| New King James Version | English Standard Version |
| 1The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying: | 1The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD: |
| 2“Arise and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will cause you to hear My words.” | 2“Arise, and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will let you hear my words.” |
| 3Then I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was, making something at the wheel. | 3So I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was working at his wheel. |
| 4And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter; so he made it again into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to make. | 4And the vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter’s hand, and he reworked it into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to do. |
| 5Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying: | 5Then the word of the LORD came to me: |
| 6“O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter?” says the LORD. “Look, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel! | 6“O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter has done? declares the LORD. Behold, like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel. |
| 7The instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, to pull down, and to destroy it, | 7If at any time I declare concerning a nation or a kingdom, that I will pluck up and break down and destroy it, |
| 8if that nation against whom I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I thought to bring upon it. | 8and if that nation, concerning which I have spoken, turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I intended to do to it. |
| 9And the instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it, | 9And if at any time I declare concerning a nation or a kingdom that I will build and plant it, |
| 10if it does evil in My sight so that it does not obey My voice, then I will relent concerning the good with which I said I would benefit it. | 10and if it does evil in my sight, not listening to my voice, then I will relent of the good that I had intended to do to it. |
| 11“Now therefore, speak to the men of Judah and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD: “Behold, I am fashioning a disaster and devising a plan against you. Return now every one from his evil way, and make your ways and your doings good.” ’ ” | 11Now, therefore, say to the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem: ‘Thus says the LORD, Behold, I am shaping disaster against you and devising a plan against you. Return, every one from his evil way, and amend your ways and your deeds.’ |
| 12And they said, “That is hopeless! So we will walk according to our own plans, and we will every one obey the dictates of his evil heart.” | 12“But they say, ‘That is in vain! We will follow our own plans, and will every one act according to the stubbornness of his evil heart.’ |
| 13Therefore thus says the LORD: “Ask now among the Gentiles, Who has heard such things? The virgin of Israel has done a very horrible thing. | 13“Therefore thus says the LORD: Ask among the nations, Who has heard the like of this? The virgin Israel has done a very horrible thing. |
| 14Will a man leave the snow water of Lebanon, Which comes from the rock of the field? Will the cold flowing waters be forsaken for strange waters? | 14Does the snow of Lebanon leave the crags of Sirion? Do the mountain waters run dry, the cold flowing streams? |
| 15“Because My people have forgotten Me, They have burned incense to worthless idols. And they have caused themselves to stumble in their ways, From the ancient paths, To walk in pathways and not on a highway, | 15But my people have forgotten me; they make offerings to false gods; they made them stumble in their ways, in the ancient roads, and to walk into side roads, not the highway, |
| 16To make their land desolate and a perpetual hissing; Everyone who passes by it will be astonished And shake his head. | 16making their land a horror, a thing to be hissed at forever. Everyone who passes by it is horrified and shakes his head. |
| 17I 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.” | 17Like the east wind I will scatter them before the enemy. I will show them my back, not my face, in the day of their calamity.” |
| 18Then they said, “Come and let us devise plans 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 attack him with the tongue, and let us not give heed to any of his words.” | 18Then they said, “Come, let us make plots against Jeremiah, for the law shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. Come, let us strike him with the tongue, and let us not pay attention to any of his words.” |
| 19Give heed to me, O LORD, And listen to the voice of those who contend with me! | 19Hear me, O LORD, and listen to the voice of my adversaries. |
| 20Shall evil be repaid for good? For they have dug a pit for my life. Remember that I stood before You To speak good for them, To turn away Your wrath from them. | 20Should good be repaid with evil? Yet they have dug a pit for my life. Remember how I stood before you to speak good for them, to turn away your wrath from them. |
| 21Therefore deliver up their children to the famine, And pour out their blood By the force of the sword; Let their wives become widows And bereaved of their children. Let their men be put to death, Their young men be slain By the sword in battle. | 21Therefore deliver up their children to famine; give them over to the power of the sword; let their wives become childless and widowed. May their men meet death by pestilence, their youths be struck down by the sword in battle. |
| 22Let a cry be heard from their houses, When You bring a troop suddenly upon them; For they have dug a pit to take me, And hidden snares for my feet. | 22May a cry be heard from their houses, when you bring the plunderer suddenly upon them! For they have dug a pit to take me and laid snares for my feet. |
| 23Yet, LORD, You know all their counsel Which is against me, to slay me. Provide no atonement for their iniquity, Nor blot out their sin from Your sight; But let them be overthrown before You. Deal thus with them In the time of Your anger. | 23Yet you, O LORD, know all their plotting to kill me. Forgive not their iniquity, nor blot out their sin from your sight. Let them be overthrown before you; deal with them in the time of your anger. |
| The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. | ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved. |
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