Lectionary Calendar
Wednesday, July 9th, 2025
the Week of Proper 9 / Ordinary 14
Attention!
Tired of seeing ads while studying? Now you can enjoy an "Ads Free" version of the site for as little as 10¢ a day and support a great cause!
Click here to learn more!

Read the Bible

New Life Version

Jeremiah 18:4

But the pot he was making of clay did not come out like he wanted it. So the pot-maker used the clay to make another pot that pleased him.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Pottery;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Craft workers;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Clay;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Pottery;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Evil;   Jeremiah;   Oracles;   Pottery in Bible Times;   Vessels and Utensils;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Hosea;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Potter;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Handicraft;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Vessel;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Good;   Potter;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Aceldama;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
But the jar that he was making from the clay became flawed in the potter’s hand, so he made it into another jar, as it seemed right for him to do.
Hebrew Names Version
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.
King James Version
And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.
English Standard Version
And the vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter's hand, and he reworked it into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to do.
New American Standard Bible
But the vessel that he was making of clay was spoiled in the hand of the potter; so he remade it into another vessel, as it pleased the potter to make.
New Century Version
He was using his hands to make a pot from clay, but something went wrong with it. So he used that clay to make another pot the way he wanted it to be.
Amplified Bible
But the vessel that he was making from clay was spoiled by the potter's hand; so he made it over, reworking it and making it into another pot that seemed good to him.
World English Bible
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.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And the vessell that he made of clay, was broken in the hand of the potter. so he returned, and made it another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.
Legacy Standard Bible
But the vessel that he was making of clay was ruined in the hand of the potter, so he turned around and made it into another vessel, according to what was right in the eyes of the potter to make.
Berean Standard Bible
But the vessel that he was shaping from the clay became flawed in his hand; so he formed it into another vessel, as it seemed best for him to do.
Contemporary English Version
And whenever the clay would not take the shape he wanted, he would change his mind and form it into some other shape.
Complete Jewish Bible
Whenever a pot he made came out imperfect, the potter took the clay and made another pot with it, in whatever shape suited him.
Darby Translation
And the vessel that he made was marred, as clay, in the hand of the potter; and he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make.
Easy-to-Read Version
He was making a pot from clay. But there was something wrong with the pot. So the potter used that clay to make another pot. With his hands he shaped the pot the way he wanted it to be.
George Lamsa Translation
And the vessel which he was making of clay was spoiled in the hand of the potter; so he mixed the clay and made it into another vessel, as seemed good to him.
Good News Translation
Whenever a piece of pottery turned out imperfect, he would take the clay and make it into something else.
Lexham English Bible
And the vessel that he was making with the clay was spoiled in the hand of the potter, so he made again another vessel, as it was right in the eyes of the potter to make.
Literal Translation
And the vessel that he made in clay was ruined in the hand of the potter. So repeating he made it, another vessel, as it seemed good in the potter's eyes to make it .
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
The vessel that the Potter made off claye, brake amonge his hodes: So he beganne a new, and made a nother vessell, acordinge to his mynde.
American Standard Version
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.
Bible in Basic English
And when the vessel, which he was forming out of earth, got damaged in the hand of the potter, he made it again into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to make it.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And whensoever 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.
King James Version (1611)
And the vessell that he made of clay, was marred in the hand of the potter; so he made it againe another vessell as seemed good to the potter to make it.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
The vessell that the potter made of clay, brake among his handes: So he began a newe, and made another vessell accordyng to his mynde.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And the vessel which he was making with his hands fell: so he made it again another vessel, as it seemed good to him to make it.
English Revised Version
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.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And the vessel was distried, which he made of clei with hise hondis; and he turnede it, and made it another vessel, as it pleside in hise iyen to make.
Update Bible Version
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.
Webster's Bible Translation
And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to make [it].
New English Translation
Now and then there would be something wrong with the pot he was molding from the clay with his hands. So he would rework the clay into another kind of pot as he saw fit.
New King James Version
And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter; so he made it again into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to make.
New Living Translation
But the jar he was making did not turn out as he had hoped, so he crushed it into a lump of clay again and started over.
New Revised Standard
The vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter's hand, and he reworked it into another vessel, as seemed good to him.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then was marred, the vessel that he was making, while yet it was clay in the hand of the potter, - so he turned and made of it another vessel, as seemed right in the eyes of the potter to make it.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And the vessel was broken which he was making of clay with his hands: and turning he made another vessel, as it seemed good in his eyes to make it.
Revised Standard Version
And the vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter's hand, and he reworked it into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to do.
Young's Literal Translation
and marred is the vessel that he is making, as clay in the hand of the potter, and he hath turned and he maketh it another vessel, as it was right in the eyes of the potter to make.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
But the vessel that he was making of clay was spoiled in the hand of the potter; so he remade it into another vessel, as it pleased the potter to make.

Contextual Overview

1 The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord saying, 2 "Go down to the pot-maker's house, and there I will let you hear My words." 3 So I went down to the pot-maker's house, and saw him making one on the wheel. 4 But the pot he was making of clay did not come out like he wanted it. So the pot-maker used the clay to make another pot that pleased him. 5 Then the Word of the Lord came to me saying, 6 "O people of Israel, can I not do with you as this potmaker has done?" says the Lord. "Like the clay in the pot-maker's hand, so are you in My hand, O people of Israel. 7 If at any time I speak about a nation, to pull up, and to break down and to destroy, 8 and if that nation I spoke against turns from its sin, then I will change My mind about the trouble I planned to bring upon it. 9 If at another time I speak about a nation, that I will build and plant it, 10 and if it does what is sinful in My eyes by not obeying My voice, then I will change My mind about the good I had promised to bring to it.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

made of clay was marred in: or, made was marred, as clay in, made it again. Heb. returned and made. as. Jeremiah 18:6, Isaiah 45:9, Romans 9:20-23

Reciprocal: 1 Kings 13:33 - made again Jeremiah 13:9 - After

Cross-References

Genesis 18:5
And I will get a piece of bread so you may eat and get strength. After that you may go on your way, since you have come to your servant." The men said, "Do as you have said."
Genesis 18:15
But Sarah said, "I did not laugh," because she was afraid. And He said, "No, but you did laugh."
Genesis 19:2
and said, "My lords, come into the house of your servant. Stay the night, and wash your feet. Then you may rise early and go on your way." But they said, "No, we will stay the night in the street."
Genesis 24:32
So the man came into the house. Laban took the load off the camels, and gave them straw and food. He got water to wash the feet of Abraham's servant and the feet of the men who were with him.
Genesis 43:24
The man brought the men into Joseph's house and gave them water to wash their feet. And he fed their donkeys.
1 Samuel 25:41
She stood up and then put her face to the ground, and said, "See, your woman servant will serve you by washing the feet of my lord's servants."
Luke 7:44
He turned to the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I came into your house and you gave Me no water to wash My feet. She washed My feet with her tears and dried them with the hairs of her head.
1 Timothy 5:10
She must be known for doing good things for people and for being a good mother. She must be known for taking strangers into her home and for washing the feet of Christians. She must be known for helping those who suffer and for showing kindness.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And the vessel that he made of clay,.... Which is the matter the vessel is made of:

was marred in the hand of the potter; while he was working it; either it fell, as the Septuagint version renders it, out of his hands, or from the beam on which it was laid; or was spoiled by some means or other, so that it was not fit for the purpose he first intended it: or the words should be read, according to some copies, "and the vessel was marred which he made, as clay in the hand of the potter" r; while it was clay; or moist, as Jarchi interprets it; and while it was in his hands, forming and fashioning it:

so he made it again another vessel; put it into another form and shape it would better serve:

as seemed good to the potter to make [it]; just as he pleased, and as his judgment in his art directed him; he having power over the clay to mould it as he would, and as it best answered so to do.

r ונשחת הכלי אשר הוא עשה כחמר ביד היוצר "sed corruptum est vas quod ille ficiens (erat) sicud lutum (solet) in manu figuli", Schmidt, Montanus. So Abarbinel; and thus it is read in the margin of our Bibles.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Jeremiah 18:4. The vessel - was marred in the hands of the potter — It did not stand in the working; it got out of shape; or some gravel or small stone having been incorporated with the mass of clay, made a breach in that part where it was found, so that the potter was obliged to knead up the clay afresh, place it on the wheel, and form it anew; and then it was such a vessel as seemed good to the potter to make it.


 
adsfree-icon
Ads FreeProfile