The Broken Jar

1Thus said Jehovah, Go and buy a potter's earthen bottle, and from the old men of the people and from the old men of the priests; 2And go forth to the valley of the, son of Hinnom, which is at the opening of the gate of the pottery, and call there the words which I shall speak to thee. 3And say, Hear the word of Jehovah, ye kings of Judah, and ye dwelling in Jerusalem; Thus said Jehovah of armies, God of Israel: Behold me bringing evil upon this place, which every one hearing it, their ears shall tingle. 4Because they forsook me and rejected this place, and they will burn incense in it to other gods which they knew them not, they and their fathers, and the kings of Judah; and they filled this place with the blood of the innocent ones. 5And they built the heights of Baal to burn their sons with fire, burnt-offerings to Baal, which I commanded not, and I spake not, and it came not up upon my heart. 6For this, behold, the days coming, says Jehovah, and it shall no more be called to this place Tophet, and The valley of the son of Hinnom, but the valley of Slaughter. 7And I emptied out the counsel of Judah and Jerusalem in this place; and I caused them to fall by the sword before their enemies, and by the hands of them seeking their soul: and I gave their carcasses for food to the fowls of the heavens and to the beasts of the earth. 8And I set this city for a desolation, and for hissing: every one passing over it shall be astonished and shall hiss over all her blows. 9And I caused them to eat the flesh of their sons and the flesh of their daughters, and each the flesh of his neighbor shall they eat in the straitness and in the distress which their enemies, and they seeking their souls, shall press upon them.

10And break the bottle before the eyes of the men going with thee, 11And say to them, Thus said Jehovah of armies: According to this will I break this people and this city, as he will break the potter's vessel which shall not be able to be healed any more: and in Tophet shall they bury, from not a place to bury. 12Thus will I do to this place, says Jehovah, and to its inhabitants, and to give this city as Tophet: 13And the houses of Jerusalem and the houses of the kings of Judah were defiled as the place of Tophet to all the houses which they burnt incense upon their roofs to all the army of the heavens, and pouring out libations to other gods.

14And Jeremiah will come from Tophet where Jehovah sent him there to prophesy; and he will stand in the enclosure of the house of Jehovah and say to all the people, 15Thus said Jehovah of armies, God of Israel, Behold me bringing to this city and upon all her cities all the evil which I spake against her, because they hardened their neck not to hear my word.