6. People of Israel, I, the Lord, have power over you, just as a potter has power over clay.
7. If I threaten to uproot and shatter an evil nation
8. and that nation turns from its evil, I will change my mind.
9. If I promise to make a nation strong,
10. but its people start disobeying me and doing evil, then I will change my mind and not help them at all.
11. So listen to me, people of Judah and Jerusalem! I have decided to strike you with disaster, and I won't change my mind unless you stop sinning and start living right.
12. But I know you won't listen. You might as well answer, “We don't care what you say. We have made plans to sin, and we are going to be stubborn and do what we want!”
13. So I, the Lord, command you to ask the nations, and find out if they have ever heard of such a horrible sin as what you have done.