Jeremiah 18 יִרְמְיָהוּ פרק י״ח

Masoretic Text, word by word with English glosses, the English verse beneath each. Open Jeremiah 18 in the interlinear reader for transliteration, roots and notes.

1. 1

   הַדָּבָרthe wordאֲשֶׁרwhichהָיָהwasאֶל־יִרְמְיָהוּto Jeremiahמֵאֵתfromיְהֹוָהthe LORDלֵאמֹר׃saying

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

2. 2

   קוּםariseוְיָרַדְתָּand you will go downבֵּיתto the house ofהַיּוֹצֵרthe potterוְשָׁמָּהand thereאַשְׁמִיעֲךָI will cause to hear youאֶת־דְּבָרָי׃my words

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

3. 3

   וָאֵרֵדthen I went downבֵּיתthe house ofהַיּוֹצֵרthe potter[וְהִנֵּה־הוּא]and behold he wasעֹשֶׂהat workמְלָאכָהworkעַל־הָאׇבְנָיִם׃on the wheels

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

4. 4

   וְנִשְׁחַתand it was spoiledהַכְּלִיthe vesselאֲשֶׁרwhichהוּאheעֹשֶׂהwas makingבַּחֹמֶרof clayבְּיַדin the hand ofהַיּוֹצֵרthe potterוְשָׁבso he made againוַיַּעֲשֵׂהוּand he made itכְּלִיinto a vesselאַחֵרotherכַּאֲשֶׁרasיָשַׁרit seemed goodבְּעֵינֵיin the eyes ofהַיּוֹצֵרthe potterלַעֲשׂוֹת׃to do

   And 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.

5. 5

   וַיְהִיand it came to passדְבַר־יְהֹוָהthe word of the LORDאֵלַיto meלֵאמוֹר׃saying

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

6. 6

   הֲכַיּוֹצֵרas this potterהַזֶּהthisלֹא־אוּכַלcannot Iלַעֲשׂוֹתto doלָכֶםto youבֵּיתthe house ofיִשְׂרָאֵלIsraelנְאֻם־יְהֹוָהsays the LORDהִנֵּהbeholdכַחֹמֶרlike clayבְּיַדin the hand ofהַיּוֹצֵרthe potterכֵּן־אַתֶּםso are youבְּיָדִיin my handבֵּיתthe house ofיִשְׂרָאֵל׃Israel

   O 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. 7

   רֶגַעat one timeאֲדַבֵּרI speakעַל־גּוֹיupon nationוְעַל־מַמְלָכָהand upon kingdomלִנְתוֹשׁto pluck upוְלִנְתוֹץand to pull downוּלְהַאֲבִיד׃and to destroy

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

8. 8

   וְשָׁבbut if turnהַגּוֹיthe nationהַהוּאthatמֵרָעָתוֹfrom its evilאֲשֶׁרwhichדִּבַּרְתִּיI have pronouncedעָלָיוagainst whomוְנִחַמְתִּיand I repentעַל־הָרָעָהupon the evilאֲשֶׁרwhichחָשַׁבְתִּיI thoughtלַעֲשׂוֹתto doלוֹ׃to him

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

9. 9

   וְרֶגַעand at another timeאֲדַבֵּרI speakעַל־גּוֹיupon nationוְעַל־מַמְלָכָהand upon kingdomלִבְנוֹתto buildוְלִנְטוֹעַ׃and to plant

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

10. 10

    וְעָשָׂהbut if it do(הרעה)[הָרַע]evilבְּעֵינַיin my eyesלְבִלְתִּיto notשְׁמֹעַhearsבְּקוֹלִיmy voiceוְנִחַמְתִּיand I repentעַל־הַטּוֹבָהupon the goodאֲשֶׁרwhichאָמַרְתִּיI saidלְהֵיטִיבI would benefitאוֹתוֹ׃him

    If 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. 11

    וְעַתָּהand nowאֱמׇר־נָאspeak nowאֶל־אִישׁ־יְהוּדָהto the men of Judahוְעַל־יוֹשְׁבֵיand to the inhabitants ofיְרוּשָׁלַ͏ִםJerusalemלֵאמֹרsayingכֹּהthusאָמַרsaidיְהֹוָהthe LORDהִנֵּהbeholdאָנֹכִיIיוֹצֵרframeעֲלֵיכֶםover youרָעָהevilוְחֹשֵׁבand deviseעֲלֵיכֶםover youמַחֲשָׁבָהa deviceשׁוּבוּreturnנָאI prayאִישׁevery oneמִדַּרְכּוֹfrom his wayהָרָעָהthe evilוְהֵיטִיבוּand amendדַרְכֵיכֶםyour waysוּמַעַלְלֵיכֶם׃and your doings

    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.

12. 12

    וְאָמְרוּshall sayנוֹאָשׁthere is no hopeכִּי־אַחֲרֵיbecause afterמַחְשְׁבוֹתֵינוּour own devicesנֵלֵךְwe should goוְאִישׁand we will every oneשְׁרִרוּתthe stubbornness ofלִבּוֹ־הָרָעhis evil heartנַעֲשֶׂה׃do

    And 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.

13. 13

    לָכֵןthereforeכֹּהthusאָמַרsaidיְהֹוָהthe LORDשַׁאֲלוּ־נָאask nowבַּגּוֹיִםamong the heathenמִיwhoשָׁמַעhas heardכָּאֵלֶּהsuch as theseשַׁעֲרֻרִתa horrible thingעָשְׂתָהhas doneמְאֹדveryבְּתוּלַתvirgin ofיִשְׂרָאֵל׃Israel

    Therefore 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.

14. 14

    הֲיַעֲזֹבdoes failמִצּוּרfrom the crags ofשָׂדַיthe fieldsשֶׁלֶגsnowלְבָנוֹןLebanonאִם־יִנָּתְשׁוּor do ceaseמַיִםwaterזָרִיםfar offקָרִיםcoldנוֹזְלִים׃flowing

    Will 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?

15. 15

    כִּי־שְׁכֵחֻנִיbecause they have forgotten meעַמִּיmy peopleלַשָּׁוְאto vain godsיְקַטֵּרוּthey burn incenseוַיַּכְשִׁלוּםand they stumbleבְּדַרְכֵיהֶםtheir own waysשְׁבִילֵיfrom the paths ofעוֹלָםthe ancientלָלֶכֶתto goנְתִיבוֹתin bypathsדֶּרֶךְthe way ofלֹאnotסְלוּלָה׃levelled

    Because 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;

16. 16

    לָשׂוּםto putאַרְצָםtheir own landלְשַׁמָּהan astonishment[שְׁרִיקוֹת]a hissingעוֹלָםperpetualכֹּלallעוֹבֵרthat passes byעָלֶיהָupon itיִשֹּׁםshall be astonishedוְיָנִידand shakeבְּרֹאשׁוֹ׃his head

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

17. 17

    כְּרוּחַ־קָדִיםas with an east windאֲפִיצֵםI will scatter themלִפְנֵיbeforeאוֹיֵבthe enemyעֹרֶףmy backוְלֹא־פָנִיםand not my faceאֶרְאֵםI will show themבְּיוֹםin the day ofאֵידָם׃their disaster

    I 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. 18

    וַיֹּאמְרוּand they saidלְכוּcomeוְנַחְשְׁבָהand let us contriveעַל־יִרְמְיָהוּupon Jeremiahמַחֲשָׁבוֹתdevicesכִּיforלֹא־תֹאבַדshall not perishתּוֹרָהLawמִכֹּהֵןfrom the priestוְעֵצָהand counselמֵחָכָםfrom the wiseוְדָבָרand wordמִנָּבִיאfrom the prophetלְכוּcomeוְנַכֵּהוּand let us smite himבַלָּשׁוֹןwith the tongueוְאַל־נַקְשִׁיבָהand let us not give heedאֶל־כׇּל־דְּבָרָיו׃to all of his words

    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.

19. 19

    הַקְשִׁיבָהgive heedיְהֹוָהthe LORDאֵלָיunto meוּשְׁמַעand hearלְקוֹלthe voice ofיְרִיבָי׃them that contend with me

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

20. 20

    הַיְשֻׁלַּםshall be recompensedתַּחַת־טוֹבָהfor goodרָעָהevilכִּי־כָרוּbecause they have dugשׁוּחָהa pitלְנַפְשִׁיmy soulזְכֹרrememberעׇמְדִיthat I stoodלְפָנֶיךָbefore youלְדַבֵּרto speakעֲלֵיהֶםupon themטוֹבָהgoodלְהָשִׁיבand to turn awayאֶת־חֲמָתְךָyour angerמֵהֶם׃of them

    Shall 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.

21. 21

    לָכֵןthereforeתֵּןdeliver upאֶת־בְּנֵיהֶםtheir sonsלָרָעָבfor famineוְהַגִּרֵםand pour out their bloodעַל־יְדֵי־חֶרֶבby the swordוְתִהְיֶנָהso they may becomeנְשֵׁיהֶםtheir wivesשַׁכֻּלוֹתbereaved of their childrenוְאַלְמָנוֹתand widowsוְאַנְשֵׁיהֶםand their menיִהְיוּshall beהֲרֻגֵיput toמָוֶתdeathבַּחוּרֵיהֶםtheir young menמֻכֵּי־חֶרֶבslain by the swordבַּמִּלְחָמָה׃in the battle

    Therefore 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.

22. 22

    תִּשָּׁמַעlet be heardזְעָקָהa cryמִבָּתֵּיהֶםfrom their housesכִּי־תָבִיאwhen you shall bringעֲלֵיהֶםupon themגְּדוּדa troopפִּתְאֹםsuddenlyכִּי־כָרוּbecause they have dug(שיחה)[שׁוּחָה]a pitלְלׇכְדֵנִיto capture meוּפַחִיםand snaresטָמְנוּthey hidלְרַגְלָי׃for my feet

    Let 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.

23. 23

    וְאַתָּהand youיְהֹוָהthe LORDיָדַעְתָּYou knowstאֶת־כׇּל־עֲצָתָםall their counselsעָלַיupon meלַמָּוֶתto slay meאַל־תְּכַפֵּרforgive notעַל־עֲוֺנָםconcerning their iniquityוְחַטָּאתָםand their sinמִלְּפָנֶיךָfrom before youאַל־תֶּמְחִיneither blot out(והיו)[וְיִהְיוּ]but let them beמֻכְשָׁלִיםoverthrownלְפָנֶיךָbefore youבְּעֵתin timeאַפְּךָYour angerעֲשֵׂהdeal thusבָהֶם׃with them

    Yet, 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.