Jeremiah 19

The Broken Jar Prophecy

1 This is what the LORD says: “Go buy a clay jar from a potter. Take some of the elders of the people and some of the priests with you.”

2 “Go out to the Valley of Ben-hinnom, near the Potsherd Gate, and proclaim the words I tell you.”

3 Say, “Hear the word of the LORD, kings of Judah and residents of Jerusalem. This is what the LORD of armies, the God of Israel, says: I am about to bring such disaster on this place that the ears of everyone who hears it will ring.”

4 “For they have abandoned Me and defiled this place. They have burned incense to other gods, gods their ancestors never knew, And they have filled this place with the blood of the innocent.”

5 “They built high places to Baal to burn their children in the fire as offerings, something I never commanded, never spoke of, and never entered My mind.”

God Names the Valley “Slaughter”

6 “Therefore, the days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when this place will no longer be called Topheth or the Valley of Ben-hinnom, but the Valley of Slaughter.”

7 “I will ruin the plans of Judah and Jerusalem in this place. I will cause them to fall by the sword before their enemies and by the hands of those who seek their lives. I will give their dead bodies to the birds of the sky and the beasts of the earth.”

8 “I will make this city desolate and an object of scorn. Everyone who passes by will be appalled and hiss because of all its wounds.”

9 “I will make them eat the flesh of their sons and daughters, And each will eat the flesh of his neighbor during the siege and distress brought by their enemies.”

The Shattered Jar

10 “Then you shall break the jar in the sight of the men who go with you.”

11 “And say to them, ‘This is what the LORD of armies says: Just like this jar is smashed and cannot be repaired, I will smash this people and this city. They will bury in Topheth until there is no more room.’”

12 “That is what I will do to this place and its residents,” declares the LORD. “I will make this city like Topheth.”

13 “The houses of Jerusalem and the palaces of the kings of Judah will be defiled like Topheth, All the houses where they burned incense on the roofs to all the heavenly host and poured out drink offerings to other gods.”

Jeremiah’s Return to the Temple

14 Then Jeremiah returned from Topheth, where the LORD had sent him to prophesy, and he stood in the courtyard of the LORD’s house and said to all the people,

15 “This is what the LORD of armies, the God of Israel, says: I am about to bring on this city and all its surrounding towns all the disaster I pronounced against it, Because they stiffened their necks and would not listen to My words.”