³So I went down to the potter’s house. I saw him working at his wheel. ⁴His hands were shaping a pot out of clay. But he saw that something was wrong with it. So he formed it into another pot. He shaped it in the way that seemed best to him.

⁵Then the Lord’s message came to me. He said, ⁶“People of Israel, I can do with you just as this potter does,” announces the Lord. “The clay is in the potter’s hand. And you are in my hand, people of Israel.

⁷“Suppose at any time I announce that a nation or kingdom is going to be pulled up by the roots. And I tell it that it will be torn down and destroyed. ⁸But suppose the nation I warned turns away from its sins. Then I will not do what I said I would. I will not bring trouble on it as I had planned.

⁹“Suppose at another time I announce that a nation or kingdom is going to be built up and planted. ¹⁰But it does what is evil in my sight. It does not obey me. Then I will think again about the good things I had wanted to do for it.

¹¹“So speak to the people of Judah and Jerusalem. Tell them, ‘The Lord says, “Look! I am making plans against you. I am going to bring trouble on you. So each one of you must turn from your evil ways. Change the way you live and act.” ’

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