Jeremiah 18

King James Version

Full text for Jeremiah Chapter 18

1¶ The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,

2Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words.

3Then I went down to the potter's house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels.

4And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make [it].

5Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

6O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay [is] in the potter's hand, so [are] ye in mine hand, O house of Israel.

7[At what] instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to destroy [it];

8If that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them.

9And [at what] instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant [it];

10If it do evil in my sight, that it obey not my voice, then I will repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit them.

11¶ Now therefore go to, speak to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I frame evil against you, and devise a device against you: return ye now every one from his evil way, and make your ways and your doings good.

12And they said, There is no hope: but we will walk after our own devices, and we will every one do the imagination of his evil heart.

13Therefore thus saith the LORD; Ask ye now among the heathen, who hath heard such things: the virgin of Israel hath done a very horrible thing.

14Will [a man] leave the snow of Lebanon [which cometh] from the rock of the field? [or] shall the cold flowing waters that come from another place be forsaken?

15Because my people hath forgotten me, they have burned incense to vanity, and they have caused them to stumble in their ways [from] the ancient paths, to walk in paths, [in] a way not cast up;

16To make their land desolate, [and] a perpetual hissing; every one that passeth thereby shall be astonished, and wag his head.

17I will scatter them as with an east wind before the enemy; I will shew them the back, and not the face, in the day of their calamity.

18¶ Then said they, Come, and let us devise devices against Jeremiah; for the law shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. Come, and let us smite him with the tongue, and let us not give heed to any of his words.

19Give heed to me, O LORD, and hearken to the voice of them that contend with me.

20Shall evil be recompensed for good? for they have digged a pit for my soul. Remember that I stood before thee to speak good for them, [and] to turn away thy wrath from them.

21Therefore deliver up their children to the famine, and pour out their [blood] by the force of the sword; and let their wives be bereaved of their children, and [be] widows; and let their men be put to death; [let] their young men [be] slain by the sword in battle.

22Let a cry be heard from their houses, when thou shalt bring a troop suddenly upon them: for they have digged a pit to take me, and hid snares for my feet.

23Yet, LORD, thou knowest all their counsel against me to slay [me]: forgive not their iniquity, neither blot out their sin from thy sight, but let them be overthrown before thee; deal [thus] with them in the time of thine anger.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Jeremiah is sent to a potter's house, where God uses the clay's reshaping to illustrate His sovereign power over Israel, offering conditional mercy or judgment based on their repentance or disobedience. God warns Judah of impending evil due to their idolatry and abandonment of ancient paths, but they defiantly refuse to repent. Consequently, the people conspire against Jeremiah, leading him to pray for divine vengeance upon his persecutors.

Medium Summary

The LORD instructs Jeremiah to visit a potter, observing how a marred vessel is remade. This serves as an analogy for God's relationship with Israel, demonstrating His sovereign power to shape nations according to their response to His word. God declares that He will "repent" of threatened judgment if a nation turns from evil, or "repent" of promised good if they persist in wickedness. Jeremiah is then commanded to warn Judah and Jerusalem that God is devising evil against them, urging them to repent from their wicked ways. However, the people defiantly reject this call, declaring their intention to follow their own devices. God laments their unnatural apostasy, comparing it to forsaking life-giving waters, and prophesies desolation and scattering as a consequence. In response, the people conspire to silence Jeremiah, prompting the prophet to appeal to God for justice and to pray for severe judgment upon his adversaries.

Long Summary

The chapter begins with the LORD instructing Jeremiah to go to a potter's house. There, Jeremiah observes the potter working on the wheel, and when a vessel is marred, the potter reshapes it into another vessel as he sees fit. This act becomes a profound object lesson from the LORD, who declares to the house of Israel, "Cannot I do with you as this potter?" emphasizing His absolute sovereignty over them, just as the clay is in the potter's hand. God then elaborates on His conditional dealings with nations: if He pronounces judgment upon a kingdom, but they turn from their evil, He will "repent of the evil" He intended. Conversely, if He promises to build and plant a nation, but they do evil and disobey Him, He will "repent of the good" He purposed for them. Following this divine instruction, Jeremiah is commanded to deliver a direct message to the men of Judah and Jerusalem. The LORD declares that He is framing evil against them and devising a plan, urging them to return from their evil ways and make their doings good. Tragically, the people respond with defiant despair, stating, "There is no hope: but we will walk after our own devices, and we will every one do the imagination of his evil heart." God then expresses His astonishment at their unprecedented apostasy, questioning who among the heathen has heard such a thing, comparing their forsaking Him to abandoning natural, life-giving waters for barrenness. He laments that His people have forgotten Him, burned incense to vanity, and stumbled from the ancient paths into unmade ways. As a consequence, their land will become desolate and a perpetual hissing, and God will scatter them before their enemies, turning His back on them in their calamity. The chapter concludes with the people conspiring against Jeremiah, asserting that the law, counsel, and prophetic word will not perish from their established authorities, implying they reject Jeremiah's message. They resolve to "smite him with the tongue" and ignore his words. In response, Jeremiah appeals directly to the LORD, asking Him to heed his cry against those who contend with him. He reminds God of his intercession on their behalf, questioning if good should be repaid with evil, as they have dug a pit for his soul. Overwhelmed by their malice, Jeremiah then pronounces a fervent prayer for divine retribution, asking God to deliver their children to famine, their blood to the sword, their wives to widowhood, and their young men to death, and to not forgive their iniquity but to overthrow them in His anger.

Core Concepts

  • Divine SovereigntyGod's absolute power and authority over nations, likened to a potter's control over clay, to shape, destroy, or rebuild according to His will.
  • Conditional Judgment and MercyGod's declared intention to bring judgment or blessing is contingent upon a nation's response, demonstrating His willingness to alter His course based on repentance or continued disobedience.
  • Judah's DefianceThe people of Judah's stubborn refusal to repent, choosing instead to follow their own evil hearts and devices despite God's clear warning and call to return.
  • Apostasy and Forgotten PathsIsrael's unnatural act of abandoning the LORD, forgetting Him, and forsaking the "ancient paths" for idolatry and unrighteous ways, leading to desolation.
  • Prophetic PersecutionThe opposition and conspiracy against Jeremiah by the people, who reject his message and seek to silence him, believing their own religious and wise leaders are sufficient.
  • Prophet's Imprecatory PrayerJeremiah's impassioned plea to God for justice and severe judgment upon his persecutors, reflecting the depth of their malice and his personal suffering.