Our Papa Dey Mould Im People
For di potter wheel, pot wey spoil, di potter just rework am, and our Papa talk say na so im dey handle nations — trouble wey im announce fit change if dem turn. Judah answer say hope no dey, dem go follow dia own plan. Then men begin plan against Jeremiah.
18 1Di word wey come to Jeremiah from our Papa:
2"Get up, go down go di potter house, and na dia I go make you hear my words."
3So I go down go di potter house, and see am dia, dey work for im wheel. 4Di clay pot wey e dey mould spoil for im hand, so e mould am again make e turn anoda one, di way wey e see as e good.
5Den di word of our Papa come to me:
6"Abi I no fit do you like dis potter, house of Israel? na so your Papa talk. Like clay for di potter hand, na so una be for my own hand, house of Israel. 7'Any time I fit talk about one nation or kingdom, say I go pull am komot, break am down, and destroy am, 8but if dat nation wey I talk against turn from im bad way, I go change my mind about di trouble wey I plan for am. 9Any time I fit talk about one nation or kingdom, say I go build am and plant am, 10but if e do bad for my eye, and no gree hear my voice, den I go change my mind about di good wey I bin wan do for am.
11"Now tell di men of Judah and di people of Jerusalem: Na dis your Papa talk: See, I dey mould trouble against una, I dey plan against una. Make each of una turn from im bad way; make una ways and una work good.'" a a v11 Di word for "mould" for here na di same one wey dem take talk about di potter for im wheel — our Papa, di potter, dey warn say na di consequence wey im people own choice don start, na am e dey now mould.
12But dem talk say, "E no get hope! We go follow our own plan, each person go do wetin im hard, bad heart wan do."
13So our Papa talk: Ask di nations dem—who ever hear dis kind thing? Virgin Israel don do one thing wey too bad well well. 14Abi di snow of Lebanon dey ever komot from di rocky hill side? Abi di cool water wey dey flow from far source dey ever dry up? 15But my people don forget me; dem dey burn incense to idols wey no worth anything, wey dey make my people stumble komot from di old road dem, come dey waka for side road—road wey rough, wey dem never level, 16dem dey make dia land turn waste place, one thing wey people go dey mock forever; everybody wey pass dia go shock and go shake dia head. 17Like di east wind I go scatter dem for front of dia enemy; I go show dem my back and no be my face for di day of dia trouble.
18Dem talk say, "Make we come, make we plan against Jeremiah—teaching no go finish from di priest, or advice from di wise person, or word from di prophet. Make we come, make we strike am with our tongue; make we no gree hear anything wey e talk." 19Pay attention to me, my Papa, and hear di voice of di people wey dey accuse me! 20Abi dem suppose pay bad for good? But dem don dig pit to take my life. Remember how I stand for your front to talk good for dia sake, to turn your anger komot from dem. 21So hand dia children give hunger; hand dem give di power of di sword. Make dia wife dem lose dia children and turn widow; make dem kill dia men, make sword strike dia young men for war. 22Make cry sound komot from dia house when you sharp sharp bring people wey go attack dem, because dem don dig pit to catch me and dem don hide trap for my leg. 23But you, my Papa, know all dia plan to kill me. No forgive dia wrong or wipe dia sin komot from your eye. Make dem fall down for your front; deal with dem for di time of your anger.
