You will be like a large clay jar that breaks and becomes many, many small pieces. Those pieces are useless. You can’t use those pieces to get a hot coal from the fire or to get water from a pool in the ground.”
Lamentations 4:2 - Easy To Read Version The people of Zion {\cf2\super [26]} were worth a lot.\par They were worth their weight in gold.\par But now the enemy treats those people\par like old clay jars.\par The enemy treats them\par like clay jars made by a potter.\par Tuilleadh leaganachaKing James Version (Oxford) 1769 The precious sons of Zion, Comparable to fine gold, How are they esteemed as earthen pitchers, The work of the hands of the potter! Amplified Bible - Classic Edition The noble and precious sons of Zion, [once] worth their weight in fine gold–how they are esteemed [merely] as earthen pots or pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter! [Isa. 30:14; Jer. 19:11; II Cor. 4:7.] American Standard Version (1901) The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold, How are they esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter! Common English Bible Zion’s precious children, once valued as pure gold— oh no!—now they are worth no more than clay pots made by a potter. Catholic Public Domain Version BETH. The famous sons of Zion, and those clothed with the foremost gold: how they have become like earthen vessels, the work of the hands of a potter. Douay-Rheims version of The Bible - 1752 version Beth. The noble sons of Sion and they that were clothed with the best gold: how are they esteemed as earthen vessels, the work of the potter's hands? |
You will be like a large clay jar that breaks and becomes many, many small pieces. Those pieces are useless. You can’t use those pieces to get a hot coal from the fire or to get water from a pool in the ground.”
Jerusalem had many people, but none of those people became leaders for her. None of the children she raised became guides to lead her.
The Lord said to me: “Jeremiah, go and buy a clay jar from a potter. {\cf2\super [155]}
At that time, say these things: ‘The Lord All-Powerful says, I will break the nation of Judah and the city of Jerusalem just like someone breaking a clay jar! This jar can’t be put back together again. It will be the same for the nation of Judah. The dead people will be buried here in Topheth until there is no more room.
Coniah (Jehoiachin) is like a broken pot\par that some person threw away.\par He is like a pot that no person wants.\par Why will Jehoiachin and his children\par be thrown out?\par Why will they be thrown away\par into a foreign land?\par
Young men and old men\par lie on the ground in the streets\par of the city.\par My young women and young men\par have been killed by the sword.\par You, Lord, killed them on the day\par of your anger!\par You killed them without mercy!\par
Israel was destroyed.\par \{Its people are scattered among the\} nations\par like some dish that was thrown away\par because no one wanted it.\par
Judah, I will use you like a bow.\par Ephraim I will use you like arrows.\par Israel, I will use you like a sword\par to fight against the people of Greece.\par
We have this treasure \{from God\}. But we are only like clay jars that hold the treasure. This shows that this great power is from God, not from us.
In a large house there are things made of gold and silver. But also there are things made of wood and clay. Some things are used for special purposes. Other things are made for dirty jobs.