Good News Translation GNT
World English Bible WEB
1 The Lord said to me,
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The word which came to Jeremiah from Yahweh, saying,
2 "Go down to the potter's house, where I will give you my message."
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Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause you to hear my words.
3 So I went there and saw the potter working at his wheel.
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Then I went down to the potter's house, and, behold, he was making a work on the wheels.
4 Whenever a piece of pottery turned out imperfect, he would take the clay and make it into something else.
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When the vessel that he made of the clay was marred in the hand of the potter, he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.
5 Then the Lord said to me,
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Then the word of Yahweh came to me, saying,
6 "Don't I have the right to do with you people of Israel what the potter did with the clay? You are in my hands just like clay in the potter's hands.
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House of Israel, can't I do with you as this potter? says Yahweh. Behold, as the clay in the potter's hand, so are you in my hand, house of Israel.
7 If at any time I say that I am going to uproot, break down, or destroy any nation or kingdom,
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At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up and to break down and to destroy it;
8 but then that nation turns from its evil, I will not do what I said I would.
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if that nation, concerning which I have spoken, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do to them.
9 On the other hand, if I say that I am going to plant or build up any nation or kingdom,
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At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it;
10 but then that nation disobeys me and does evil, I will not do what I said I would.
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if they do that which is evil in my sight, that they not obey my voice, then I will repent of the good, with which I said I would benefit them.
11 Now then, tell the people of Judah and of Jerusalem that I am making plans against them and getting ready to punish them. Tell them to stop living sinful lives - to change their ways and the things they are doing.
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Now therefore, speak to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, Thus says Yahweh: Behold, I frame evil against you, and devise a device against you: return you now everyone from his evil way, and amend your ways and your doings.
12 They will answer, "No, why should we? We will all be just as stubborn and evil as we want to be.' "
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But they say, It is in vain; for we will walk after our own devices, and we will do everyone after the stubbornness of his evil heart.
13 The Lord says, "Ask every nation if such a thing has ever happened before. The people of Israel have done a terrible thing!
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Therefore thus says Yahweh: Ask you now among the nations, who has heard such things; the virgin of Israel has done a very horrible thing.
14 Are Lebanon's rocky heights ever without snow? Do its cool mountain streams ever run dry?
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Shall the snow of Lebanon fail from the rock of the field? [or] shall the cold waters that flow down from afar be dried up?
15 Yet my people have forgotten me; they burn incense to idols. They have stumbled in the way they should go; they no longer follow the old ways; they walk on unmarked paths.
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For my people have forgotten me, they have burned incense to false [gods]; and they have been made to stumble in their ways, in the ancient paths, to walk in byways, in a way not built up;
16 They have made this land a thing of horror, to be despised forever. All who pass by will be shocked at what they see; they will shake their heads in amazement.
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to make their land an astonishment, and a perpetual hissing; everyone who passes thereby shall be astonished, and shake his head.
17 I will scatter my people before their enemies, like dust blown by the east wind. I will turn my back on them; I will not help them when the disaster comes."
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I 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.
18 Then the people said, "Let's do something about Jeremiah! There will always be priests to instruct us, the wise to give us counsel, and prophets to proclaim God's message. Let's bring charges against him and stop listening to what he says."
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Then said they, Come, and let us devise devices 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 strike him with the tongue, and let us not give heed to any of his words.
19 So I prayed, "Lord, hear what I am saying and listen to what my enemies are saying about me.
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Give heed to me, Yahweh, and listen to the voice of those who contend with me.
20 Is evil the payment for good? Yet they have dug a pit for me to fall in. Remember how I came to you and spoke on their behalf, so that you would not deal with them in anger.
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Shall evil be recompensed for good? for they have dug a pit for my soul. Remember how I stood before you to speak good for them, to turn away your wrath from them.
21 But now, Lord, let their children starve to death; let them be killed in war. Let the women lose their husbands and children; let the men die of disease and the young men be killed in battle.
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Therefore deliver up their children to the famine, and give them over to the power of the sword; and let their wives become childless, and widows; and let their men be slain of death, [and] their young men struck of the sword in battle.
22 Send a mob to plunder their homes without warning; make them cry out in terror. They have dug a pit for me to fall in and have set traps to catch me.
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Let a cry be heard from their houses, when you shall bring a troop suddenly on them; for they have dug a pit to take me, and hid snares for my feet.
23 But, Lord, you know all their plots to kill me. Do not forgive their evil or pardon their sin. Throw them down in defeat and deal with them while you are angry."
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Yet, Yahweh, you know all their counsel against me to kill me; don't forgive their iniquity, neither blot out their sin from your sight; but let them be overthrown before you; deal you with them in the time of your anger.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.
The World English Bible is in the public domain.