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.
陶器的比喻
1耶和華對耶利米說： 2「你去陶匠家，在那裡我有話告訴你。」 3我便到陶匠家，見他正用輪盤做器皿。 4每當他手中的器皿做壞了，他就用那塊泥重做，想怎麼做就怎麼做。 5這時，耶和華對我說： 6「以色列人啊，難道我不能像陶匠對待陶泥一樣對待你們嗎？以色列人啊，你們在我手中就像陶泥在陶匠手中一樣。這是耶和華說的。 7當我宣佈要剷除、推翻、毀滅哪一邦或哪一國的時候， 8如果他們悔過自新，我必施憐憫，取消我原本要降給他們的災禍。 9當我宣佈要建造、栽培哪一邦或哪一國的時候， 10如果他們做我視為惡的事，不聽從我的話，我必改變心意，取消我原本要賜給他們的福氣。 11因此，你去告訴猶大人和耶路撒冷的居民，『耶和華說，我正計劃降災禍懲罰你們。你們要離開罪惡，改邪歸正。』 12他們卻說，『不！我們喜歡隨心所欲，為所欲為。』」
13因此耶和華說：
「你們問問列國，
看看誰曾聽過這樣的事？
少女般的以色列竟做了一件極可怕的事。
14黎巴嫩山嶺上的積雪會融化嗎？
從遠方流來的冰涼溪水會停止嗎？
15然而，我的子民卻把我拋諸腦後，
向虛無的神明燒香，
偏離古道，在歧途上絆絆跌跌。
16因此，他們的土地必荒涼，
永遠遭人嗤笑，
經過此地的人無不驚懼，
搖頭歎息。
17我要在敵人面前驅散他們，
就像東風吹散塵土一樣。
在他們遭難的時候，
我必以背相向，
不理睬他們。」
18他們說：「來！我們設計對付耶利米吧，反正我們有祭司教導律法，有智者出謀劃策，有先知傳講預言。來吧！我們抨擊他，不要理會他的話。」
19耶和華啊，求你眷顧我，
聽聽敵人對我的指控。
20人豈能以惡報善？
他們竟設陷阱謀害我，
求你回想我怎樣站在你面前為他們求情，
怎樣求你不要向他們發烈怒。
21因此，願他們喪身刀下，
兒女餓死，
妻子喪夫亡子，
年長的被殺，
年少的死於戰場！
22當你使敵軍突襲他們時，
願他們家中傳出哭喊聲，
因為他們挖陷阱要捕捉我，
設圈套要絆我的腳。
23耶和華啊，你知道他們害我的各種詭計，
求你不要赦免他們的罪過，
不要饒恕他們的惡行。
求你使他們倒在你面前，
求你在烈怒中懲罰他們。
