1 The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, 2 Arise, and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words. 3 Then I went down to the potter’s house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels. 4 And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it . 5 Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 6 O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel. 7 At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to destroy it; 8 If that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them. 9 And at what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it; 10 If it do evil in my sight, that it obey not my voice, then I will repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit them.
11 ¶ Now therefore go to, speak to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I frame evil against you, and devise a device against you: return ye now every one from his evil way, and make your ways and your doings good. 12 And they said, There is no hope: but we will walk after our own devices, and we will every one do the imagination of his evil heart. 13 Therefore thus saith the LORD; Ask ye now among the heathen, who hath heard such things: the virgin of Israel hath done a very horrible thing. 14 Will a man leave the snow of Lebanon which cometh from the rock of the field? or shall the cold flowing waters that come from another place be forsaken? 15 Because my people hath forgotten me, they have burned incense to vanity, and they have caused them to stumble in their ways from the ancient paths, to walk in paths, in a way not cast up; 16 To make their land desolate, and a perpetual hissing; every one that passeth thereby shall be astonished, and wag his head. 17 I will scatter them as with an east wind before the enemy; I will shew them the back, and not the face, in the day of their calamity.
18 ¶ 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 smite him with the tongue, and let us not give heed to any of his words. 19 Give heed to me, O LORD, and hearken to the voice of them that contend with me. 20 Shall evil be recompensed for good? for they have digged a pit for my soul. Remember that I stood before thee to speak good for them, and to turn away thy wrath from them. 21 Therefore deliver up their children to the famine, and pour out their blood by the force of the sword; and let their wives be bereaved of their children, and be widows; and let their men be put to death; let their young men be slain by the sword 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 hid snares for my feet. 23 Yet, LORD, thou 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 thus with them in the time of thine anger.
Podnieks un trauks
1 Vārds, kas Jeremijam nāca no Kunga: 2 “Celies, ej uz podnieka namu, un tur es tev likšu sadzirdēt manus vārdus!” 3 Un es nogāju uz podnieka namu, un, redzi, viņš strādāja pie savas ripas. 4 Un trauks, ko podnieks darināja no māliem, neizdevās, un viņš atkal ķērās klāt un pārtaisīja to par citu trauku, kā viņam šķita labi.
5 Un Kunga vārds nāca pār mani: 6 “Israēla nams, vai lai es nedaru ar jums tā, kā šis podnieks dara, saka Kungs, redzi, Israēla nams, jūs esat manā rokā kā māls podnieka rokā! 7 Drīz es runāšu par tautu un valsti, lai nīdētu, plēstu un deldētu! 8 Bet, ja tie novērsīsies no sava ļaunuma, par ko es ar tiem runāju, es rimšu un nedarīšu tiem ļaunu, kā biju domājis. 9 Drīz es runāšu par tautu un valsti, lai celtu un dēstītu! 10 Bet, ja tie darīs ļaunu manās acīs un neklausīsies manā balsī, es rimšu un nedarīšu tiem labu, kā biju domājis.
11 Tagad saki Jūdas vīriem un Jeruzālemes iemītniekiem: tā saka Kungs: redzi, es jums kā podnieks veidoju ļaunu un kaļu plānus pret jums. Atgriezieties jel katrs no sava ļaunā ceļa un dariet, ka top labs jūsu gājums un jūsu darbi! –
Israēla stūrgalvīgā elkdievība
12 Bet tie teica: velti! Mēs iesim, kur mūsu pašu padoms mums liek, katrs pēc savas ļaunās sirds stūrgalvības mēs darīsim!
13 Tādēļ tā saka Kungs:
nu, paprasiet tautām,
vai tās ko tādu ir dzirdējušas?
Šausmu lietas darījusi
Israēla jaunava!
14 Vai tad varenās klintis
un Lebanonu
pamet sniegs?
Vai tālumu ūdeņi izsīkst
un vēsās straumes?
15 Mana tauta gan mani aizmirsusi –
viņi kvēpina tukšībai,
viņi grīļojas savos ceļos,
mūžsenās takās,
lai ietu pa nomaļām takām,
nevis pa uzbērtu ceļu,
16 lai savu zemi par postažu padarītu,
par mūžīgu izsmieklu, –
ikviens, kas to šķērso, ir satriekts
un nicīgi pašūpo galvu.
17 Kā austrenis es tos izkaisīšu
naidnieka priekšā,
muguru, ne seju tiem uzgriezīšu
nelaimes dienā.”
Sazvērestība pret Jeremiju
18 Un viņi teica: “Sazvērēsimies pret Jeremiju! Ka priesterim nezūd bauslība un gudrajam padoms, un pravietim vārds! Ejam izņirdzam viņu! Neklausīsimies viņa vārdos!”
19 Uzklausi mani, Kungs,
sadzirdi manu strīdnieka balsi!
20 Vai labs jāatdara ar ļaunu?
Tie izkārpījuši manai dzīvībai bedri!
Atceries, es stāvēju tavā priekšā,
lai uz tiem runātu labu,
lai novērstu tavas dusmas no viņiem!
21 Tādēļ dod viņu dēlus badam,
atdod zobenam viņus,
viņu sievas lai ir bezbērnu atraitnes
un viņu vīrus lai kauj nāve,
lai viņu jaunekļus kaujā nogalē zobens!
22 No viņu mājām lai dzird kliedzam,
kad tu piepeši uzsūti tiem
laupītāju bandas,
jo viņi raka bedri,
lai mani sagūstītu,
un lamatas izlika manām kājām!
23 Tu, Kungs, zināji
viņu nolūkus nonāvēt mani,
nepiedod tiem viņu vainu
un viņu grēkus nemazgā
no viņu sejām,
lai tie klūp tavā priekšā!
Tā dari tiem
savas dusmības laikā!
