The Broken Earthen Bottle

Jeremiah 19

The Lord sends Jeremiah, together with elders and priests, to the valley of the son of Hinnom to break an earthen bottle in front of them, declaring that he will break Jerusalem and its people just as irreparably because they have burned incense to strange gods and offered their children there. Jeremiah then stands in the court of the Lord's house and repeats to the people all the disaster the Lord has spoken against the city.

About these editions

The Septuagint (LXX) in Greek, with Charles Thomson’s 1808 and Sir Lancelot Brenton’s 1851 English translations, set beside the King James Version and the Jewish Masoretic text (JPS 1917) where they align, so you can compare the Greek and the Hebrew. All public domain; choose which to show with the controls above.

Thomson 1808Septuagint

Brenton 1851Septuagint

Greek · BrentonSeptuagint

KJV 1769Masoretic

JPS 1917Masoretic

ThomsonTHEN the Lord said to me, Go and get a pitcher of earthenware and thou shalt take out some of the elders of the people and of the priests

BrentonThen said the Lord to me, Go and get an earthen bottle, the work of the potter, and thou shalt bring some of the elders of the people, and of the priests;

GreekΤότε εἶπε Κύριος πρὸς μὲ, βάδισον, καὶ κτῆσαι βικὸν πεπλασμένον ὀστράκινον, καὶ ἄξεις ἀπὸ τῶν πρεσβυτέρων τοῦ λαοῦ καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν ἱερέων,

KJVThus saith the LORD, Go and get a potter’s earthen bottle, and take of the ancients of the people, and of the ancients of the priests;

JPSThus said the LORD: Go, and get a potter’s earthen bottle, and take of the elders of the people, and of the elders of the priests;

Thomsonand go out to the common grave yard which is at the entrance of the gate Charseith and read there all these words which I shall speak to thee and thou shalt say to them,

Brentonand thou shalt go forth to the burial-place of the sons of their children, which is at the entrance of the gate of Charsith; and do thou read there all these words which I shall speak to thee:

Greekκαὶ ἐξελεύσῃ εἰς τὸ πολυάνδριον υἱῶν τῶν τέκνων αὐτῶν, ὅ ἐστιν ἐπὶ τῶν προθύρων πύλης τῆς Χαρσείθ· καὶ ἀνάγνωθι ἐκεῖ πάντας τοὺς λόγους τούτους, οὓς ἂν λαλήσω πρὸς σὲ,

KJVAnd go forth unto the valley of the son of Hinnom, which is by the entry of the east gate, and proclaim there the words that I shall tell thee,

JPSand go forth unto the valley of the son of Hinnom, which is by the entry of the gate Harsith, and proclaim there the words that I shall tell thee;

ThomsonHear the word of the Lord, ye kings of Juda and ye men of Juda and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and ye who enter in at these gates. Thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel: Behold I am bringing evils upon this place, so that the ears of every one who heareth them shall tingle.

Brentonand thou shalt say to them, Hear ye the word of the Lord, ye kings of Juda, and men of Juda, and the dwellers in Jerusalem, and they that enter in by these gates; thus saith the Lord God of Israel; Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, so that the ears of every one that hears it shall tingle.

Greekκαὶ ἐρεῖς αὐτοῖς, Ἀκούσατε τὸν λόγον Κυρίου, βασιλεῖς Ἰούδα, καὶ ἄνδρες Ἰούδα, καὶ οἱ κατοικοῦντες ἐν Ἱερουσαλὴμ καὶ οἱ εἰσπορευόμενοι ἐν ταῖς πύλαις ταύταις· τάδε λέγει Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς Ἰσραὴλ, ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἐπάγω ἐπὶ τὸν τόπον τοῦτον κακὰ, ὥστε παντὸς ἀκούοντος αὐτὰ ἠχήσει τὰ ὦτα αὐτοῦ·

KJVAnd say, Hear ye the word of the LORD, O kings of Judah, and inhabitants of Jerusalem; Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, the which whosoever heareth, his ears shall tingle.

JPSand say: Hear ye the word of the LORD, O kings of Judah, and inhabitants of Jerusalem; thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, which whosoever heareth, his ears shall tingle;

ThomsonBecause they have forsaken Me and profaned this place; and have burned incense in it to strange gods, which neither they nor their fathers knew. And the kings of Juda have filled this place with the blood of innocents,

BrentonBecause they forsook me, and profaned this place, and burnt incense in it to strange gods, which they and their fathers knew not; and the kings of Juda have filled this place with innocent blood,

GreekἈνθʼ ὧν ἐγκατέλιπόν με, καὶ ἀπηλλοτρίωσαν τὸν τόπον τοῦτον, καὶ ἐθυμίασαν ἐν αὐτῷ θεοῖς ἀλλοτρίοις, οἷς οὐκ ᾔδεισαν αὐτοὶ καὶ οἱ πατέρες αὐτῶν· καὶ οἱ βασιλεῖς Ἰούδα ἔπλησαν τὸν τόπον τοῦτον αἱμάτων ἀθώων,

KJVBecause they have forsaken me, and have estranged this place, and have burned incense in it unto other gods, whom neither they nor their fathers have known, nor the kings of Judah, and have filled this place with the blood of innocents;

JPSbecause they have forsaken Me, and have estranged this place, and have offered in it unto other gods, whom neither they nor their fathers have known, nor the kings of Judah; and have filled this place with the blood of innocents;

Thomsonand have built high places to Baal to burn their sons with fire, things which I never commanded, and which never came into My mind.

Brentonand built high places for Baal, to burn their children in the fire, which things I commanded not, neither did I design them in my heart:

Greekκαὶ ᾠκοδόμησαν ὑψηλὰ τῇ Βάαλ, τοῦ κατακαίειν τοὺς υἱοὺς αὐτῶν ἐν πυρὶ, ἃ οὐκ ἐνετειλάμην, οὐδὲ διενοήθην ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ μου.

KJVThey have built also the high places of Baal, to burn their sons with fire for burnt offerings unto Baal, which I commanded not, nor spake it, neither came it into my mind:

JPSand have built the high places of Baal, to burn their sons in the fire for burnt-offerings unto Baal; which I commanded not, nor spoke it, neither came it into My mind.

ThomsonTherefore behold the days are coming, saith the Lord, When this place shall no more be called, The end of hope, and The grave-yard of the sons of Ennom, but The graveyard of slaughter.

BrentonTherefore, behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when this place shall no more be called, The fall and burial-place of the son of Ennom, but, The burial-place of slaughter.

GreekΔιατοῦτο ἰδοὺ ἡμέραι ἔρχονται, λέγει Κύριος, καὶ οὐ κληθήσεται τῷ τόπῳ τούτῳ ἔτι Διάπτωσις καὶ Πολυάνδριον υἱοῦ Ἐννὼμ, ἀλλʼ ἢ Πολυάνδριον τῆς σφαγῆς.

KJVTherefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that this place shall no more be called Tophet, nor The valley of the son of Hinnom, but The valley of slaughter.

JPSTherefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that this place shall no more be called Topheth, nor The valley of the son of Hinnom, but The valley of slaughter;

ThomsonFor I will slaughter the council of Juda and the council of Jerusalem in this place; And cause them to fall by the sword before their enemies, and by the hands of them who seek their lives. And I will give their carcasses to be meat for the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, and make this city a desolation and an object of pity.

BrentonAnd I will destroy the counsel of Juda and the counsel of Jerusalem in this place; and I will cast them down with the sword before their enemies, and by the hands of them that seek their lives: and I will give their dead bodies for food to the birds of the sky and to the wild beasts of the earth.

GreekΚαὶ σφάξω τὴν βουλὴν Ἰούδα, καὶ τὴν βουλὴν Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἐν τῷ τόπῳ τούτῳ, καὶ καταβαλῶ αὐτοὺς ἐν μαχαίρᾳ ἐναντίον τῶν ἐχθρῶν αὐτῶν, καὶ ἐν χερσὶ τῶν ζητούντων τὰς ψυχὰς αὐτῶν· καὶ δώσω τοὺς νεκροὺς αὐτῶν εἰς βρῶσιν τοῖς πετεινοῖς τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καὶ τοῖς θηρίοις τῆς γῆς·

KJVAnd I will make void the counsel of Judah and Jerusalem in this place; and I will cause them to fall by the sword before their enemies, and by the hands of them that seek their lives: and their carcases will I give to be meat for the fowls of the heaven, and for the beasts of the earth.

JPSand I will make void the counsel of Judah and Jerusalem in this place; and I will cause them to fall by the sword before their enemies, and by the hand of them that seek their life; and their carcasses will I give to be food for the fowls of the heaven, and for the beasts of the earth;

Thomson—

BrentonAnd I will bring this city to desolation and make it a hissing; every one that passes by it shall scowl, and hiss because of all her plague.

GreekΚαὶ κατάξω τὴν πόλιν ταύτην εἰς ἀφανισμὸν, καὶ εἰς συρισμόν· πᾶς ὁ παραπορευόμενος ἐπʼ αὐτῆς σκυθρωπάσει, καὶ συριεῖ ὑπὲρ πάσης τῆς πληγῆς αὐτῆς.

KJVAnd I will make this city desolate, and an hissing; every one that passeth thereby shall be astonished and hiss because of all the plagues thereof.

JPSand I will make this city an astonishment, and a hissing; every one that passeth thereby shall be astonished and hiss because of all the plagues thereof;

ThomsonThey shall indeed eat the flesh of their sons and the flesh of their daughters; and they shall eat, every one, the flesh of his neighbour during the blockade and siege with which their enemies shall besiege them.

BrentonAnd they shall eat the flesh of their sons, and the flesh of their daughters; and they shall eat every one the flesh of his neighbour in the blockade, and in the siege wherewith their enemies shall besiege them.

GreekΚαὶ ἔδονται τὰς σάρκας τῶν υἱῶν αὐτῶν, καὶ τὰς σάρκας τῶν θυγατέρων αὐτῶν· καὶ ἕκαστος τὰς σάρκας τοῦ πλησίον αὐτοῦ ἔδονται ἐν τῇ περιοχῇ, καὶ ἐν τῇ πολιορκίᾳ ᾗ πολιορκήσουσιν αὐτοὺς οἱ ἐχθροὶ αὐτῶν.

KJVAnd I will cause them to eat the flesh of their sons and the flesh of their daughters, and they shall eat every one the flesh of his friend in the siege and straitness, wherewith their enemies, and they that seek their lives, shall straiten them.

JPSand I will cause them to eat the flesh of their sons and the flesh of their daughters, and they shall eat every one the flesh of his friend, in the siege and in the straitness, wherewith their enemies, and they that seek their life, shall straiten them.

ThomsonThen thou shalt break the pitcher before the eyes of the men who went out with thee

BrentonAnd thou shalt break the bottle in the sight of the men that go forth with thee,

GreekΚαὶ συντρίψεις τὸν βικὸν κατʼ ὀφθαλμοὺς τῶν ἀνδρῶν τῶν ἐκπορευομένων μετὰ σοῦ,

KJVThen shalt thou break the bottle in the sight of the men that go with thee,

JPSThen shalt thou break the bottle in the sight of the men that go with thee,

Thomsonand say, Thus saith the Lord: So will I break this people and this city: as this earthen pitcher is broken and cannot be mended,

Brentonand thou shalt say, Thus saith the Lord, Thus will I break in pieces this people, and this city, even as an earthen vessel is broken in pieces which cannot be mended again.

Greekκαὶ ἐρεῖς, τάδε λέγει Κύριος, οὕτως συντρίψω τὸν λαὸν τοῦτον, καὶ τὴν πόλιν ταύτην, καθὼς συντρίβεται ἄγγος ὀστράκινον, ὃ οὐ δυνήσεται ἰαθῆναι ἔτι.

KJVAnd shalt say unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Even so will I break this people and this city, as one breaketh a potter’s vessel, that cannot be made whole again: and they shall bury them in Tophet, till there be no place to bury.

JPSand shalt say unto them: Thus saith the LORD of hosts: Even so will I break this people and this city, as one breaketh a potter’s vessel, that cannot be made whole again; and they shall bury in Topheth, for want of room to bury.

Thomsonso will I do, saith the Lord, to this place and to the inhabitants thereof, that this city may be dashed down like that hopeless vessel.

BrentonThus will I do, saith the Lord, to this place, and to the inhabitants of it, that this city may be given up, as one that is falling to ruin.

GreekΟὕτως ποιήσω, λέγει Κύριος, τῷ τόπῳ τούτῳ, καὶ τοῖς κατοικοῦσιν ἐν αὐτῷ, τοῦ δοθῆναι τὴν πόλιν ταύτην, ὡς τὴν διαπίπτουσαν.

KJVThus will I do unto this place, saith the LORD, and to the inhabitants thereof, and even make this city as Tophet:

JPSThus will I do unto this place, saith the LORD, and to the inhabitants thereof, even making this city as Topheth;

ThomsonAnd the houses of the kings of Juda shall be like this hopeless place, because of their impurities in all the houses, on the tops of which they burned incense to all the host of heaven and poured out libations to strange gods.

BrentonAnd the houses of Jerusalem, and the houses of the kings of Juda shall be as a ruinous place, because of their uncleannesses in all the houses, wherein they burnt incense upon their roofs to all the host of heaven, and poured drink-offerings to strange gods.

GreekΚαὶ οἶκοι Ἱερουσαλὴμ, καὶ οἶκοι βασιλέων Ἰούδα ἔσονται καθὼς ὁ τόπος ὁ διαπίπτων, ἀπὸ τῶν ἀκαθαρσιῶν αὐτῶν ἐν πάσαις ταῖς οἰκίαις, ἐν αἷς ἐθυμίασαν ἐπὶ τῶν δωμάτων αὐτῶν πάσῃ τῇ στρατιᾷ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, καὶ ἔσπεισαν σπονδὰς θεοῖς ἀλλοτρίοις.

KJVAnd the houses of Jerusalem, and the houses of the kings of Judah, shall be defiled as the place of Tophet, because of all the houses upon whose roofs they have burned incense unto all the host of heaven, and have poured out drink offerings unto other gods.

JPSand the houses of Jerusalem, and the houses of the kings of Judah, which are defiled, shall be as the place of Topheth, even all the houses upon whose roofs they have offered unto all the host of heaven, and have poured out drink-offerings unto other gods.

ThomsonNow when Jeremias returned from the graveyard whither the Lord had sent him to prophesy, he stood up in the court of the house of the Lord and said to all the people:

BrentonAnd Jeremias came from the place of the Fall, whither the Lord had sent him to prophesy; and he stood in the court of the Lord's house; and said to all the people, Thus saith the Lord;

GreekΚαὶ ἦλθεν Ἱερεμίας ἀπὸ τῆς διαπτώσεως, οὗ ἀπέστειλεν αὐτὸν Κύριος ἐκεῖ, τοῦ προφητεῦσαι· καὶ ἔστη ἐν τῇ αὐλῇ οἴκου Κυρίου, καὶ εἶπε πρὸς πάντα τὸν λαὸν,

KJVThen came Jeremiah from Tophet, whither the LORD had sent him to prophesy; and he stood in the court of the LORD’s house; and said to all the people,

JPSThen came Jeremiah from Topheth, whither the LORD had sent him to prophesy; and he stood in the court of the LORD’S house, and said to all the people:

ThomsonThus saith the Lord, Behold I am bringing upon this city and upon all the cities belonging to it and upon all the villages thereof all the evils which I have denounced against it, because they have hardened their necks so as not to hearken to My commandments.

BrentonBehold, I bring upon this city, and upon all the cities belonging to it, and upon the villages of it, all the evils which I have spoken against it, because they have hardened their neck, that they might not hearken to my commands.

Greekτάδε λέγει Κύριος, ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἐπάγω ἐπὶ τὴν πόλιν ταύτην, καὶ ἐπὶ πάσας τὰς πόλεις αὐτῆς, καὶ ἐπὶ τὰς κώμας αὐτῆς, ἅπαντα τὰ κακὰ ἃ ἐλάλησα ἐπʼ αὐτὴν, ὅτι ἐσκλήρυναν τὸν τράχηλον αὐτῶν, τοῦ μὴ εἰσακούειν τῶν ἐντολῶν μου.

KJVThus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring upon this city and upon all her towns all the evil that I have pronounced against it, because they have hardened their necks, that they might not hear my words.

JPS’Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will bring upon this city and upon all her towns all the evil that I have pronounced against it; because they have made their neck stiff, that they might not hear My words.’