Bible in Basic English
"And whenever I say anything about building up a nation or a kingdom, and planting it;"
— Jeremiah 18:9, Bible in Basic English
“And at what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it; ”
O Israel, am I not able to do with you as this potter does? says the Lord. See, like earth in the potter's hand are you in my hands, O Israel.
Whenever I say anything about uprooting a nation or a kingdom, and smashing it and sending destruction on it;
If, in that very minute, that nation of which I was talking is turned away from its evil, my purpose of doing evil to them will be changed.
And whenever I say anything about building up a nation or a kingdom, and planting it;
If, in that very minute, it does evil in my eyes, going against my orders, then my good purpose, which I said I would do for them, will be changed.
Now, then, say to the men of Judah and to the people of Jerusalem, This is what the Lord has said: See, I am forming an evil thing against you, and designing a design against you: let every man come back now from his evil way, and let your ways and your doings be changed for the better.
But they will say, There is no hope: we will go on in our designs, and every one of us will do what he is moved by the pride of his evil heart to do.