The Lord Sends Jeremiah to the Potter’s House
1A message from the Lord came to me. He said, 2“Jeremiah, go down to the potter’s house. I will give you my message there.” 3So I went down to the potter’s house. I saw him working at his wheel. 4His hands were shaping a pot out of clay. But he saw that something was wrong with it. So he formed it into another pot. He shaped it in the way that seemed best to him.
5Then the Lord’s message came to me. 6“People of Israel, I can do with you just as this potter does,” announces the Lord. “The clay is in the potter’s hand. And you are in my hand, people of Israel. 7Suppose I announce that something will happen to a nation or kingdom. Suppose I announce that it will be pulled up by the roots. And I announce that it will be torn down and destroyed. 8But suppose the nation I warned turns away from its sins. Then I will not do what I said I would. I will not bring trouble on it as I had planned. 9But suppose I announce that a nation or kingdom is going to be built up and planted. 10And then it does what is evil in my eyes. It does not obey me. Then I will think again about the good things I had wanted to do for it.
11“So speak to the people of Judah and Jerusalem. Tell them, ‘The Lord says, “Look! I am making plans against you. I am going to bring trouble on you. So each one of you must turn from your evil ways. Change the way you live and act.” ’ 12But they will reply, ‘It’s no use. We will continue to do what we’ve already planned. All of us will do what our stubborn and evil hearts want us to do.’ ”
13So the Lord says,
“Ask the nations a question. Say to them,
‘Who has ever heard anything like this?
The people of Israel have done
a very horrible thing.
14Does the snow ever disappear
from Lebanon’s rocky slopes?
Do its cool waters ever stop
flowing from places far away?
15But my people have forgotten me.
They burn incense to worthless gods.
Their gods made them trip and fall
as they walked on the old paths.
They made them use side roads
instead of roads that were built up.
16So their land will become a horrible thing.
People will make fun of it again and again.
All those who pass by it will be shocked.
They will shake their heads.
17I will sweep over my people like a wind from the east.
I will use the Babylonians to scatter them.
I will show them my back and not my face.
I will desert them when their day of trouble comes.’ ”
18They said, “Come on. Let’s make plans against Jeremiah. We’ll still have priests to teach us the law. We’ll always have wise people to give us advice. We’ll have prophets to bring us messages from the Lord. So come on. Let’s speak out against Jeremiah. We shouldn’t pay any attention to what he says.”
19Lord, please listen to me!
Hear what my enemies are saying about me!
20Should the good things I’ve done be paid back with evil?
But my enemies have dug a pit for me.
Remember that I stood in front of you
and spoke up for them.
I tried to turn your anger away from them.
21So let their children die of hunger.
Let my enemies be killed in war.
Let their wives lose their children and husbands.
Let their men be put to death.
Let their young men be killed in battle.
22Bring their enemies against them without warning.
Let cries be heard from their houses.
They have dug a pit to capture me.
They have hidden traps for my feet.
23But Lord, you know
all about their plans to kill me.
Don’t forgive their crimes.
Don’t erase their sins from your sight.
Destroy my enemies.
Punish them when the time to show your anger comes.
I pottemagerens værksted
1En dag sagde Herren til mig: 2„Gå ned til pottemagerens værksted, så skal jeg fortælle dig noget.” 3Jeg gjorde, som Herren sagde, og fandt pottemageren i færd med at forme krukker på sin drejeskive. 4Af og til blev en krukke ikke, som han havde tænkt sig. Så begyndte han forfra for at lave en ny og bedre krukke.
5Så sagde Herren til mig: 6„Kan jeg ikke gøre med Israel, som pottemageren gør med sit ler? Som leret i pottemagerens hånd, sådan er mit folk i min hånd. 7Af og til truer jeg en nation eller et folkeslag med undergang og ødelæggelse. 8Men hvis de omvender sig fra deres synd og ondskab, gør jeg ikke alvor af min trussel.
9Hvis jeg lover at velsigne et folk, 10men det folk så gør, hvad der er ondt i mine øjne, og ikke adlyder mig, får de alligevel ikke den velsignelse, jeg havde lovet dem.”
11Derfor befalede Herren mig at sige til Judas folk og Jerusalems indbyggere: „Hør Herrens ord: Han har planer om at straffe jer. Derfor skal I omvende jer fra jeres ondskab og gøre, hvad der er ret.” 12Men folket svarede: „Nej, vi gør, hvad vi vil! Og vi har tænkt os at blive ved med at følge, hvad du kalder vores ondskab.”
13Da svarede Herren: „Har man hørt noget lignende? Ikke engang de gudløse folkeslag er så oprørske. Mit folks hovmod overgår enhver beskrivelse. 14Sneen på Libanons bjerge smelter aldrig helt, og vandløbene med det kolde smeltevand tørrer aldrig ud. 15Men med mit folk er det anderledes. De har svigtet mig og vendt sig til tåbelige afguder. De er drejet af fra den gamle og sikre lydighedsvej, og vader nu rundt på syndens mudrede stier. 16Derfor vil deres land opleve en frygtelig straf og blive et mindesmærke over deres tåbelighed. Alle, der kommer forbi, vil undre sig og ryste på hovedet over dets grufulde skæbne. 17Når fjenden kommer, vil mit folk blive spredt for alle vinde som støvet, der hvirvles bort af østenvinden. Når ulykken er over dem, vender jeg ryggen til dem. Jeg hjælper dem ikke.”
18Det fik folk til at udbryde: „Kom, lad os blive af med Jeremias! Vi har stadig vores præster til at undervise i loven, vismænd til at give os gode råd, og profeter til at fortælle os Guds vilje. Lad os anklage ham for domstolen, så vi bliver fri for at høre på ham.”
19Da bad jeg til Herren: „Hjælp mig, Herre. Hør, hvad mine fjender har planer om at gøre. 20Skal de have lov til at gengælde godt med ondt? De er ude på at slå mig ihjel, skønt jeg gik i forbøn for dem og prøvede at beskytte dem mod din vrede. 21Så lad dem da få, hvad de fortjener. Lad deres børn sulte ihjel eller blive dræbt med sværdet. Lad deres koner blive barnløse enker. Lad deres gamle mænd dø af sygdom og deres unge mænd falde i krigen. 22Lad skrigene høres fra deres hjem, når de tages på sengen af fjendens krigere. For de har gravet en faldgrube og sat fælder langs min vej. 23Herre, du kender deres morderiske planer. Tilgiv dem ikke, se ikke igennem fingre med deres synder. Lad dem få med dig og din vrede at bestille.”
