1. The word which came to Yirmeyahu from יהוה, saying,
2. “Arise, and go down to the potter’s house, and there I let you hear My words.”
3. So I went down to the potter’s house, and saw him doing a piece of work on the wheel.
4. And the vessel that he made of clay was ruined in the hand of the potter, so he remade it into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to do.
5. Then the word of יהוה came to me, saying,
6. “O house of Yisra’ĕl, am I not able to do with you as this potter?” declares יהוה. “Look, as the clay is in the hand of the potter, so are you in My hand, O house of Yisra’ĕl!
7. “The moment I speak concerning a nation and concerning a reign, to pluck up, to pull down, and to destroy it,
8. and that nation shall turn from its evil because I have spoken against it, then I shall repent of the evil that I thought to do to it.
9. “And the moment I speak concerning a nation and concerning a reign, to build and to plant it,
10. and it shall do evil in My eyes in not obeying My voice, then I shall repent concerning the good with which I spoke of doing to it.
11. “And now, speak to the men of Yehuḏah and to the inhabitants of Yerushalayim, saying, ‘Thus said יהוה, “See, I am forming evil and devising a plan against you. Return now every one from his evil way, and make your ways and your deeds good.” ’ ”
12. But they shall say, “It is no use! For we walk according to our own plans, and we do each one the stubbornness of his evil heart.”
13. Therefore thus said יהוה, “Ask now among the nations, who has heard the like of this? The maiden of Yisra’ĕl has done what is most horrible.
14. “Does the snow of Leḇanon cease from the rock of the field? Or the cool flowing waters from afar dry up?
15. “But My people have forgotten Me, they have burned incense to what is false, and they have stumbled from their ways, from the ancient paths, to walk in bypaths and not on a highway,
16. to make their land become a ruin, a hissing forever – everyone who passes by it is appalled and shakes his head.