<p class="poetry">&#8220;Before I formed you in your mother&#8217;s womb<n id="1" /> I chose you.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">Before you were born I set you apart.p> <p class="poetry">I appointed you to be a prophet to the nations.&#8221;p>

So I went down to the potter&#8217;s house and found him working<n id="1" /> at his wheel.<n id="2" />

<t /><p class="bodytext">The <sc>Lordsc> told Jeremiah,<n id="1" /> &#8220;Go and buy a clay jar from a potter.<n id="2" /> Take with you<n id="3" /> some of the leaders of the people and some of the leaders<n id="4" /> of the priests.

&#8220;I, the <sc>Lordsc>, do these things. I, the <sc>Lordsc>, form the plan to bring them about.<n id="1" /> I am known as the <sc>Lordsc>. I say to you,

<p class="lamhebrew">&#1489; (<i>Beti>)p> <p class="poetry">The precious sons of Zionp> <p class="poetry">were worth their weight in gold &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">Alas! &#8211; but now they are treated like<n id="1" /> broken clay pots,p> <p class="poetry">made by a potter.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">For this is what the <sc>Lordsc> says,p> <p class="poetry">the one who created the sky &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">he is the true God,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">the one who formed the earth and made it;p> <p class="poetry">he established it,p> <p class="poetry">he did not create it without order,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">he formed it to be inhabited &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;I am the <sc>Lordsc>, I have no peer.p>

&#8220;I, the <sc>Lordsc>, say:<n id="1" /> &#8216;O nation of Israel, can I not deal with you as this potter deals with the clay?<n id="2" /> In my hands, you, O nation of Israel, are just like the clay in this potter&#8217;s hand.&#8217;

The <sc>Lordsc> then said to me, &#8220;Throw to the potter that exorbitant sum<n id="1" /> at which they valued me!&#8221; So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them to the potter<n id="2" /> at the temple<n id="3" /> of the <sc>Lordsc>.

The <sc>Lordsc> God formed<n id="1" /> the man from the soil of the ground<n id="2" /> and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life,<n id="3" /> and the man became a living being.<n id="4" />p>

He accepted the gold<n id="1" /> from them,<n id="2" /> fashioned<n id="3" /> it with an engraving tool, and made a molten calf.<n id="4" /> Then they said, &#8220;These are your gods,<n id="5" /> O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.&#8221;p>

<n id="1" /><p class="poetry">Certainly you must have heard!<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">Long ago I worked it out,p> <p class="poetry">In ancient times I planned<n id="3" /> it;p> <p class="poetry">and now I am bringing it to pass.p> <p class="poetry">The plan is this:p> <p class="poetry">Fortified cities will crashp> <p class="poetry">into heaps of ruins.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">You made a reservoir between the two wallsp> <p class="poetry">for the water of the old pool &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">but you did not trust in<n id="1" /> the one who made it;<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">you did not depend on<n id="3" /> the one who formed it long ago!p>

<p class="poetry">It shatters in pieces like a clay jar,p> <p class="poetry">so shattered to bits that none of it can be salvaged.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Among its fragments one cannot find a shard large enough<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">to scoop a hot coal from a fire<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">or to skim off water from a cistern.&#8221;<n id="4" />p>

<n id="1" /><p class="poetry">Certainly you must have heard!<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">Long ago I worked it out,p> <p class="poetry">in ancient times I planned<n id="3" /> it,p> <p class="poetry">and now I am bringing it to pass.p> <p class="poetry">The plan is this:p> <p class="poetry">Fortified cities will crashp> <p class="poetry">into heaps of ruins.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">I have stirred up one out of the north<n id="1" /> and he advances,p> <p class="poetry">one from the eastern horizon who prays in my name.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">He steps on<n id="3" /> rulers as if they were clay,p> <p class="poetry">like a potter treading the clay.p>

<t /><p class="poetry">Now, this is what the <sc>Lordsc> says,p> <p class="poetry">the one who created you, O Jacob,p> <p class="poetry">and formed you, O Israel:p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;Don&#8217;t be afraid, for I will protect<n id="1" /> you.p> <p class="poetry">I call you by name, you are mine.p>

<p class="poetry">This is what the <sc>Lordsc>, the one who made you, says &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">the one who formed you in the womb and helps you:p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;Don&#8217;t be afraid, my servant Jacob,p> <p class="poetry">Jeshurun,<n id="1" /> whom I have chosen!p>

<p class="poetry">All who form idols are nothing;p> <p class="poetry">the things in which they delight are worthless.p> <p class="poetry">Their witnesses cannot see;p> <p class="poetry">they recognize nothing, so they are put to shame.p>

<p class="poetry">A blacksmith works with his tool<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">and forges metal over the coals.p> <p class="poetry">He forms it<n id="2" /> with hammers;p> <p class="poetry">he makes it with his strong arm.p> <p class="poetry">He gets hungry and loses his energy;<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">he drinks no water and gets tired.p>

<p class="poetry">Remember these things, O Jacob,p> <p class="poetry">O Israel, for you are my servant.p> <p class="poetry">I formed you to be my servant;p> <p class="poetry">O Israel, I will not forget you!<n id="1" />p>