¹The word which came to Jeremiah from Yahweh, saying,

¹Det Ord, som kom til Jeremmas fra Herren

²Arise, and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will cause you to hear my words.

²"Gå ned til pottemagerens Hus! Der skal du få mine Ord at høre."

³Then I went down to the potter’s house, and behold, he was making a work on the wheels.

³Så gik jeg ned til Pottemagerens Hus, og se, han var i Arbejde ved Drejeskiven.

⁴When the vessel that he made of the clay was marred in the hand of the potter, he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.

⁴Og når et Kar, han arbejdede på, mislykkedes, som det kan gå med Leret i Pottemagerens Hånd, begyndte han igen og lavede det om til et andet, som han nu vilde have det gjort.

⁵Then the word of Yahweh came to me, saying,

⁵Da kom HERRENs Ord til mig:

⁶House of Israel, can’t I do with you as this potter? says Yahweh. Behold, as the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand, house of Israel.

⁶Skulde jeg ikke kunne gøre med eder, Israels Hus, som denne Pottemager? lyder det fra HERREN. Se, som Leret i Pottemagerens Hånd er I i min Hånd, Israels Hus.

⁷At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up and to break down and to destroy it;

⁷Snart truer jeg et Folk og et Rige med at rykke detop, nedbryde og ødelægge det;

⁸if that nation, concerning which I have spoken, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do to them.

⁸men når det Folk, jeg har truet, omvender sig fra sin Ondskab, angrer jeg det onde, jeg tænkte at gøre det.

⁹At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it;

⁹Og snart lover jeg et Folk og et Rige at opbygge og planle det;

¹⁰if they do that which is evil in my sight, that they not obey my voice, then I will repent of the good, with which I said I would benefit them.

¹⁰men gør det så, hvad der er ondt i mine Øjne, idet det ikke hører min Røst, angrer jeg det gode, jeg havde lovet at gøre det.

¹¹Now therefore, speak to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, Thus says Yahweh: Behold, I frame evil against you, and devise a device against you: return you now everyone from his evil way, and amend your ways and your doings.

¹¹Og sig nu til Judas Mænd og Jerusalems Borgere: Så siger HERREN: Se, jeg skaber eder en Ulykke og udtænker et Råd imod eder; vend derfor om, hver fra sin onde Vej, og bedrer eders Veje og eders Gerninger.

¹²But they say, It is in vain; for we will walk after our own devices, and we will do everyone after the stubbornness of his evil heart.

¹²Men de svarer: "Nej! Vi vil følge vore egne Tanker og gøre hver efter sit onde Hjertes Stivsind."

¹³Therefore thus says Yahweh: Ask now among the nations, who has heard such things; the virgin of Israel has done a very horrible thing.

¹³Derfor, så siger HERREN: Spørg dog rundt blandt Folkene: Hvo hørte mon sligt? Grufulde Ting har hun øvet, Israels Jomfru.

¹⁴Shall the snow of Lebanon fail from the rock of the field? Shall the cold waters that flow down from afar be dried up?

¹⁴Forlader Libanons Sne den Almægtiges klippe, eller udtørres Bjergenes kølige, rislende Vande,

¹⁵For my people have forgotten me, they have burned incense to false gods; and they have been made to stumble in their ways, in the ancient paths, to walk in byways, in a way not built up;

¹⁵siden mit Folk har glemt mig og ofrer til Løgn? De snubler på deres Veje, de ældgamle Spor, og vandrer ad Stier, en Vej, der ikke er højnet,

¹⁶to make their land an astonishment, and a perpetual hissing; everyone who passes thereby shall be astonished, and shake his head.

¹⁶for at gøre deres Land til Gru, til evig Spot; hver farende Mand skal grue og ryste på Hovedet.

¹⁷I will scatter them as with an east wind before the enemy; I will show them the back, and not the face, in the day of their calamity.

¹⁷Som en Østenstorm splitter jeg dem for Fjendens Ansigt, jeg viser dem Ryg, ej Åsyn på Vanheldets Dag.

¹⁸Then they said, Come, and let us devise devices against Jeremiah; for the law shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. Come, and let us strike him with the tongue, and let us not give heed to any of his words.

¹⁸De sagde: Kom, vi spinder Rænker imod Jeremias! Thi ej glipper Loven for Præsten, ej Rådet for den vise, ej Ordet for Profeten. Kom, lad os slå ham med Tungen og lure på alle hans Ord!"

¹⁹Give heed to me, Yahweh, and listen to the voice of those who contend with me.

¹⁹Lyt, o Herre, til mig og hør min Modparts Ord!

²⁰Shall evil be recompensed for good? for they have dug a pit for my soul. Remember how I stood before you to speak good for them, to turn away your wrath from them.

²⁰Skal godt gengældes med ondt? De grov jo min Sjæl en Grav. Kom i Hu, at jeg stod for dit Åsyn for at tale til Bedste for dem og vende din Vrede fra dem!

²¹Therefore deliver up their children to the famine, and give them over to the power of the sword; and let their wives become childless, and widows; and let their men be slain of death, and their young men struck of the sword in battle.

²¹Giv derfor deres Sønner til Hunger, styrt dem i Sværdets Vold; Barnløshed og Enkestand ramme deres Kvinder, deres Mænd vorde slagne af Døden, deres ungdom sværdslagne i Krig;

²²Let a cry be heard from their houses, when you shall bring a troop suddenly on them; for they have dug a pit to take me, and hid snares for my feet.

²²lad der høres et Skrig fra Husene, når du lader en Mordbande brat komme over dem. Thi de grov en Grav for at fange mig og lagde Snarer for min Fod.

²³Yet, Yahweh, you know all their counsel against me to kill me; don’t forgive their iniquity, neither blot out their sin from your sight; but let them be overthrown before you; deal you with them in the time of your anger.

²³Ja du, o HERRE, du kender alle deres Dødsråd imod mig. Tilgiv ikke deres Brøde, slet ikke deres Synd for dit Åsyn, lad dem komme til Fald for dit Åsyn, få med dig at gøre i din Vredes Stund!