“ People of Israel, I can do with you just as this potter does,” announces the Lord.“ The clay is in the potter’s hand. And you are in my hand, people of Israel.

“耶和华说：以色列家啊，我待你们，岂不能照这窑匠弄泥吗？以色列家啊，泥在窑匠的手中怎样，你们在我的手中也怎样。

“以色列家啊，我待你们岂不能像这陶匠弄泥吗？以色列家，看哪，泥在陶匠的手中怎样，你们在我的手中也怎样。这是耶和华说的。

“以色列家啊，我待你们岂不能像这陶匠弄泥吗？以色列家，看哪，泥在陶匠的手中怎样，你们在我的手中也怎样。这是耶和华说的。

“以色列人啊，难道我不能像陶匠对待陶泥一样对待你们吗？以色列人啊，你们在我手中就像陶泥在陶匠手中一样。这是耶和华说的。

“以色列家啊！难道我不能待你们像这陶匠所作的一样吗？”这是耶和华的宣告。“看哪！泥在陶匠的手中怎样，以色列家啊！你们在我的手中也必怎样。

「耶和華說：以色列家啊，我待你們，豈不能照這窰匠弄泥嗎？以色列家啊，泥在窰匠的手中怎樣，你們在我的手中也怎樣。

「以色列家啊，我待你們豈不能像這陶匠弄泥嗎？以色列家，看哪，泥在陶匠的手中怎樣，你們在我的手中也怎樣。這是耶和華說的。

「以色列家啊，我待你們豈不能像這陶匠弄泥嗎？以色列家，看哪，泥在陶匠的手中怎樣，你們在我的手中也怎樣。這是耶和華說的。

「以色列人啊，難道我不能像陶匠對待陶泥一樣對待你們嗎？以色列人啊，你們在我手中就像陶泥在陶匠手中一樣。這是耶和華說的。

“以色列家啊！難道我不能待你們像這陶匠所作的一樣嗎？”這是耶和華的宣告。“看哪！泥在陶匠的手中怎樣，以色列家啊！你們在我的手中也必怎樣。

『以色列家啊，難道我不能待你們、像這窰匠所作的麼？看哪，泥在窰匠手中怎麼樣，以色列家啊，你們在我手中也必怎樣。

以色列家歟、耶和華云、我之待爾、豈不能如陶人乎、以色列家歟、爾在我手、猶泥在陶人手也、

以色列族乎、我之待爾、豈不能如陶人乎。譬彼泥土、其權操自陶人、爾曹以色列族、其權操之於我、亦若是。

主云、以色列族乎、我之待爾、豈不能如陶人乎、以色列族乎、爾於我手中、如泥於陶人手中、

He said,“ Can I not do with you, Israel, as this potter does?” declares the Lord.“ Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, Israel.

“ O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter has done? declares the Lord. Behold, like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel.

“ O Israel, can I not do to you as this potter has done to his clay? As the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand.

“ House of Israel, can I not treat you as this potter treats his clay?”— this is the LORD’s declaration.“ Just like clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand, house of Israel.

“ Am I not able, house of Israel, to deal with you as this potter does?” declares the Lord.“ Behold, like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, house of Israel.

“ O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter?” says the Lord.“ Look, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel!

O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith Jehovah. Behold, as the clay in the potter’s hand, so are ye in my hand, O house of Israel.

“ House of Israel, can I not treat you as this potter treats his clay?”— this is the Lord’s declaration.“ Just like clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, house of Israel.

O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay[ is] in the potter’s hand, so[ are] ye in mine hand, O house of Israel.

“ I, the LORD, say:‘ O nation of Israel, can I not deal with you as this potter deals with the clay? In my hands, you, O nation of Israel, are just like the clay in this potter’s hand.’

“ House of Israel, can’t I do with you as this potter?” says Yahweh.“ Behold, as the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand, house of Israel.

Lord, you are our Father. We are the clay. You are the potter. Your hands made all of us.

How terrible it will be for anyone who argues with their Maker! They are like a broken piece of pottery lying on the ground. Does clay say to a potter,“ What are you making?” Does a pot say,“ The potter doesn’t have any skill”?

Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Do you feel cheated because I gave so freely to the others?’

“ Your Majesty, you saw a holy one. He was a messenger. He came down from heaven. He said,‘ Cut down the tree. Destroy it. But leave the stump with its roots in the ground. Let it stay in the field. Put an iron and bronze band around it. Let King Nebuchadnezzar become wet with the dew of heaven. Let him live with the wild animals. Let him stay that way until seven periods of time pass by.’

His hands were shaping a pot out of clay. But he saw that something was wrong with it. So he formed it into another pot. He shaped it in the way that seemed best to him.

But you are a mere human being. So who are you to talk back to God? Scripture says,“ Can what is made say to the one who made it,‘ Why did you make me like this?’ ”( Isaiah 29:16; 45:9)Isn’t the potter free to make different kinds of pots out of the same lump of clay? Some are for special purposes. Others are for ordinary use.

“ Who can ever know what the Lord is thinking? Or who can ever give him advice?”( Isaiah 40:13)