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- This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD:
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- "Go down to the potter's house, and there I will give you my message."
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- So I went down to the potter's house, and I saw him working at the wheel.
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- But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him.
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- Then the word of the LORD came to me:
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- "O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter does?" declares the LORD. "Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel.
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- If at any time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down and destroyed,
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- and if that nation I warned repents of its evil, then I will relent and not inflict on it the disaster I had planned.
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- And if at another time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be built up and planted,
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- and if it does evil in my sight and does not obey me, then I will reconsider the good I had intended to do for it.
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- "Now therefore say to the people of Judah and those living in Jerusalem, `This is what the LORD says: Look! I am preparing a disaster for you and devising a plan against you. So turn from your evil ways, each one of you, and reform your ways and your actions.'
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- But they will reply, `It's no use. We will continue with our own plans; each of us will follow the stubbornness of his evil heart.'"
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- Therefore this is what the LORD says: "Inquire among the nations: Who has ever heard anything like this? A most horrible thing has been done by Virgin Israel.
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- Does the snow of Lebanon ever vanish from its rocky slopes? Do its cool waters from distant sources ever cease to flow? [1]
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- Yet my people have forgotten me; they burn incense to worthless idols, which made them stumble in their ways and in the ancient paths. They made them walk in bypaths and on roads not built up.
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- Their land will be laid waste, an object of lasting scorn; all who pass by will be appalled and will shake their heads.
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- Like a wind from the east, I will scatter them before their enemies; I will show them my back and not my face in the day of their disaster."
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- They said, "Come, let's make plans against Jeremiah; for the teaching of the law by the priest will not be lost, nor will counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophets. So come, let's attack him with our tongues and pay no attention to anything he says."
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- Listen to me, O LORD; hear what my accusers are saying!
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- Should good be repaid with evil? Yet they have dug a pit for me. Remember that I stood before you and spoke in their behalf to turn your wrath away from them.
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- So give their children over to famine; hand them over to the power of the sword. Let their wives be made childless and widows; let their men be put to death, their young men slain by the sword in battle.
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- Let a cry be heard from their houses when you suddenly bring invaders against them, for they have dug a pit to capture me and have hidden snares for my feet.
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- But you know, O LORD, all their plots to kill me. Do not forgive their crimes or blot out their sins from your sight. Let them be overthrown before you; deal with them in the time of your anger.
FAQs
What is Jeremiah 18 talking about? ›
Prophets use these familial metaphors to speak about the relationship between God and God's people. Jeremiah 18 presents another relational one: God as Potter, Israel as Clay. God as the craftsman with a design plan, Israel as the malleable substance under review.
What is the parable of the Potter's House? ›When God wanted to teach the prophet Jeremiah an important spiritual lesson, God “nudged him” to go down to the Potter's House. In that unlikely setting, God showed Jeremiah how the clay can be molded and spoiled in the Potter's hand. God was warning Jeremiah that the people of Judah must make God their #1 priority.
Where in the Bible does it talk about the Potter's house? ›Jeremiah 18:2-6 New King James Version (NKJV)
“Arise and go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause you to hear My words.” Then I went down to the potter's house, and there he was, making something at the wheel.
Bible Gateway Jeremiah 18 :: NIV. "Go down to the potter's house, and there I will give you my message." So I went down to the potter's house, and I saw him working at the wheel. But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him.
What is the book of Jeremiah trying to teach us? ›What's the big idea? Because Jeremiah prophesied in the final years of Judah before God's people were exiled to Babylon, it makes sense that the book's overarching theme is judgment. Indeed, the first forty-five chapters focus primarily on the judgment coming to Judah because of its disbelief and disobedience.
What does clay represent spiritually? ›The symbolism of clay can also portray ideas of renewal and reincarnation as clay can be infinitely recycled in its raw state by managing its moisture levels. This alludes to the infinite possibilities of clay and the capacity to start all over again, to be reborn. Jesus's resurrection is an example of this.
Who is buried in Potter's Field in the Bible? ›The Potter's Field is of Biblical origin, and is also called Akeldama, bought by the high priests of Jerusalem for the burial of strangers, criminals, and the poor.
What religion is the Potter's House? ›The Potter's House Christian Fellowship, commonly known as The Potter's House, is a Pentecostal Christian organisation based in the United States of America. It was established in Prescott, Arizona, in 1970 by Wayman Mitchell.
What does the potter's field mean in the Bible? ›A potter's field, paupers' grave or common grave is a place for the burial of unknown, unclaimed or indigent people.
Why did God tell Jeremiah to go to the Potter's House? ›God told Jeremiah to go the potter's house because, through the work of the potter, God would reveal his message to Jeremiah. The prophet watched as the potter worked at the wheel, purposefully shaping the clay with a beautiful and useful end in mind.
What does a wheel symbolize in the Bible? ›
The wheels of Ezekiel do not only represent one man's visionary experience; they signify the entirety of Scripture (perfecta sacre scripture).
How is the potter's wheel used today? ›The use of the motor-driven wheel has become common in modern times, particularly with craft potters and educational institutions, although human-powered ones are still in use and are preferred by some studio potters.
What was the major theme of Jeremiah's message? ›Jeremiah had more to say about repentance than any other prophet. He called upon men to turn away from their wicked ways and dependence upon idols and false gods and return to their early covenantal loyalty to Yahweh.
What is the lesson of the Potter's Wheel? ›The prophet reminds us that God is indeed a skillful potter, and we are the clay. He is sovereign and can use what He creates to both destroy evil and create beauty in us. God can shape us even when we're marred or broken.
What is the lesson of Jeremiah 18:1-11? ›The message is clear: God can do to God's people whatever God wants – like a potter with clay. While we might think – and we often do – that WE can indeed do whatever WE want. The real message is this: life is always lived with God, before God, under God. God finally rules and reigns!
What was Jeremiah talking about? ›As a prophet, Jeremiah pronounced God's judgment upon the people of his time for their wickedness. He was concerned especially with false and insincere worship and failure to trust Yahweh in national affairs. He denounced social injustices but not so much as some previous prophets, such as Amos and Micah.