1:1 The words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, one of the priests at Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin.
1:2 The word of the LORD came to him in the thirteenth year of the reign of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah,
1:3 and through the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, down to the fifth month of the eleventh year of Zedekiah son of Josiah king of Judah, when the people of Jerusalem went into exile.
1:4 The word of the LORD came to me, saying,
1:5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”
1:6 “Ah, Sovereign LORD,” I said, “I do not know how to speak; I am only a child.”
1:7 But the LORD said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am only a child.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you.
1:8 Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the LORD.
1:9 Then the LORD reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, “Now, I have put my words in your mouth.
1:10 See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.”
1:11 The word of the LORD came to me: “What do you see, Jeremiah?” “I see the branch of an almond tree,” I replied.
1:12 The LORD said to me, “You have seen correctly, for I am watching to see that my word is fulfilled.”
1:13 The word of the LORD came to me again: “What do you see?” “I see a boiling pot, tilting away from the north,” I answered.
1:14 The LORD said to me, “From the north disaster will be poured out on all who live in the land.
1:15 I am about to summon all the peoples of the northern kingdoms,” declares the LORD. “Their kings will come and set up their thrones in the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem; they will come against all her surrounding walls and against all the towns of Judah.
1:16 I will pronounce my judgments on my people because of their wickedness in forsaking me, in burning incense to other gods and in worshiping what their hands have made.
1:17 “Get yourself ready! Stand up and say to them whatever I command you. Do not be terrified by them, or I will terrify you before them.
1:18 Today I have made you a fortified city, an iron pillar and a bronze wall to stand against the whole land–against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests and the people of the land.
1:19 They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the LORD.
1:1 The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the priests who were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin,
1:2 To whom the word of Jehovah came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon the king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign.
1:3 It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah the king of Judah until the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah the son of Josiah the king of Judah, until the captivity of Jerusalem in the fifth month.
1:4 Now the word of Jehovah came to me, saying:
1:5 Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you; / And before you came forth from the womb, I sanctified you. / I have appointed you as a prophet to the nations.
1:6 Then I said, Alas, Lord Jehovah! / Indeed, I do not know how to speak, / For I am a youth.
1:7 But Jehovah said to me, / Do not say, I am a youth; / For everywhere I send you, you shall go; / And everything I command you, you shall speak.
1:8 Do not be afraid of their faces, / For I am with you to deliver you, declares Jehovah.
1:9 Then Jehovah stretched out His hand and touched my mouth; and Jehovah said to me, Now I have put My words in your mouth.
1:10 See, I have appointed you this day / Over the nations and over the kingdoms / To pluck up and to break down, / To destroy and to tear down, / To build up and to plant.
1:11 Then the word of Jehovah came to me, saying, What do you see, Jeremiah? And I said, I see a rod of an almond tree.
1:12 And Jehovah said to me, You have seen well, for I am watching over My word to perform it.
1:13 Then the word of Jehovah came to me a second time, saying, What do you see? And I said, I see a boiling pot, and it is facing away from the north.
1:14 And Jehovah said to me, Out of the north evil will be let loose upon all the inhabitants of the land.
1:15 For I am now calling all the families from the kingdoms of the north, declares Jehovah, and they will come and set each one his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem and against all its walls all around and against all the cities of Judah.
1:16 And I will utter My judgment on them concerning all their wickedness by which they have forsaken Me and have burned incense to other gods and have worshipped the works of their own hands.
1:17 You therefore gird up your loins, and rise up and speak to them everything that I command you. Do not be dismayed before them, lest I dismay you in their presence.
1:18 And I am now making you today into a fortified city and into an iron pillar and into bronze walls against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against its princes, against its priests, and against the people of the land.
1:19 And they will fight against you, but they will not prevail against you; for I am with you, declares Jehovah, to deliver you.