The Hebrew Prophets

And they have not hearkened nor inclined their ear, And they stiffen their neck not to hear, And not to receive instruction.

And it hath been, if ye certainly hearken unto Me, An affirmation of Jehovah, So as not to bring in a burden By the gates of this city on the day of rest, And to sanctify the day of rest, So as not to do in it any work--

Then entered by the gates of this city have kings and princes, Sitting on the throne of David, Riding in a chariot, and on horses, They, and their princes, the man of Judah, And inhabitants of Jerusalem, And this city hath remained to the age.

And they have come in from cities of Judah, And from suburbs of Jerusalem, And from the land of Benjamin, And from the low country, And from the hill-country, and from the south, Bringing in burnt-offering, and sacrifice, And present, and frankincense, And bringing praise to the house of Jehovah.

And if ye do not hearken unto me to sanctify the day of rest, And so as not to bear a burden, And to come in at the gates of Jerusalem on the day of rest, Then I have kindled a fire in its gates, And it hath consumed the high places of Jerusalem, And it is not quenched!'

The word that hath been unto Jeremiah from Jehovah, saying,

Rise, and thou hast gone down to the potter's house, and there I cause thee to hear My words;

and I go down to the potter's house, and lo, he is doing a work on the stones,

and marred is the vessel that he is making, as clay in the hand of the potter, and he hath turned and he maketh it another vessel, as it was right in the eyes of the potter to make.

And there is a word of Jehovah to me, saying:

As this potter am I not able to do to you? O house of Israel, an affirmation of Jehovah. Lo, as clay in the hand of the potter, So are ye in My hand, O house of Israel.

The moment I speak concerning a nation, And concerning a kingdom, To pluck up and to break down, and to destroy,

And that nation hath turned from its evil, Because I have spoken against it, Then I have repented of the evil that I thought to do to it.

And the moment I speak concerning a nation, And concerning a kingdom, to build, and to plant,

And it hath done the evil thing in Mine eyes, So as not to hearken to My voice, Then I have repented of the good That I have spoken of doing to it.

And now, speak, I pray thee, unto men of Judah, And against inhabitants of Jerusalem, Saying: Thus said Jehovah: Lo, I am framing against you evil, And devising against you a device, Turn back, I pray you, each from his evil way And amen your ways and your doings.

And they have said, It is incurable, For after our own devices we do go, And each the stubbornness of his evil heart we do.

Therefore, thus said Jehovah: Ask, I pray you, among the nations, Who hath heard like these? A very horrible thing hath the virgin of Israel done.

Doth snow of Lebanon Cease from the rock of the field? Failed are the cold strange waters that flow?

But My people have forgotten Me, to a vain thing they make perfume, And they cause them to stumble in their ways--paths of old, To walk in paths--a way not raised up,

To make their land become a desolation, A hissing age-during, Every passer by it is astonished, And bemoaneth with his head.

As an east wind I scatter them before an enemy, The neck, and not the face, I shew them, In the day of their calamity.'

And they say, Come, And we devise against Jeremiah devices, For law doth not perish from the priest, Nor counsel from the wise, Nor the word from the prophet, Come, and we smite him with the tongue, And we do not attend to any of his words.

Give attention, O Jehovah, unto me, And hearken to the voice of those contending with me.

Is evil recompensed instead of good, That they have dug a pit for my soul? Remember my standing before Thee to speak good of them, To turn back Thy wrath from them.