The Potter and the Clay

1This is another communicacion, that God had with Ieremy, sayenge: 2Arise, and go downe in to the Potters house, and there shall I tell the more off my mynde. 3Now when I came to the Potters house, I founde him makinge his worke vpon a whele. 4The vessel that the Potter made off claye, brake amonge his hodes: So he beganne a new, and made a nother vessell, acordinge to his mynde.

5Then sayde the LORDE thus vnto me: 6Maye not I do wt you, as this Potter doth, O ye house off Israel? saieth the LORDE? Beholde, ye house off Israel: ye are in my honde, euen as the claye in the Potters honde. 7When I take in honde to rote out, to destroye, or to waist awaye eny people or kigdome: 8yff that people (agaynst whom I haue thus deuysed) couerte from their wickednes: Immediatly, I repente off the plage, that I deuysed to bringe vpon the. 9Agayne: Whe I take in honde, to buylde, or to plante a people or a kingdome: 10yff the same people do euell before me, and heare not my voyce: Immediatly, I repente of the good, that I deuysed to do for them. 11Speake now therfore vnto whole Iuda, and to them that dwell at Ierusalem: Thus saieth the LORDE: Beholde, I am deuysinge a plage for you, and am takinge a thinge in honde agaynst you. Therfore, let euery man turne from his euell waye, take vpon you the thinge that is good, and do right. 12But they saye: No more of this, we will folowe oure owne ymaginacions, and do euery ma acordinge to the wilfulnesse of his owne mynde.

13Therfore thus saieth the LORDE: Axe amonge the Heithen, yf eny man hath herde soch horrible thinges, as the doughter of Sion hath done.

14Shal not ye snowe (yt melteth vpon the stony rockes of Libanus) moysture the feldes? Or maye the springes off waters be so grauen awaye, that they runne nomore, geue moystnesse, ner make frutefull?

15But my people hath so forgotten me, yt they haue made sacrifice vnto vayne goddes. And whyle they folowed their owne wayes they are come out of the hie strete, and gone in to a fote waye not vsed to be troden.

16Where thorow they haue brought their londe in to an euerlastinge wildernesse and scorne: So yt who so euer trauayleth ther by, shalbe abashed, and wagge their heades.

17With an East wynde will I scatre the, before their enemies. And when their destruction cometh, I will turne my backe vpo them, but not my face.

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

18Then sayde they: come, let vs ymagin somthinge agaynst this Ieremy. Yee this dyd euen the prestes, to whom ye lawe was commytted: the Senatours, yt were the wysest: and the prophetes, which wanted not ye worde off God. Come (sayde they) let vs cut out his tuge, and let vs not regarde his wordes.

19Considre me (o LORDE) and heare the voyce of myne enemies.

20Do they not recompence euell for good, when they dygg a pyt for my soule? Remembre, how that I stode before the, to speake for the, ad to turne awaye thy wrath from them.

21Therfore let their childre dye of hunger, and let them be oppressed with the swearde. Let their wyues be robbed of their childre, and become wyddowes: let their husbodes be slayne, let their yonge men be kylled with the swearde in the felde.

22Let the noyse be herde out of their houses, when the murtherer cometh sodenly vpon them: For they haue digged a pit to take me, and layed snares for my fete.

23Yet LORDE, thou knowest all their coucell, that they haue deuysed, to slaye me. And therfore forgeue them not their wickednes, and let not their synne be put out of thy sight: but let them be iudged before the as the giltie: This shalt thou do vnto the in ye tyme of thy indignacion.