The Lord told Jeremiah, Get up and go down to the house of the man who makes pots and I will tell you something there.

So Jeremiah went down to the potter’s house and the potter was making a pot but a part of it went bad; so he made another one.

Then the Lord said to Jeremiah, You are just like this clay in the potter’s hand, You are clay in My hand, O house of Israel.

What I say about each nation, that is what will happen.

I can pull them up to get rid of them or make them stay strong.

If they turn away from their bad stuff then I won’t do bad to them.

But if they do bad and won’t turn back to Me and do good, then I won’t do the good stuff for them that I want to do.

Turn back every one from your bad stuff so I can do good for you.

My people have forgotten Me and done wrong and empty stuff. They trip and fall in the way that they go.

They make their land empty and hissing like snakes.

Everyone who sees it will shake their heads and be amazed.

I will scatter them like the east wind before their enemies.

Then, when Jeremiah told these words, they made a plot to kill him.

Jeremiah said, Remember how I tried to help them, and they are doing bad to me. You know their plan to kill me, O Lord. Don’t forgive them but give them back the trouble that they make.