Jeremiah 18 - Easy To Read Version Easy To Read Version
Jeremiah 18

¹ This is the message that came to Jeremiah from the Lord:

² “Jeremiah, go down to the potter’s {\cf2\super [150]} house. I will give you my message at the potter’s house.”

³ So I went down to the potter’s house. I saw the potter working with clay at the wheel.

⁴ He was making a pot from clay. But there was something wrong with the pot. So the potter used that clay again, and he made another pot. He used his hands to shape the pot the way that he wanted it to be.

⁵ Then the message from the Lord came to me:

⁶ “Family of Israel, you know that I (God) can do the same thing with you. You are like the clay in the potter’s {\cf2\super [151]} hands. And I am like the potter!

⁷ There may come a time that I will speak about a nation or a kingdom. I may say that I will pull that nation up. Or maybe I will say that I will pull that nation down and destroy that nation or kingdom.

⁸ But 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.

⁹ There might come another time when I speak about a nation. I might say that I will build up and plant that nation.

¹⁰ But I might see that nation doing evil things and not obeying me. Then I would think again about the good I had planned to do for that nation.

¹¹ “So, Jeremiah, say to the people of Judah and the people that live in Jerusalem, ‘This is what the Lord says: I am preparing troubles for you right now. I am making plans against you. So stop doing the evil things that you are doing. Each person must change and start doing good things!’

¹² But the people of Judah will answer, ‘It will not do any good to try. We will continue to do what we want. Each of us is going to do the things his stubborn, evil heart wants.’”

¹³ Listen to the things the Lord says:\par “Ask the other nations this question:\par ‘Have you ever heard of anyone\par doing the evil things Israel has done?’\par And Israel is special to God.\par Israel is like God’s bride!\par

¹⁴ You know that rocks never leave the fields\par by themselves. {\cf2\super [152]} \par You know that the snow on the mountains\par of Lebanon never melts.\par You know that cool, flowing streams\par do not become dry.\par

¹⁵ But my people have forgotten about me.\par They make offerings to worthless idols.\par My people stumble in the things they do.\par They stumble about in the old paths\par of their ancestors. {\cf2\super [153]} \par My people would rather walk\par along back roads and poor highways,\par than to follow me on the good roads.\par

¹⁶ So Judah’s country will become\par an empty desert.\par People will whistle and shake their heads\par every time they pass by.\par They will be shocked\par at how the country was destroyed.\par

¹⁷ I will scatter the people of Judah.\par They will run from their enemies.\par I will scatter the people of Judah like\par an east wind that blows things away.\par I will destroy those people.\par They won’t see me coming to help them.\par No! They will see me leaving!”\par

¹⁸ Then the enemies of Jeremiah said, “Come, let us make plans against Jeremiah. Surely the teaching of the law by the priest will not be lost. And the advice from the wise men will still be with us. We will still have the words of the prophets. So let us tell lies about him. That will ruin him. We will not pay attention to anything he says.”

¹⁹ Lord, listen to me!\par Listen to my arguments\par and decide who is right.\par

²⁰ I have been good to the people of Judah.\par But now they are paying me back with evil.\par They are trying to trap me and kill me.\par

²¹ So make their children starve in a famine. {\cf2\super [154]} \par Let their enemies defeat them with swords.\par Let their wives be without children.\par Let the men from Judah be put to death.\par Make their wives into widows.\par Let the men from Judah be put to death.\par Let the young men be killed in battle.\par

²² Let there be crying in their houses.\par Make them cry when you suddenly\par bring an enemy against them.\par Let all this happen because my enemies\par tried to trap me.\par They hid traps for me to step in.\par

²³ Lord, you know about their plans\par to kill me.\par Don’t forgive their crimes.\par Don’t erase their sins.\par Destroy my enemies!\par Punish those people while you are angry!\par