| New King James Version | New American Standard Bible 1995 |
| 1The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying: | 1The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD saying, |
| 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 announce My words to you." |
| 3Then I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was, making something at the wheel. | 3Then I went down to the potter's house, and there he was, making something on the 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. | 4But the vessel that he was making of clay was spoiled in the hand of the potter; so he remade it into another vessel, as it pleased the potter to make. |
| 5Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying: | 5Then the word of the LORD came to me saying, |
| 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"Can I not, O house of Israel, deal with you as this potter does?" 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, | 7"At one moment I might speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to uproot, to pull down, or to 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. | 8if that nation against which I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent concerning the calamity I planned to bring on it. |
| 9And the instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it, | 9"Or at another moment I might speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to build up or to 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. | 10if it does evil in My sight by not obeying My voice, then I will think better of the good with which I had promised to bless 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.” ’ ” | 11"So now then, speak to the men of Judah and against the inhabitants of Jerusalem saying, 'Thus says the LORD, "Behold, I am fashioning calamity against you and devising a plan against you. Oh turn back, each of you from his evil way, and reform 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 will say, 'It's hopeless! For we are going to follow our own plans, and each of us will 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 now among the nations, Who ever heard the like of this? The virgin of Israel Has done a most appalling 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 forsake the rock of the open country? Or is the cold flowing water from a foreign land ever snatched away? |
| 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, | 15'For My people have forgotten Me, They burn incense to worthless gods And they have stumbled from their ways, From the ancient paths, To walk in bypaths, Not on a highway, |
| 16To make their land desolate and a perpetual hissing; Everyone who passes by it will be astonished And shake his head. | 16To make their land a desolation, An object of perpetual hissing; Everyone who passes by it will be astonished And shake 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 an east wind I will scatter them Before the enemy; I will show them My back and 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 and let us devise plans against Jeremiah. Surely the law is not going to be lost to the priest, nor counsel to the sage, nor the divine word to the prophet! Come on and let us strike at him with our tongue, and let us give no heed to any of his words." |
| 19Give heed to me, O LORD, And listen to the voice of those who contend with me! | 19Do give heed to me, O LORD, And listen to what my opponents are saying! |
| 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? For they have dug a pit for me. Remember how I stood before You To speak good on their behalf, So as 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, give their children over to famine And deliver them up to the power of the sword; And let their wives become childless and widowed. Let their men also be smitten to death, Their young men 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 an outcry be heard from their houses, When You suddenly bring raiders upon them; For they have dug a pit to capture me And hidden 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 deadly designs against me; Do not forgive their iniquity Or blot out their sin from Your sight. But may they 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. | New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org |
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