1En dag sagde Herren til mig:2„Gå ned til pottemagerens værksted, så skal jeg fortælle dig noget.”3Jeg gjorde, som Herren sagde, og fandt pottemageren i færd med at forme krukker på sin drejeskive.4Af og til blev en krukke ikke, som han havde tænkt sig. Så begyndte han forfra for at lave en ny og bedre krukke.5Så sagde Herren til mig:6„Kan jeg ikke gøre med Israel, som pottemageren gør med sit ler? Som leret i pottemagerens hånd, sådan er mit folk i min hånd.7Af og til truer jeg en nation eller et folkeslag med undergang og ødelæggelse.8Men hvis de omvender sig fra deres synd og ondskab, gør jeg ikke alvor af min trussel.9Hvis jeg lover at velsigne et folk,10men det folk så gør, hvad der er ondt i mine øjne, og ikke adlyder mig, får de alligevel ikke den velsignelse, jeg havde lovet dem.”11Derfor befalede Herren mig at sige til Judas folk og Jerusalems indbyggere: „Hør Herrens ord: Han har planer om at straffe jer. Derfor skal I omvende jer fra jeres ondskab og gøre, hvad der er ret.”12Men folket svarede: „Nej, vi gør, hvad vi vil! Og vi har tænkt os at blive ved med at følge, hvad du kalder vores ondskab.”13Da svarede Herren: „Har man hørt noget lignende? Ikke engang de gudløse folkeslag er så oprørske. Mit folks hovmod overgår enhver beskrivelse.14Sneen på Libanons bjerge smelter aldrig helt, og vandløbene med det kolde smeltevand tørrer aldrig ud.15Men med mit folk er det anderledes. De har svigtet mig og vendt sig til tåbelige afguder. De er drejet af fra den gamle og sikre lydighedsvej, og vader nu rundt på syndens mudrede stier.16Derfor vil deres land opleve en frygtelig straf og blive et mindesmærke over deres tåbelighed. Alle, der kommer forbi, vil undre sig og ryste på hovedet over dets grufulde skæbne.17Når fjenden kommer, vil mit folk blive spredt for alle vinde som støvet, der hvirvles bort af østenvinden. Når ulykken er over dem, vender jeg ryggen til dem. Jeg hjælper dem ikke.”18Det fik folk til at udbryde: „Kom, lad os blive af med Jeremias! Vi har stadig vores præster til at undervise i loven, vismænd til at give os gode råd, og profeter til at fortælle os Guds vilje. Lad os anklage ham for domstolen, så vi bliver fri for at høre på ham.”19Da bad jeg til Herren: „Hjælp mig, Herre. Hør, hvad mine fjender har planer om at gøre.20Skal de have lov til at gengælde godt med ondt? De er ude på at slå mig ihjel, skønt jeg gik i forbøn for dem og prøvede at beskytte dem mod din vrede.21Så lad dem da få, hvad de fortjener. Lad deres børn sulte ihjel eller blive dræbt med sværdet. Lad deres koner blive barnløse enker. Lad deres gamle mænd dø af sygdom og deres unge mænd falde i krigen.22Lad skrigene høres fra deres hjem, når de tages på sengen af fjendens krigere. For de har gravet en faldgrube og sat fælder langs min vej.23Herre, du kender deres morderiske planer. Tilgiv dem ikke, se ikke igennem fingre med deres synder. Lad dem få med dig og din vrede at bestille.”
1The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord:2“Arise, and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will let you hear[1] my words.” (1.Krøn 4,23; Jer 19,1; Zak 11,13)3So I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was working at his wheel. (1.Krøn 4,23; Jer 19,1; Zak 11,13)4And the vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter’s hand, and he reworked it into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to do. (Jer 13,7; Rom 9,21)5Then the word of the Lord came to me:6“O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter has done? declares the Lord. Behold, like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel. (Job 10,9; Es 45,9; Es 64,8; Rom 9,20)7If at any time I declare concerning a nation or a kingdom, that I will pluck up and break down and destroy it, (Jer 1,10; Jer 42,10)8and if that nation, concerning which I have spoken, turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I intended to do to it. (Dom 2,18; Jer 26,3; Jer 26,13; Jer 26,19; Ez 18,21; Jonas 3,10)9And if at any time I declare concerning a nation or a kingdom that I will build and plant it, (Jer 18,7)10and if it does evil in my sight, not listening to my voice, then I will relent of the good that I had intended to do to it.11Now, therefore, say to the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem: ‘Thus says the Lord, Behold, I am shaping disaster against you and devising a plan against you. Return, every one from his evil way, and amend your ways and your deeds.’ (2.Kong 17,13; Jer 7,3; Jer 25,5; Jer 35,15; Jonas 3,8)12“But they say, ‘That is in vain! We will follow our own plans, and will every one act according to the stubbornness of his evil heart.’ (Jer 2,25; Jer 3,17)13“Therefore thus says the Lord: Ask among the nations, Who has heard the like of this? The virgin Israel has done a very horrible thing. (Jer 2,10; Jer 5,30)14Does the snow of Lebanon leave the crags of Sirion?[2] Do the mountain waters run dry,[3] the cold flowing streams?15But my people have forgotten me; they make offerings to false gods; they made them stumble in their ways, in the ancient roads, and to walk into side roads, not the highway, (Es 57,14; Jer 2,5; Jer 2,13; Jer 2,32; Jer 6,16; Jer 10,15; Jer 16,19; Jer 17,13)16making their land a horror, a thing to be hissed at forever. Everyone who passes by it is horrified and shakes his head. (2.Krøn 29,8; Job 16,4; Salm 22,7; Jer 19,8; Jer 25,9; Jer 25,11; Jer 25,18; Jer 49,13; Jer 49,17; Jer 50,13; Jer 51,37; Klag 2,15; Matt 27,39)17Like the east wind I will scatter them before the enemy. I will show them my back, not my face, in the day of their calamity.” (1.Mos 41,6; 1.Mos 41,23; 1.Mos 41,27; 2.Mos 10,13; Job 27,21; Salm 48,7; Jer 2,27; Jer 13,24; Ez 27,26; Hos 13,15; Jonas 4,8)18Then they said, “Come, let us make plots against Jeremiah, for the law shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. Come, let us strike him with the tongue, and let us not pay attention to any of his words.” (Job 5,21; Salm 31,20; Jer 2,8; Jer 5,13; Jer 5,31; Jer 6,13; Jer 9,3; Jer 9,8; Jer 11,19)19Hear me, O Lord, and listen to the voice of my adversaries. (Salm 35,1; Es 49,25)20Should good be repaid with evil? Yet they have dug a pit for my life. Remember how I stood before you to speak good for them, to turn away your wrath from them. (Neh 13,14; Salm 35,7; Salm 35,12; Salm 57,6; Salm 119,85)21Therefore deliver up their children to famine; give them over to the power of the sword; let their wives become childless and widowed. May their men meet death by pestilence, their youths be struck down by the sword in battle. (Salm 109,9; Salm 109,10)22May a cry be heard from their houses, when you bring the plunderer suddenly upon them! For they have dug a pit to take me and laid snares for my feet. (Salm 140,5; Jer 18,20; Jer 20,16)23Yet you, O Lord, know all their plotting to kill me. Forgive not their iniquity, nor blot out their sin from your sight. Let them be overthrown before you; deal with them in the time of your anger. (Neh 4,5; Salm 35,22)