³I went to the potter’s house, and he was working there at his wheel. ⁴Whenever a clay pot he was working on was ruined, he would rework it into a new clay pot the way he wanted to make it.

⁵The Lord spoke his word to me. The Lord asked, ⁶“Nation of Israel, can’t I do with you as this potter does with clay? Nation of Israel, you are like the clay in the potter’s hands.

⁷“At one time I may threaten to tear up, break down, and destroy a nation or a kingdom. ⁸But suppose the nation that I threatened turns away from doing wrong. Then I will change my plans about the disaster I planned to do to it.

⁹“At another time I may promise to build and plant a nation or a kingdom. ¹⁰But suppose that nation does what I consider evil and doesn’t obey me. Then I will change my plans about the good that I promised to do to it.

¹¹“Now say to the people of Judah and to those who live in Jerusalem, ‘This is what the Lord says: I’m going to prepare a disaster and make plans against you. Turn from your evil ways, change your lives, and do good.’

¹²“But they will answer, ‘It’s useless! We’ll live the way we want to. We’ll go our own stubborn, evil ways.’

¹³“This is what the Lord says:

Ask among the nations if anyone has ever heard anything like this.

The people of Israel have done a very horrible thing.

¹⁴The rocky slopes of Lebanon are never without snow.

The cool mountain streams never dry up.

¹⁵But my people have forgotten me.

They burn incense as an offering to worthless idols,

and they stumble along the way, on the ancient path.

They go on side roads and not on major highways.

¹⁶Their land will become desolate

and something to be hissed at forever.

Everyone who will pass by it will be stunned and shake his head.

¹⁷Like the east wind I will scatter them in front of the enemy.

On the day of their disaster,

I will show them my back, not my face.”

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