Jeremiah 1
1 These are the words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, one of the priests at Anathoth in the land of Benjamin.
The word of God which came to Jeremias the [son] of Chelcias, of the priests, who dwelt in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin:
2 The word of Yahweh came to him in the days of Josiah son of Amon, king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign.
[accordingly] as the word of God came to him in the days of Josias son of Amos king of Juda, in the thirteenth year of his reign.
3 It also came in the days of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the fifth month of the eleventh year of Zedekiah son of Josiah, king of Judah, when the people of Jerusalem were taken away as prisoners.
And it was in the days of Joakim, son of Josias king of Juda, until the eleventh year of Sedekias king of Juda, [even] until the captivity of Jerusalem in the fifth month.
4 The word of Yahweh came to me, saying,
And the word of the Lord came to him, [saying],
5 “Before I formed you in the womb, I chose you; before you came out from the womb I set you apart; I made you a prophet to the nations.”
Before I formed thee in the belly, I knew thee; and before thou camest forth from the womb, I sanctified thee; I appointed thee a prophet to the nations.
6 “Ah, Lord Yahweh!” I said, “I do not know how to speak, for I am too young.”
And I said, O Lord, thou that art supreme Lord, behold, I know not [how] to speak, for I am a child.
7 But Yahweh said to me, “Do not say, 'I am too young.' You must go everywhere I send you, and you must say whatever I command you!
And the Lord said to me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all to whomsoever I shall send thee, and according to all [the words] that I shall command thee, thou shalt speak.
8 Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to rescue you—this is Yahweh's declaration.”
Be not afraid before them: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the Lord.
9 Then Yahweh reached out with his hand, touched my mouth, and said to me, “Now, I have placed my word in your mouth.
And the Lord stretched forth his hand to me, and touched my mouth: and the Lord said to me, Behold, I have put my words into thy mouth.
10 I am appointing you today over nations and over kingdoms, to uproot and break down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and plant.”
Behold, I have appointed thee this day over nations and over kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to rebuild, and to plant.
11 The word of Yahweh came to me, saying, “What do you see, Jeremiah?” I said, “I see an almond branch.”
And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, What seest thou? And I said, A rod of an almond tree.
12 Yahweh said to me, “You have seen well, for I am watching over my word to carry it out.”
And the Lord said to me, Thou hast well seen: for I have watched over my words to perform them.
13 The word of Yahweh came to me a second time, saying, “What do you see?” I said, “I see a heated pot, whose surface is churning, tipping away from the north.”
And the word of the Lord came to me a second time, saying, What seest thou? And I said, A caldron on the fire; and the face of it is toward the north.
14 Yahweh said to me, “Disaster will be opened up out of the north on all who live in this land.
And the Lord said to me, From the north shall flame forth evils upon all the inhabitants of the land.
15 For I am calling all the tribes of the northern kingdoms, declares Yahweh. They will come, and everyone will set his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, against all the walls that surround it, and against all the cities of Judah.
For, behold, I call together all the kingdoms of the earth from the north, saith the Lord; and they shall come, and shall set each one his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, and against all the walls round about her, and against all the cities of Juda.
16 I will pronounce sentence against them for all their evil in forsaking me, in burning incense to other gods, and in worshiping what they made with their own hands.
And I will speak to them in judgment, concerning all their iniquity, [forasmuch] as they have forsaken me, and sacrificed to strange gods, and worshipped the works of their own hands.
17 Get yourself ready! Stand up and say to them whatever I command you. Do not be shattered before them, or I will shatter you before them!
And do thou gird up thy loins, and stand up, and speak all [the words] that I shall command thee: be not afraid of their face, neither be thou alarmed before them; for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the Lord.
18 Behold! Today I have made you a fortified city, an iron pillar, and bronze walls against the whole land—against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests, and the people of the land.
Behold, I have made thee this day as a strong city, and as a brazen wall, strong [against] all the kings of Juda, and the princes thereof, and the people of the land.
19 They will fight against you, but they will not defeat you, for I will be with you to rescue you—this is Yahweh's declaration.”
And they shall fight against thee; but they shall by no means prevail against thee; because I am with thee, to deliver thee, saith the Lord.
