Jeremiah 18; Jeremiah 19; 2 Timothy 3

1 This is the word the Lord spoke to Jeremiah:

2 "Go down to the potter's house, and I will give you my message there."

3 So I went down to the potter's house and saw him working at the potter's wheel.

4 He was using his hands to make a pot from clay, but something went wrong with it. So he used that clay to make another pot the way he wanted it to be.

5 Then the Lord spoke his word to me:

6 "Family of Israel, can't I do the same thing with you?" says the Lord. "You are in my hands like the clay in the potter's hands.

7 There may come a time when I will speak about a nation or a kingdom that I will pull up by its roots or that I will pull down to destroy it.

8 But if the people of that nation stop doing the evil they have done, I will change my mind and not carry out my plans to bring disaster to them.

9 There may come another time when I will speak about a nation that I will build up and plant.

10 But if I see it doing evil by not obeying me, I will change my mind and not carry out my plans to do good for them.

11 "So, say this to the people of Judah and those who live in Jerusalem: 'This is what the Lord says: I am preparing disaster for you and making plans against you. So stop doing evil. Change your ways and do what is right.'

12 But the people of Judah will answer, 'It won't do any good to try! We will continue to do what we want. Each of us will do what his stubborn, evil heart wants!'"

13 So this is what the Lord says: "Ask the people in other nations this question: 'Have you ever heard anything like this?' The people of Israel have done a horrible thing.

14 The snow on the mountains of Lebanon never melts from the rocks. Its cool, flowing streams do not dry up.

15 But my people have forgotten me. They burn incense to worthless idols and have stumbled in what they do and in the old ways of their ancestors. They walk along back roads and on poor highways.

16 So Judah's country will become an empty desert. People will not stop making fun of it. They will shake their heads as they pass by; they will be shocked at how the country was destroyed.

17 Like a strong east wind, I will scatter them before their enemies. At that awful time they will not see me coming to help them; they will see me leaving."

18 Then the people said, "Come, let's make plans against Jeremiah. Surely the teaching of the law by the priest will not be lost. We will still have the advice from the wise men and the words of the prophets. So let's ruin him by telling lies about him. We won't pay attention to anything he says."

19 Lord, listen to me. Listen to what my accusers are saying!

20 Good should not be paid back with evil, but they have dug a pit in order to kill me. Remember that I stood before you and asked you to do good things for these people and to turn your anger away from them.

21 So now, let their children starve, and let their enemies kill them with swords. Let their wives lose their children and husbands. and the young men be killed with swords in battle.

22 Let them cry out in their houses when you bring an enemy against them suddenly. Let all this happen, because my enemies have dug a pit to capture me and have hidden traps for my feet.

23 Lord, you know about all their plans to kill me. Don't forgive their crimes or erase their sins from your mind. Make them fall from their places; punish them while you are angry.

1 This is what the Lord said to me: "Go and buy a clay jar from a potter.

2 Take some of the older leaders of the people and the priests, and go out to the Valley of Ben Hinnom, near the front of the Potsherd Gate. There speak the words I tell you.

3 Say, 'Kings of Judah and people of Jerusalem, listen to this message from the Lord. This is what the Lord All-Powerful, the God of Israel, says: I will soon bring a disaster on this place that will amaze and frighten everyone who hears about it.

4 The people of Judah have quit following me. They have made this a place for foreign gods. They have burned sacrifices to other gods that neither they, nor their ancestors, nor the kings of Judah had ever known before. They filled this place with the blood of innocent people.

5 They have built places on hilltops to worship Baal, where they burn their children in the fire to Baal. That is something I did not command or speak about; it never even entered my mind.

6 Now people call this place the Valley of Ben Hinnom or Topheth, but the days are coming, says the Lord, when people will call it the Valley of Killing.

7 "'At this place I will ruin the plans of the people of Judah and Jerusalem. The enemy will chase them, and I will have them killed with swords. I will make their dead bodies food for the birds and wild animals.

8 I will completely destroy this city. People will make fun of it and shake their heads when they pass by. They will be shocked when they see how the city was destroyed.

9 An enemy army will surround the city and will not let anyone go out to get food. I will make the people so hungry that they will eat the bodies of their own sons and daughters, and then they will begin to eat each other.'

10 "While the people with you are watching, break that jar.

11 Then say this: 'The Lord All-Powerful says: I will break this nation and this city just as someone breaks a clay jar that cannot be put back together again. The dead people will be buried here in Topheth, because there is no other place for them.

12 This is what I will do to these people and to this place, says the Lord. I will make this city like Topheth.

13 The houses in Jerusalem and the king's palaces will become as unclean as this place, Topheth, because the people worshiped gods on the roofsn of their houses. They worshiped the stars and burned incense to honor them and gave drink offerings to gods.'"

14 When Jeremiah left Topheth where the Lord had sent him to prophesy, he went to the Lord's Temple, stood in the courtyard, and said to all the people:

15 "This is what the Lord All-Powerful, the God of Israel, says: 'I will soon bring disaster to Jerusalem and the villages around it, as I said I would. This will happen because the people are very stubborn and do not listen at all to what I say.'"

1 Remember this! In the last days there will be many troubles,

2 because people will love themselves, love money, brag, and be proud. They will say evil things against others and will not obey their parents or be thankful or be the kind of people God wants.

3 They will not love others, will refuse to forgive, will gossip, and will not control themselves. They will be cruel, will hate what is good,

4 will turn against their friends, and will do foolish things without thinking. They will be conceited, will love pleasure instead of God,

5 and will act as if they serve God but will not have his power. Stay away from those people.

6 Some of them go into homes and get control of silly women who are full of sin and are led by many evil desires.

7 These women are always learning new teachings, but they are never able to understand the truth fully.

8 Just as Jannes and Jambres were against Moses, these people are against the truth. Their thinking has been ruined, and they have failed in trying to follow the faith.

9 But they will not be successful in what they do, because as with Jannes and Jambres, everyone will see that they are foolish.

10 But you have followed what I teach, the way I live, my goal, faith, patience, and love. You know I never give up.

11 You know how I have been hurt and have suffered, as in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra. I have suffered, but the Lord saved me from all those troubles.

12 Everyone who wants to live as God desires, in Christ Jesus, will be hurt.

13 But people who are evil and cheat others will go from bad to worse. They will fool others, but they will also be fooling themselves.

14 But you should continue following the teachings you learned. You know they are true, because you trust those who taught you.

15 Since you were a child you have known the Holy Scriptures which are able to make you wise. And that wisdom leads to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

16 All Scripture is given by God and is useful for teaching, for showing people what is wrong in their lives, for correcting faults, and for teaching how to live right.

17 Using the Scriptures, the person who serves God will be capable, having all that is needed to do every good work.