for the law shallnot perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. Come, and let usstrike him with the tongue, and we will hear all his words. 19Hear me, O Lord, and hear the voice of my pleading. 20Forasmuch as evil is rewarded for good; for they have spoken words against my soul, andthey have hidden the punishment theymeant for me; remember that I stood before your face, to speak good for them, to turn awayyour wrath from them. 21Therefore do you deliver their sons to famine, and gather them to the power of the sword:let their women be childless and widows; and let their men be cut off by death, and their young men fallby the sword in war. 22Let there be a cry in their houses: you shall bring upon them robbers suddenly: for theyhave formed a plan to take me, and have hidden snares for me. 23And you, Lord, know all their deadly counsel against me: account not their iniquitiesguiltless, and blot not out their sins from before you: let their weakness come before you; deal withthem in the time of your wrath.

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