1 Die woord wat van die HERE tot Jeremia gekom het:
2 Maak jou klaar en gaan af na die huis van die pottebakker, en daar sal Ek jou my woorde laat hoor.
3 Toe het ek afgegaan na die huis van die pottebakker, en hy was juis besig om 'n stuk werk op die skywe te maak.
4 En die voorwerp wat hy besig was om te maak, het misluk -- soos dit gaan met klei in die hand van die pottebakker -- maar hy het daaruit weer 'n ander voorwerp gemaak soos dit in die oë van die pottebakker reg was om dit te maak.
5 Toe het die woord van die HERE tot my gekom en gesê:
6 Sal Ek nie soos hierdie pottebakker met julle kan maak nie, o huis van Israel? spreek die HERE. Kyk, soos klei in die hand van die pottebakker, so is julle in my hand, o huis van Israel!
7 In een oomblik sal Ek spreek oor 'n nasie en oor 'n koninkryk om dit uit te ruk en om te gooi en te vernietig;
8 maar as die nasie waaroor Ek gespreek het, hulle bekeer van hul boosheid, sal Ek berou hê oor die onheil wat Ek van plan was om hulle aan te doen.
9 En in 'n ander oomblik sal Ek spreek oor 'n nasie en oor 'n koninkryk om dit te bou en te plant;
10 maar as hulle doen wat verkeerd is in my oë deur na my stem nie te luister nie, dan sal Ek berou hê oor die goeie waarmee Ek gesê het dat Ek aan hulle goed sal doen.
11 Sê dan nou tog aan die manne van Juda en die inwoners van Jerusalem dit: So spreek die HERE: Kyk, Ek maak onheil gereed teen julle, en Ek dink 'n plan uit teen julle; bekeer julle tog, elkeen van sy verkeerde weg, en maak julle weë en julle handelinge goed.
12 Maar hulle sê: Dit is tevergeefs; want ons sal na ons gedagtes wandel, en ons sal elkeen volgens die verhardheid van sy bose hart handel.
13 Daarom, so spreek die HERE: Vra tog onder die volke: Wie het sulke dinge gehoor? Die jonkvrou van Israel het 'n baie afskuwelike ding gedoen.
14 Verdwyn die sneeu van die L¡banon ooit van die rots in die veld? Of droog die uitlandse, koue, stromende waters op?
15 Nogtans het my volk My vergeet, hulle laat rook opgaan vir die nietige afgode; die het hulle laat struikel op al hul weë, op die ou paaie, om te loop op sypaaie, 'n ongemaakte pad;
16 om hulle land te maak 'n voorwerp van verbasing, van bespotting vir ewig. Elkeen wat daar verbytrek, sal hom verbaas en sy hoof skud.
17 Soos 'n oostewind sal Ek hulle verstrooi voor die vyand; met die nek, en nie met die aangesig nie, sal Ek hulle aankyk in die dag van hulle ondergang.
18 Toe het hulle gesê: Kom, laat ons planne teen Jeremia beraam; want onderrigting sal nie ontbreek by die priester of raad by die wyse of 'n woord by die profeet nie. Kom, laat ons hom slaan met die tong, en laat ons nie luister na een van sy woorde nie.
19 HERE, luister tog na my, en hoor na die stem van die wat met my twis.
20 Sal goed dan met kwaad vergeld word? -- want hulle het vir my 'n kuil gegrawe. Gedenk hoe ek voor u aangesig gestaan het om 'n goeie woord vir hulle te doen, om u grimmigheid van hulle af te keer.
21 Daarom, gee hulle kinders oor aan die hongersnood, en lewer hulle oor in die mag van die swaard, en laat hulle vroue kinderloos en weduwees word, en laat hulle manne omkom deur die pes, hulle jongmanne verslaan word deur die swaard in die geveg.
22 Laat daar 'n geskreeu uit hulle huise gehoor word as U skielik 'n bende oor hulle bring. Want hulle het 'n kuil gegrawe om my te vang en vangnette voor my voete gespan.
23 Maar U, HERE, ken hulle hele plan teen my om my dood te maak; doen geen versoening oor hulle ongeregtigheid en delg hulle sonde nie uit voor u aangesig nie, ja, laat hulle tot 'n val kom voor u aangesig, tree teen hulle op in die tyd van u toorn.
1 The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying,
2 Up! go down to the potter's house, and there I will let my words come to your ears.
3 Then I went down to the potter's house, and he was doing his work on the stones.
4 And when the vessel, which he was forming out of earth, got damaged in the hand of the potter, he made it again into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to make it.
5 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
6 O Israel, am I not able to do with you as this potter does? says the Lord. See, like earth in the potter's hand are you in my hands, O Israel.
7 Whenever I say anything about uprooting a nation or a kingdom, and smashing it and sending destruction on it;
8 If, in that very minute, that nation of which I was talking is turned away from its evil, my purpose of doing evil to them will be changed.
9 And whenever I say anything about building up a nation or a kingdom, and planting it;
10 If, in that very minute, it does evil in my eyes, going against my orders, then my good purpose, which I said I would do for them, will be changed.
11 Now, then, say to the men of Judah and to the people of Jerusalem, This is what the Lord has said: See, I am forming an evil thing against you, and designing a design against you: let every man come back now from his evil way, and let your ways and your doings be changed for the better.
12 But they will say, There is no hope: we will go on in our designs, and every one of us will do what he is moved by the pride of his evil heart to do.
13 So this is what the Lord has said: Make search among the nations and see who has had word of such things; the virgin of Israel has done a very shocking thing.
14 Will the white snow go away from the top of Sirion? will the cold waters flowing from the mountains become dry?
15 For my people have put me out of their memory, burning perfumes to that which is nothing; and because of this, I will put a cause of falling in their ways, even in the old roads, and will make them go on side-roads, in a way not lifted up;
16 Making their land a thing of wonder, causing sounds of surprise for ever; everyone who goes by will be overcome with wonder, shaking his head.
17 I will send them in flight, as from an east wind, before the attacker; I will let them see my back and not my face on the day of their downfall.
18 Then they said, Come, let us make a design against Jeremiah; for teaching will never be cut off from the priest, or wisdom from the wise, or the word from the prophet. Come, let us make use of his words for an attack on him, and let us give attention with care to what he says.
19 Give thought to me, O Lord, and give ear to the voice of those who put forward a cause against me.
20 Is evil to be the reward of good? for they have made a deep hole for my soul. Keep in mind how I took my place before you, to say a good word for them so that your wrath might be turned away from them.
21 For this cause, let their children be without food, and give them over to the power of the sword; and let their wives be without children and become widows; let their men be overtaken by death, and their young men be put to the sword in the fight.
22 Let a cry for help go up from their houses, when you send an armed band on them suddenly: for they have made a hole in which to take me, and have put nets for my feet secretly.
23 But you, Lord, have knowledge of all the designs which they have made against my life; let not their evil-doing be covered or their sin be washed away from before your eyes: but let it be a cause of falling before you: so do to them in the time of your wrath.