Then the LORD told me to break the jar in front of those who had gone with me

and to tell them that the LORD Almighty had said, "I will break this people and this city, and it will be like this broken clay jar that cannot be put together again. People will bury their dead even in Topheth because there will be nowhere else to bury them.

"Go down to the potter's house, where I will give you my message."

Whenever a piece of pottery turned out imperfect, he would take the clay and make it into something else.

"The LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, has ordered you to take these deeds, both the sealed deed of purchase and the open copy, and to place them in a clay jar, so that they may be preserved for years to come.

You will be shattered like a clay pot, so badly broken that there is no piece big enough to pick up hot coals with or to dip water from a cistern."

Zion's young people were as precious to us as gold, but now they are treated like common clay pots.

Yet we who have this spiritual treasure are like common clay pots, in order to show that the supreme power belongs to God, not to us.

After that, some of the elders stood up and said to the people who had gathered,

The LORD said to Moses, "Assemble seventy respected men who are recognized as leaders of the people, bring them to me at the Tent of my presence, and tell them to stand there beside you.

The descendants of Eleazar were organized into sixteen groups, while the descendants of Ithamar were organized into eight; this was done because there were more male heads of families among the descendants of Eleazar.

The descendants of Eleazar and of Ithamar took turns drawing lots. Then they were registered by Shemaiah son of Nethanel, a Levite secretary. The king, his officials, the priest Zadok, Ahimelech son of Abiathar, and the heads of the priestly families and of the Levite families, were all witnesses.

Seventy Israelite leaders were there, including Jaazaniah son of Shaphan. Each one was holding an incense burner, and smoke was rising from the incense.

God asked me, "Mortal man, do you see what the Israelite leaders are doing in secret? They are all worshiping in a room full of images. Their excuse is: 'The LORD doesn't see us! He has abandoned the country.' "

Kill the old men, young men, young women, mothers, and children. But don't touch anyone who has the mark on his forehead. Start here at my Temple." So they began with the leaders who were standing there at the Temple.

Then the chief priests and the elders met together in the palace of Caiaphas, the High Priest,

Early in the morning all the chief priests and the elders made their plans against Jesus to put him to death.

In the same way the chief priests and the teachers of the Law and the elders made fun of him:

"He saved others, but he cannot save himself ! Isn't he the king of Israel? If he will come down off the cross now, we will believe in him!

The next day the Jewish leaders, the elders, and the teachers of the Law gathered in Jerusalem.

They met with the High Priest Annas and with Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and the others who belonged to the High Priest's family.