The Darby Translation DBY
GOD'S WORD Translation GW
1 The word that came to Jeremiah from Jehovah, saying,
1
The LORD spoke his word to Jeremiah. He said,
2 Arise and go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words.
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"Go to the potter's house. There I will give you my message."
3 And I went down to the potter's house; and behold, he wrought a work on the wheels.
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I went to the potter's house, and he was working there at his wheel.
4 And the vessel that he made was marred, as clay, in the hand of the potter; and he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make.
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Whenever a clay pot he was working on was ruined, he would rework it into a new clay pot the way he wanted to make it.
5 And the word of Jehovah came to me, saying,
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The LORD spoke his word to me. The LORD asked,
6 House of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith Jehovah. Behold, as the clay in the potter's hand, so are ye in my hand, house of Israel.
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"Nation of Israel, can't I do with you as this potter does with clay? Nation of Israel, you are like the clay in the potter's hands.
7 At the moment that I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to break down, and to destroy,
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"At one time I may threaten to tear up, break down, and destroy a nation or a kingdom.
8 if that nation, concerning which I have spoken, turn from their evil, then I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them.
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But suppose the nation that I threatened turns away from doing wrong. Then I will change my plans about the disaster I planned to do to it.
9 And at the moment that I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant,
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"At another time I may promise to build and plant a nation or a kingdom.
10 if it do evil in my sight, that it hearken not unto my voice, then I will repent of the good wherewith I said I would benefit them.
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But suppose that nation does what I consider evil and doesn't obey me. Then I will change my plans about the good that I promised to do to it.
11 And now, speak to the men of Judah and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, Thus saith Jehovah: Behold, I prepare evil against you, and devise a device against you: turn ye then every one from his evil way, and amend your ways and your doings.
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"Now say to the people of Judah and to those who live in Jerusalem, 'This is what the LORD says: I'm going to prepare a disaster and make plans against you. Turn from your evil ways, change your lives, and do good.'
12 But they say, There is no hope; for we will walk after our own devices, and we will each one do [according to] the stubbornness of his evil heart.
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"But they will answer, 'It's useless! We'll live the way we want to. We'll go our own stubborn, evil ways.'
13 Therefore thus saith Jehovah: Ask ye now among the nations, Who hath heard such things? The virgin of Israel hath done a very horrible thing.
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"This is what the LORD says: Ask among the nations if anyone has ever heard anything like this. The people of Israel have done a very horrible thing.
14 Shall the snow of Lebanon cease from the rock of the field? Shall the cool flowing waters coming from afar be dried up?
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The rocky slopes of Lebanon are never without snow. The cool mountain streams never dry up.
15 For my people hath forgotten me: they burn incense to vanity; and they have caused them to stumble in their ways, the ancient paths, to walk in by-paths of a way not cast up;
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But my people have forgotten me. They burn incense as an offering to worthless idols, and they stumble along the way, on the ancient path. They go on side roads and not on major highways.
16 to make their land an astonishment, a perpetual hissing: every one that passeth by shall be astonished, and shake his head.
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Their land will become desolate and something to be hissed at forever. Everyone who will pass by it will be stunned and shake his head.
17 As with an east wind will I scatter them before the enemy; I will shew them the back, and not the face, in the day of their calamity.
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Like the east wind I will scatter them in front of the enemy. On the day of their disaster, I will show them my back, not my face."
18 And they said, Come, and let us devise devices against Jeremiah; for law shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor word from the prophet. Come and let us smite him with the tongue, and let us not give heed to any of his words.
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Then they said, "Let's plot against Jeremiah, because the teachings of the priests, the advice of wise people, and the word of the prophets won't disappear. Accuse him! Pay no attention to anything he says."
19 Jehovah, give heed to me, and listen to the voice of those that contend with me.
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Pay attention to me, O LORD, and listen to what my accusers say.
20 Shall evil be recompensed for good? For they have digged a pit for my soul. Remember how I stood before thee to speak good for them, to turn away thy wrath from them.
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Good should not be paid back with evil. They dig a pit to take my life. Remember how I stood in your presence and pleaded for them in order to turn your anger away from them.
21 Therefore give up their children to the famine, and deliver them over to the power of the sword; and let their wives be bereaved of children and be widows; and let their men be swept off by death, their young men be smitten by the sword in battle.
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Now, hand their children over to famine. Pour out their [blood] by using your sword. Then their wives will become childless widows. Their husbands will be put to death. Their young men will be struck down in battle.
22 Let a cry be heard from their houses, when thou shalt bring a troop suddenly upon them; for they have digged a pit to take me, and have hidden snares for my feet.
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Make them cry out from their homes when you suddenly send troops against them, because they dug a pit to catch me and hid snares for my feet.
23 And thou, Jehovah, knowest all their counsel against me to slay me. Forgive not their iniquity, neither blot out their sin from thy sight, but let them be overthrown before thee: deal with them in the time of thine anger.
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But you, O LORD, know that they plan to kill me. Don't forgive their crimes. Don't wipe their sins out of your sight. Make them stumble in your presence. Deal with them when you get angry.
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GOD'S WORD® is a copyrighted work of God's Word to the Nations. Copyright © 1995 by God's Word to the Nations. All rights reserved. Used by permission.