The Potter and the Clay

1  הַדָּבָר֙ (The word) אֲשֶׁ֣ר (that) הָיָ֣ה (came) אֶֽל־ (to) יִרְמְיָ֔הוּ (Jeremiah) מֵאֵ֥ת (from) יְהוָ֖ה (YHWH), לֵאמֹֽר׃ (saying), 2  ק֥וּם (Arise), וְיָרַדְתָּ֖ (and go down) בֵּ֣ית (house), הַיּוֹצֵ֑ר (to the potter’s) וְשָׁ֖מָּה (and there) אַשְׁמִֽיעֲךָ֥ (I will cause you to hear) אֶת־ (-) דְּבָרָֽי׃ (My words).

3  וָאֵרֵ֖ד (And I went down) בֵּ֣ית (house), הַיּוֹצֵ֑ר (to the potter’s) וְהִנֵּהוּ (and behold) עֹשֶׂ֥ה (he was making) מְלָאכָ֖ה (a work) עַל־ (at) הָאָבְנָֽיִם׃ (the wheel). 4  וְנִשְׁחַ֣ת (Was marred) הַכְּלִ֗י (and the vessel) אֲשֶׁ֨ר (that) ה֥וּא (he) עֹשֶׂ֛ה (was making) בַּחֹ֖מֶר (with the clay) בְּיַ֣ד (in the hand) הַיּוֹצֵ֑ר (of the potter); וְשָׁ֗ב (and he went back) וַֽיַּעֲשֵׂ֙הוּ֙ (and he made it) כְּלִ֣י (vessel), אַחֵ֔ר (into another) כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר (as) יָשַׁ֛ר (seemed right) בְּעֵינֵ֥י (in the eyes) הַיּוֹצֵ֖ר (of the potter) לַעֲשֽׂוֹת׃פ (to make).

5  וַיְהִ֥י (And came) דְבַר־ (the word) יְהוָ֖ה (of YHWH) אֵלַ֥י (to me) לֵאמֽוֹר׃ (saying), 6  הֲכַיּוֹצֵ֨ר (potter)? הַזֶּ֜ה (As this) לֹא־ (Not) אוּכַ֨ל (can I) לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת (do) לָכֶ֛ם (to you⁺) בֵּ֥ית (O house) יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל (of Israel), נְאֻם־ (a declaration) יְהוָ֑ה (of YHWH). הִנֵּ֤ה (Behold), כַחֹ֙מֶר֙ (like clay) בְּיַ֣ד (hand), הַיּוֹצֵ֔ר (in the potter’s) כֵּן־ (so) אַתֶּ֥ם (are you⁺) בְּיָדִ֖י (in My hand), בֵּ֥ית (O house) יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ס (of Israel).

7  רֶ֣גַע (The moment) אֲדַבֵּ֔ר (I speak) עַל־ (concerning) גּ֖וֹי (a nation), וְעַל־ (and concerning) מַמְלָכָ֑ה (a kingdom), לִנְת֥וֹשׁ (to uproot), וְלִנְת֖וֹץ (and to tear down), וּֽלְהַאֲבִֽיד׃ (and to destroy). 8  וְשָׁב֙ (And turns back) הַגּ֣וֹי (nation), הַה֔וּא (if that) מֵרָ֣עָת֔וֹ (from its evil), אֲשֶׁ֥ר (about which) דִּבַּ֖רְתִּי (I have spoken), עָלָ֑יו (against) וְנִֽחַמְתִּי֙ (then I will relent) עַל־ (concerning) הָ֣רָעָ֔ה (the evil) אֲשֶׁ֥ר (that) חָשַׁ֖בְתִּי (I thought) לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת (to bring) לֽוֹ׃ס (upon it).

9  וְרֶ֣גַע (And the moment) אֲדַבֵּ֔ר (I speak) עַל־ (concerning) גּ֖וֹי (a nation), וְעַל־ (and concerning) מַמְלָכָ֑ה (a kingdom), לִבְנֹ֖ת (to build) וְלִנְטֹֽעַ׃ (and to plant it). 10  וְעָשָׂ֤ה (And if it does) הָרָעָה (evil) בְּעֵינַ֔י (in My eyes), לְבִלְתִּ֖י (so that it does not) שְׁמֹ֣עַ (listen) בְּקוֹלִ֑י (to My voice), וְנִֽחַמְתִּי֙ (then I will relent) עַל־ (concerning) הַטּוֹבָ֔ה (the good), אֲשֶׁ֥ר (that) אָמַ֖רְתִּי (I had said) לְהֵיטִ֥יב (I would benefit) אוֹתֽוֹ׃ס (them).

11  וְעַתָּ֡ה (And now) אֱמָר־ (speak) נָ֣א (please) אֶל־ (to) אִישׁ־ (the men) יְהוּדָה֩ (of Judah), וְעַל־ (and to) יוֹשְׁבֵ֨י (the dwellers) יְרוּשָׁלִַ֜ם (of Jerusalem), לֵאמֹ֗ר (saying), כֹּ֚ה (thus) אָמַ֣ר (says) יְהוָ֔ה (YHWH); הִנֵּ֨ה (Behold), אָנֹכִ֜י (I) יוֹצֵ֤ר (am fashioning) עֲלֵיכֶם֙ (against you⁺) רָעָ֔ה (a disaster) וְחֹשֵׁ֥ב (and devising) עֲלֵיכֶ֖ם (against you⁺) מַֽחֲשָׁבָ֑ה (a plan) שׁ֣וּבוּ (Return) נָ֗א (now) אִ֚ישׁ (each man) מִדַּרְכּ֣וֹ (from his way), הָֽרָעָ֔ה (of the evil) וְהֵיטִ֥יבוּ (and make good) דַרְכֵיכֶ֖ם (your⁺ ways) וּמַעַלְלֵיכֶֽם׃ (and your⁺ deeds).

12  וְאָמְר֖וּ (And they said), נוֹאָ֑שׁ (It is hopeless)! כִּֽי־ (For) אַחֲרֵ֤י (according to) מַחְשְׁבוֹתֵ֙ינוּ֙ (our own plans), נֵלֵ֔ךְ (we will walk) וְאִ֛ישׁ (and each man) שְׁרִר֥וּת (the stubbornness) לִבּֽוֹ־ (heart). הָרָ֖ע (Of his evil) נַעֲשֶֽׂה׃ס (will do).

13  לָכֵ֗ן (Therefore) כֹּ֚ה (thus) אָמַ֣ר (says) יְהוָ֔ה (YHWH);

שַֽׁאֲלוּ־ (Ask) נָא֙ (please) בַּגּוֹיִ֔ם (among the nations),

מִ֥י (who) שָׁמַ֖ע (has heard) כָּאֵ֑לֶּה (these things)

שַֽׁעֲרֻרִת֙ (horrible thing). עָשְׂתָ֣ה (Has done) מְאֹ֔ד (a very) בְּתוּלַ֖ת (the virgin) יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ (of Israel).

14  הֲיַעֲזֹ֥ב (Does it leave) מִצּ֛וּר (its rocky) שָׂדַ֖י (slopes)?

שֶׁ֣לֶג (The snow) לְבָנ֑וֹן (of Lebanon)

אִם־ (or) יִנָּתְשׁ֗וּ (be forsaken)? מַ֛יִם (Waters)

זָרִ֥ים (from a distance) קָרִ֖ים (the cold) נוֹזְלִֽים׃ (flowing).

15  כִּֽי־ (Yet) שְׁכֵחֻ֥נִי (have forgotten Me) עַמִּ֖י (My people)

לַשָּׁ֣וְא (to a vain thing), יְקַטֵּ֑רוּ (they have burned incense)

וַיַּכְשִׁל֤וּם (and they made them stumble) בְּדַרְכֵיהֶם֙ (in their ways)

שְׁבִילֵ֣י (the paths), עוֹלָ֔ם (of old)

לָלֶ֣כֶת (to walk) נְתִיב֔וֹת (in sideroads), דֶּ֖רֶךְ (of the way)

לֹ֥א (and not) סְלוּלָֽה׃ (raised up);

16  לָשׂ֥וּם (to make) אַרְצָ֛ם (their land) לְשַׁמָּ֖ה (desolate),

שְׁרוּקַת (hissing); עוֹלָ֑ם (an everlasting)

כֹּ֚ל (all) עוֹבֵ֣ר (passing) עָלֶ֔יהָ (by it) יִשֹּׁ֖ם (will be astonished),

וְיָנִ֥יד (and will nod at it) בְּרֹאשֽׁוֹ׃ (with his head).

17  כְּרֽוּחַ־ (Wind) קָדִ֥ים (as with an east) אֲפִיצֵ֖ם (I will scatter them)

לִפְנֵ֣י (before) אוֹיֵ֑ב (the enemy);

עֹ֧רֶף (the back), וְלֹֽא־ (and not) פָנִ֛ים (the face), אֶרְאֵ֖ם (and I will show them)

בְּי֥וֹם (in the day) אֵידָֽם׃ס (of their calamity).

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

18  וַיֹּאמְר֗וּ (And they said) לְכ֨וּ (Come), וְנַחְשְׁבָ֣ה (and let us devise) עַֽל־ (against) יִרְמְיָהוּ֮ (Jeremiah); מַחֲשָׁבוֹת֒ (plans) כִּי֩ (for) לֹא־ (not) תֹאבַ֨ד (shall perish) תּוֹרָ֜ה (the law) מִכֹּהֵ֗ן (from the priest), וְעֵצָה֙ (and counsel) מֵֽחָכָ֔ם (from the wise), וְדָבָ֖ר (and the word) מִנָּבִ֑יא (from the prophet). לְכוּ֙ (Come), וְנַכֵּ֣הוּ (and let us strike him) בַלָּשׁ֔וֹן (with the tongue), וְאַל־ (and not) נַקְשִׁ֖יבָה (we will pay attention) אֶל־ (to) כָּל־ (any) דְּבָרָֽיו׃ (of his words).

19  הַקְשִׁ֥יבָה (Pay attention) יְהוָ֖ה (O YHWH), אֵלָ֑י (to me)

וּשְׁמַ֖ע (and listen) לְק֥וֹל (to the voice) יְרִיבָֽי׃ (of my opponents).

20  הַיְשֻׁלַּ֤ם (Be repaid) תַּֽחַת־ (for) טוֹבָה֙ (good)? רָעָ֔ה (Shall evil)

כִּֽי־ (Yet) כָר֥וּ (they have dug) שׁוּחָ֖ה (a pit) לְנַפְשִׁ֑י (for my soul).

זְכֹ֣ר׀ (Remember) עָמְדִ֣י (that I stood) לְפָנֶ֗יךָ (before You)

לְדַבֵּ֤ר (to speak) עֲלֵיהֶם֙ (for them) טוֹבָ֔ה (good)

לְהָשִׁ֥יב (to turn away) אֶת־ (-) חֲמָתְךָ֖ (Your wrath) מֵהֶֽם׃ (from them).

21  לָכֵן֩ (Therefore) תֵּ֨ן (give over) אֶת־ (-) בְּנֵיהֶ֜ם (their children) לָרָעָ֗ב (to the famine),

וְהַגִּרֵם֮ (and pour out) עַל־ (by) יְדֵי־ (the hand) חֶרֶב֒ (of the sword);

וְתִֽהְיֶ֨נָה (and let become) נְשֵׁיהֶ֤ם (their wives) שַׁכֻּלוֹת֙ (childless), וְאַלְמָנ֔וֹת (and widows);

וְאַ֨נְשֵׁיהֶ֔ם (and let their men) יִֽהְי֖וּ (be) הֲרֻ֣גֵי (put) מָ֑וֶת (to death);

בַּח֣וּרֵיהֶ֔ם (and their young men) מֻכֵּי־ (struck down) חֶ֖רֶב (by the sword) בַּמִּלְחָמָֽה׃ (in the battle).

22  תִּשָּׁמַ֤ע (Be heard) זְעָקָה֙ (let a cry) מִבָּ֣תֵּיהֶ֔ם (from their houses),

כִּֽי־ (when) תָבִ֧יא (You bring) עֲלֵיהֶ֛ם (upon them) גְּד֖וּד (raiders) פִּתְאֹ֑ם (suddenly)

כִּֽי־ (for) כָר֤וּ (they have dug) שִׁיחָה (a pit) לְלָכְדֵ֔נִי (to capture me)

וּפַחִ֖ים (and snares) טָמְנ֥וּ (they have hidden) לְרַגְלָֽי׃ (for my feet).

23  וְאַתָּ֣ה (And You) יְ֠הוָה (O YHWH), יָדַ֜עְתָּ (know) אֶֽת־ (-) כָּל־ (all) עֲצָתָ֤ם (their counsel) עָלַי֙ (against me) לַמָּ֔וֶת (to kill me)

אַל־ (and do not) תְּכַפֵּר֙ (cover) עַל־ (over) עֲוֺנָ֔ם (their iniquity),

וְחַטָּאתָ֖ם (their sin) מִלְּפָנֶ֣יךָ (from before Your face), אַל־ (and not) תֶּ֑מְחִי (blot out)

וְהָיוּ (and let them be) מֻכְשָׁלִים֙ (overthrown) לְפָנֶ֔יךָ (before Your face)

בְּעֵ֥ת (in the time) אַפְּךָ֖ (of Your anger). עֲשֵׂ֥ה (Deal) בָהֶֽם׃ס (against them).