Jeremiah 18:8Easy To Read VersionBut the people of that nation might change their hearts and lives. The people in that nation might stop doing evil things. Then I would change my mind. I would not follow my plans to bring disaster to that nation. See the chapter |
{But if you destroy your people,} then the Egyptians can say, ‘The Lord planned to do bad things to his people. That is why he led them out of Egypt. He wanted to kill them in the mountains. He wanted to wipe them off the earth.’ So don’t be angry at your people. Please change your mind! Don’t destroy your people.
I want those people to learn their lessons well. In the past, those people taught my people to use Baal’s {\cf2\super [102]} name to make promises. Now, I want those people to learn their lessons just as well. I want those people to learn to use my name. I want those people to say, ‘As the Lord lives …’ If those people do that, then I will allow them to be successful and I will let them live among my people.
“Hezekiah was the king of Judah. And Hezekiah didn’t kill Micah. None of the people of Judah killed Micah. You know that Hezekiah respected the Lord. He wanted to please the Lord. The Lord had said he would do bad things to Judah. But Hezekiah prayed to the Lord, and the Lord changed his mind. The Lord didn’t do those bad things. If we hurt Jeremiah, then we will bring many troubles on ourselves. And those troubles will be our own fault.”
“You must say to them, ‘The Lord my Master says: On my life, I promise, I don’t enjoy seeing people die—not even evil people! I don’t want them to die. I want those evil people to come back to me. I want them to change their lives so they can really live! So come back to me! Stop doing bad things! Why must you die, family of Israel?’
“And Son of man, {\cf2\super [268]} say to your people: ‘The good things a person did in the past won’t save him if he becomes bad and begins to sin. And the bad things a person did in the past won’t destroy him if he turns from his evil. So remember, the good things a person did in the past won’t save him if he begins to sin.’
“Maybe I will tell a good person that he will live. But maybe that good person will begin to think that the good things he did in the past will save him. So he might begin to do bad things. But I won’t remember the good things he did in the past! No, he will die because of the bad things he begins to do.
Jonah complained to the Lord and said, “I knew this would happen! I was in my own country, and you told me to come here. At that time, I knew that you would forgive the people of this evil city. So I decided to run away to Tarshish. I knew that you are a kind God! I knew that you show mercy and don’t want to punish people! I knew that you are full of kindness! I knew that if these people stopped sinning, you would change your plans to destroy them.
Many times the enemies of Israel did bad things to the people. So the people of Israel would cry for help. And each time, the Lord felt sorry for the people. Each time he sent a judge to save the people from their enemies. The Lord was always with those judges. So each time, the people of Israel were saved from their enemies.