Jeremiah 18:8

8 But [if] that nation turns back from its evil that I have threatened against it, then I will relent concerning the disaster that I planned to do to it.

Jeremiah 18:8 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 18:8

If that nation against whom I have pronounced
Such a sentence as this, should immediately, upon the above declaration, do as Nineveh did: turn from their evil;
their evil of sin, their evil ways and works, as an evidence of the truth of their repentance for former sins: I will repent of the evil that one thought to do unto them;
as they change their course of life, God will change the dispensations of his providence towards them, and not bring upon them the evil of punishment he threatened them with; in which sense repentance can only be understood of God, he doing that which is similar to what men do when they repent of anything; they stop their proceedings, and change their outward conduct; so God proceeds not to do what he threatened to do, and changes his outward behaviour to men; he wills a change, and makes one in his methods of acting, but never changes his will.

Jeremiah 18:8 In-Context

6 "Like this potter, am I not able to do to you, O house of Israel?" {declares} Yahweh. "Look, like the clay in the hand of the potter, so [are] you in my hand, O house of Israel.

7 One moment I speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom, to uproot, and to tear down, and to destroy [it].

8 But [if] that nation turns back from its evil that I have threatened against it, then I will relent concerning the disaster that I planned to do to it.

9 And the [next] moment I speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom, to build, and to plant [it].

10 But [if] it does evil in my sight, to not listen to my voice, then I will relent concerning the good that I said I would do [to] it.