| New King James Version | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying: | 1This is the 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"Go down at once to the potter's house; there I will reveal My words to you." |
| 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 away at 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 jar that he was making from the clay became flawed in the potter's hand, so he made it into another jar, as it seemed right for him to do. |
| 5Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying: | 5The 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"House of Israel, can I not treat you as this potter treats his clay?"--this is the LORD's declaration. "Just like clay in the potter's hand, so are you in My hand, house of Israel. |
| 7The instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, to pull down, and to destroy it, | 7At one moment I might announce concerning a nation or a kingdom that I will uproot, tear 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. | 8However, if that nation I have made an announcement about turns from its evil, I will relent concerning the disaster I had planned to do to it. |
| 9And the instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it, | 9At another time I announce that I will build and plant a nation or a kingdom. |
| 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. | 10However, if it does what is evil in My sight by not listening to My voice, I will relent concerning the good I had said I would 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.” ’ ” | 11So now, say to the men of Judah and to the residents of Jerusalem: This is what the LORD says: I am about to bring harm to you and make plans against you. Turn now, each from your evil way, and correct 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.” | 12But they will say, 'It's hopeless. We will continue to follow our plans, and each of us will continue to 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. | 13Therefore, this is what the LORD says: Ask among the nations, Who has heard things like these? Virgin Israel has done a most terrible 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 ever leave the highland crags? Or does cold water flowing from a distance ever fail? |
| 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, | 15Yet My people have forgotten Me. They burn incense to false idols that make them stumble in their ways on the ancient roads and walk on new paths, not the highway. |
| 16To make their land desolate and a perpetual hissing; Everyone who passes by it will be astonished And shake his head. | 16They have made their land a horror, a perpetual object of scorn; everyone who passes by it will be horrified 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.” | 17I will scatter them before the enemy like the east wind. I will show them My back and not My face on 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 certain ones said, "Come, let's make plans against Jeremiah, for instruction will never be lost from the priest, or counsel from the wise, or an oracle from the prophet. Come, let's denounce him and pay no attention to all his words." |
| 19Give heed to me, O LORD, And listen to the voice of those who contend with me! | 19Pay attention to me, LORD. Hear 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? Yet they have dug a pit for me. Remember how I stood before You to speak good on their behalf, to turn Your anger 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, hand their children over to famine, and pour the sword's power on them. Let their wives become childless and widowed, their husbands slain by deadly disease, 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. | 22Let a cry be heard from their houses when You suddenly bring raiders against them, for they have dug a pit to capture me and have 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. | 23But You, LORD, know all their deadly plots against me. Do not wipe out their guilt; do not blot out their sin before You. Let them be forced to stumble before You; deal with them in the time of Your anger. |
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