Study Desk

The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord saying,

"Arise and ^(a)go down to the potter's house, and there I will announce My words to you."

Then I went down to the potter's house, and there he was, making something on the ^[a]wheel.

But the vessel that he was making of clay was spoiled in the hand of the potter; so he remade it into another vessel, as it pleased the potter to make.

Then the word of the Lord came to me saying,

"Can I not, O house of Israel, deal with you as this potter does?" declares the Lord . "Behold, like the ^(b)clay in the potter's hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel.

At one moment I might speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to ^(c)uproot, to pull down, or to destroy it;

^(d)if that nation against which I have spoken turns from its evil, I will ^[b](e)relent concerning the calamity I planned to bring on it.

Or at another moment I might speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to ^(f)build up or to plant it;

if it does ^(g)evil in My sight by not obeying My voice, then I will ^[c](h)think better of the good with which I had promised to ^[d]bless it.

So now then, speak to the men of Judah and against the inhabitants of Jerusalem saying, ‘Thus says the Lord , "Behold, I am ⁽ⁱ⁾fashioning calamity against you and devising a plan against you. Oh ^(j)turn back, each of you from his evil way, and ^[e]reform your ways and your deeds."'

But ^(k)they will say, ‘It's hopeless! For we are going to follow our own plans, and each of us will act according to the ^(l)stubbornness of his evil heart.'

"Therefore thus says the Lord , ‘^(m)Ask now among the nations, Who ever heard the like of ^[f]this? The ⁽ⁿ⁾virgin of Israel Has done a most ^(o)appalling thing.

‘Does the snow of Lebanon forsake the rock of the open country? Or is the cold flowing water from a foreign land ever snatched away?

‘For ^(p)My people have forgotten Me, ^(q)They burn incense ^[g]to worthless gods And they ^[h]have stumbled ^[i]from their ways, ^[j]From the ^(r)ancient paths, To walk in bypaths, Not on a ^(s)highway,

To make their land a ^(t)desolation, An object of perpetual ^(u)hissing; Everyone who passes by it will be astonished And ^(v)shake his head.

‘Like an ^(w)east wind I will ^(x)scatter them Before the enemy; I will ^[k]show them ^(y)My back and not My face ^(z)In the day of their calamity.'"

Then they said, "Come and let us ^(aa)devise plans against Jeremiah. Surely the ^(ab)law is not going to be lost to the priest, nor ^(ac)counsel to the sage, nor the divine ^(ad)word to the prophet! Come on and let us ^(ae)strike at him with our tongue, and let us ^(af)give no heed to any of his words."

Do give heed to me, O Lord , And listen to ^[l]what my opponents are saying!

^(ag)Should good be repaid with evil? For they have ^(ah)dug a pit for ^[m]me. Remember how I ^(ai)stood before You To speak good on their behalf, So as to turn away Your wrath from them.

Therefore, ^(aj)give their children over to famine And deliver them up to the ^[n]power of the sword; And let their wives become ^(ak)childless and ^(al)widowed. Let their men also be smitten to death, Their ^(am)young men struck down by the sword in battle.

May an ^(an)outcry be heard from their houses, When You suddenly bring raiders upon them; ^(ao)For they have dug a pit to capture me And ^(ap)hidden snares for my feet.

Yet You, O Lord , know All their ^[o]deadly designs against me; ^(aq)Do not ^[p]forgive their iniquity Or blot out their sin from Your sight. But may they be ^[q](ar)overthrown before You; Deal with them in the ^(as)time of Your anger!