< Jeremiah 1 >

1 The words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, —of the priests who were in Anathoth, in the land of Benjamin:
The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, one of the priests who were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin.
2 unto whom came the word of Yahweh, in the days of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah, —in the thirteenth year of his reign;
The LORD’s word came to him in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign.
3 it came also in the days of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah, unto the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah son of Josiah king of Judah, —as far as the carrying away of Jerusalem captive, in the fifth month.
It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, to the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah, the son of Josiah, king of Judah, to the carrying away of Jerusalem captive in the fifth month.
4 So then, the word of Yahweh came unto me, saying:
Now the LORD’s word came to me, saying,
5 Before I formed thee at thy birth, I took knowledge of thee, And before thy nativity, I hallowed thee, —A prophet to the nations, I appointed thee.
“Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you. Before you were born, I sanctified you. I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.”
6 Then said I—Ah! My Lord Yahweh! Lo! I know not how to speak, —For a child, am I!
Then I said, “Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, I don’t know how to speak; for I am a child.”
7 Then said Yahweh unto me, Do not say, A child, am, I,—For against whomsoever I send thee, shalt thou go, And whatsoever I command thee, shalt thou speak:
But the LORD said to me, “Don’t say, ‘I am a child;’ for you must go to whomever I send you, and you must say whatever I command you.
8 Be not afraid of their faces, For with thee, am I, to deliver thee Declareth Yahweh.
Don’t be afraid because of them, for I am with you to rescue you,” says the LORD.
9 Then Yahweh put forth his hand, and touched my mouth, —and Yahweh said unto me, Lo! I have put my words in thy mouth.
Then the LORD stretched out his hand and touched my mouth. Then the LORD said to me, “Behold, I have put my words in your mouth.
10 See! I have set thee in charge this day, over the nations and over the kingdoms, To uproot and to break down, and to destroy and to tear in pieces, —To build and to plant.
Behold, I have today set you over the nations and over the kingdoms, to uproot and to tear down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.”
11 Moreover the Word of Yahweh came unto me saying, What canst thou see Jeremiah? And I said, A twig of an almond-tree, can I see.
Moreover the LORD’s word came to me, saying, “Jeremiah, what do you see?” I said, “I see a branch of an almond tree.”
12 Then said Yahweh unto me—Thou hast rightly seen, —for keeping watch, am I over my word to perform it.
Then the LORD said to me, “You have seen well; for I watch over my word to perform it.”
13 And the word of Yahweh came unto me a second time saying, What canst thou see? And I said, A boiling caldron, can I see, with, the front thereof, on the North.
The LORD’s word came to me the second time, saying, “What do you see?” I said, “I see a boiling cauldron; and it is tipping away from the north.”
14 Then said Yahweh unto me, —Out of the North, shall break forth calamity, against all the inhabitants of the land.
Then the LORD said to me, “Out of the north, evil will break out on all the inhabitants of the land.
15 For behold me! calling for all the families of the kingdoms of the North, Declareth Yahweh, —and they shall come, and set every one his throne at the opening of the gates of Jerusalem and against all her walls round about, and against all the cities of Judah!
For behold, I will call all the families of the kingdoms of the north,” says the LORD. “They will come, and they will each set his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, and against all its walls all around, and against all the cities of Judah.
16 Then will I pronounce my judgments against them, concerning all their wickedness, —in that they have forsaken me and have burned incense unto other gods, and have bowed down to the works of their own hands,
I will utter my judgments against them concerning all their wickedness, in that they have forsaken me, and have burned incense to other gods, and worshiped the works of their own hands.
17 Thou, therefore, shalt gird thy loins, and arise, and speak unto them, all that, I, command thee, —be not dismayed because of them, lest I dismay thee before their face.
“You therefore put your belt on your waist, arise, and say to them all that I command you. Don’t be dismayed at them, lest I dismay you before them.
18 I, therefore—lo! I have set thee to-day as a fortified city, and as a pillar of iron and as walls of bronze, over all the land, —against the kings of Judah, against her princes, against her priests and against the people of the land.
For behold, I have made you today a fortified city, an iron pillar, and bronze walls against the whole land—against the kings of Judah, against its princes, against its priests, and against the people of the land.
19 And they will fight against thee but shall not prevail against thee, —for with thee, am I, Declareth Yahweh, to deliver thee.
They will fight against you, but they will not prevail against you; for I am with you”, says the LORD, “to rescue you.”

< Jeremiah 1 >