Jeremiah 19 - New Century Version (NCV)

Judah Is like a Broken Jar

19 This is what the Lord said to me: “Go and buy a clay jar from a potter. 2 Take some of the elders of the people and the priests, and go out to the Valley of Ben Hinnom, near the front of the Potsherd Gate. There speak the words I tell you. 3 Say, ‘Kings of Judah and people of Jerusalem, listen to this message from the Lord. This is what the Lord All-Powerful, the God of Israel, says: I will soon bring a disaster on this place that will amaze and frighten everyone who hears about it. 4 The people of Judah have quit following me. They have made this a place for foreign gods. They have burned sacrifices to other gods that neither they, nor their ancestors, nor the kings of Judah had ever known before. They filled this place with the blood of innocent people. 5 They have built places on hilltops to worship Baal, where they burn their children in the fire to Baal. That is something I did not command or speak about; it never even entered my mind. 6 Now people call this place the Valley of Ben Hinnom or Topheth, but the days are coming, says the Lord, when people will call it the Valley of Killing.

7 “‘At this place I will ruin the plans of the people of Judah and Jerusalem. The enemy will chase them, and I will have them killed with swords. I will make their dead bodies food for the birds and wild animals. 8 I will completely destroy this city. People will make fun of it and shake their heads when they pass by. They will be shocked when they see how the city was destroyed. 9 An enemy army will surround the city and will not let anyone go out to get food. I will make the people so hungry that they will eat the bodies of their own sons and daughters, and then they will begin to eat each other.’

10 “While the people with you are watching, break that jar. 11 Then say this: ‘The Lord All-Powerful says: I will break this nation and this city just as someone breaks a clay jar that cannot be put back together again. The dead people will be buried here in Topheth, because there is no other place for them. 12 This is what I will do to these people and to this place, says the Lord. I will make this city like Topheth. 13 The houses in Jerusalem and the king’s palaces will become as unclean as this place, Topheth, because the people worshiped gods on the roofs[a] of their houses. They worshiped the stars and burned incense to honor them and gave drink offerings to gods.’”

14 When Jeremiah left Topheth where the Lord had sent him to prophesy, he went to the Lord’s Temple, stood in the courtyard, and said to all the people: 15 “This is what the Lord All-Powerful, the God of Israel, says: ‘I will soon bring disaster to Jerusalem and the villages around it, as I said I would. This will happen because the people are very stubborn and do not listen at all to what I say.’”

Footnotes

  1. 19:13 roofs In Bible times houses were built with flat roofs. The roof was used for drying things such as flax and fruit. And it was used as an extra room, as a place for worship, and as a cool place to sleep in the summer.

You Might Also Like:

Jeremiah 19 - Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

19 Thus said Jehovah, `Go, and thou hast got a potter's earthen vessel, and of the elders of the people, and of the elders of the priests, 2 and thou hast gone forth unto the valley of the son of Hinnom, that [is] at the opening of the gate of the pottery, and hast proclaimed there the words that I ...
Read More

Jeremiah 19 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

19 The Lord saith these things, Go thou, and take an earthen(ware) pottle of a potter, [and] (some) of the elder men of the people, and of the elder men of the priests. (The Lord saith these things, Go thou, and take the clay jar of a potter, and some of the elders of the people, and some of the eld...
Read More

Jeremiah 19 - World English Bible (WEB)

19 Thus said Yahweh, “Go, and buy a potter’s earthen container, and take some of the elders of the people, and of the elders of the priests; 2 and go out to the valley of the son of Hinnom, which is by the entry of the gate Harsith, and proclaim there the words that I will tell you. 3 Say, ‘Hear Y...
Read More

Jeremiah 19 - The Voice (VOICE)

19 Eternal One (to Jeremiah): Go again to a potter, but this time buy a clay jar from him. Then invite some community leaders and some of the head priests to walk with you. 2 Take them out of the city through the potsherd gate into the valley of Ben-hinnom, where the city dumps its trash. Once you’...
Read More

Jeremiah 19 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

Shattering a Clay Jar19 Thus said Adonai: “Go, buy a potter’s clay jar, take some elders of the people, some elders of the kohanim, 2 and go out to the Valley of Ben-Hinnom, near the entrance of the Potsherd Gate. Proclaim there the words that I will tell you, 3 and say, “Hear the word of Adonai, ...
Read More

Jeremiah 19 - Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

The Broken Earthenware Jug19 Thus said the Lord, “Go, buy a potter’s earthen flask, and take some of the elders of the people and some of the senior priests, 2 and go out to the valley of the son of Hinnom at the entry of the Potsherd Gate, and proclaim there the words that I tell you. 3 You shall...
Read More

Jeremiah 19 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

The Broken Earthenware Jug19 Thus said the Lord, “Go, buy a potter’s earthen flask, and take some of the elders of the people and some of the senior priests, 2 and go out to the valley of the son of Hinnom at the entry of the Potsherd Gate, and proclaim there the words that I tell you. 3 You shall...
Read More

Jeremiah 19 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

The Broken Earthenware Jug19 Thus said the Lord: Go and buy a potter’s earthenware jug. Take with you[a] some of the elders of the people and some of the senior priests, 2 and go out to the valley of the son of Hinnom at the entry of the Potsherd Gate, and proclaim there the words that I tell you. ...
Read More

Jeremiah 19 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

The Broken Earthenware Jug19 Thus said the Lord: Go and buy a potter’s earthenware jug. Take with you[a] some of the elders of the people and some of the senior priests, 2 and go out to the valley of the son of Hinnom at the entry of the Potsherd Gate, and proclaim there the words that I tell you.(A...
Read More

Jeremiah 19 - New Living Translation (NLT)

Jeremiah’s Shattered Jar19 This is what the Lord said to me: “Go and buy a clay jar. Then ask some of the leaders of the people and of the priests to follow you. 2 Go out through the Gate of Broken Pots to the garbage dump in the valley of Ben-Hinnom, and give them this message. 3 Say to them, ‘List...
Read More

Jeremiah 19 - New Life Version (NLV)

The Broken Jar19 The Lord says, “Go and buy a pot-maker’s clay jar, and take some of the leaders of the people and some of the older religious leaders. 2 Then go out to the valley of BenHinnom, by the Potsherd Gate, and there say the words that I will tell you. 3 Say, ‘Hear the Word of the Lord, O...
Read More

Jeremiah 19 - New King James Version (NKJV)

The Sign of the Broken Flask19 Thus says the Lord: “Go and get a potter’s earthen flask, and take some of the elders of the people and some of the elders of the priests. 2 And go out to (A)the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, which is by the entry of the Potsherd Gate; and proclaim there the words that...
Read More

Jeremiah 19 - New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

19 This is what the Lord says: ‘Go and buy a clay jar from a potter. Take along some of the elders of the people and of the priests 2 and go out to the Valley of Ben Hinnom, near the entrance of the Potsherd Gate. There proclaim the words I tell you, 3 and say, “Hear the word of the Lord, you king...
Read More

Jeremiah 19 - New International Version (NIV)

19 This is what the Lord says: “Go and buy a clay jar from a potter.(A) Take along some of the elders(B) of the people and of the priests 2 and go out to the Valley of Ben Hinnom,(C) near the entrance of the Potsherd Gate. There proclaim the words I tell you, 3 and say, ‘Hear the word of the Lord, y...
Read More

Jeremiah 19 - New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

19 The Lord said to Jeremiah, “Go and buy a clay jar from a potter. Take along some of the elders of the people. Also tell some of the priests to go with you. 2 Go out to the Valley of Ben Hinnom. Stand near the entrance of the gate where broken pieces of pottery are thrown away. There announce the...
Read More

Jeremiah 19 - New English Translation (NET)

An Object Lesson from a Broken Clay Jar19 The Lord told Jeremiah,[a] “Go and buy a clay jar from a potter.[b] Take with you[c] some of the leaders of the people and some of the leaders[d] of the priests. 2 Go out to the part of the Hinnom Valley that is near the entrance of the Potsherd Gate.[e] An...
Read More