the kingdoms of the north, saith the Lord; and they shall
come, and they shall set everyone his throne at the entering of the
gates of Jerusalem, and against all the walls thereof round about, and
against all the cities of Judah. And I will utter my judgments against
them touching all their wickedness; because they have forsaken me, and
have burned incense unto other gods, and worshipped the works of their
own hands. Thou therefore gird up thy loins, and arise, and speak unto
them all that I command thee: be not dismayed at them, lest I dismay
thee before them. For, behold, I have made thee this day a fortified
city, and an iron pillar, and brasen walls, against the whole land,
against the kings of Judah, against the princes thereof, against the
priests thereof, and against the people of the land. And they shall
fight against thee; but they shall not prevail against thee: for I am
with thee, saith the Lord, to deliver thee."

II

THE POTTER AND HIS CLAY

(The people of the East, where the prophets lived and spoke,
understood teaching which was put before them in the form of pictures
and images and symbols better than any other way. So the prophets
would often use figures of speech and do striking things to attract
the attention of the people. One day Jeremiah went to the workshop of
the potter, and found him at work with {302} his wheel. This is the
way in which he used what he saw to teach the people of God's power
over them):--

The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying, "Arise, and go
down to the potter's house, and there I will cause thee to hear my
words."

Then I went down to the potter's house, and, behold, he wrought his
work on the wheels. And when 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.

Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, "O house of Israel,
cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the Lord. Behold, as the
clay in the potter's hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel.
At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a
kingdom, to pluck up and to break down and to destroy it; if that
nation, concerning which I have spoken, turn from their evil, I will
repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them. And at what instant
I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build
and to plant it; if it do evil in my sight, that it obey