Jeremiah 1
1 These are the words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, one of the priests in Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin.
The words of Jeremiah the son of Chilkiyahu, one of the priests that were in 'Anathoth in the land of Benjamin;
2 The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah in the thirteenth year of the reign of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah,
To whom the word of the Lord came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon the king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign,
3 and through 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 went into exile.
And who continued [prophet] in the days of Jehoyakim 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 carrying away into exile of Jerusalem in the fifth month.
4 The word of the LORD came to me, saying:
And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”
Before yet I had formed thee in thy mother's body I knew thee; and before thou wast yet come forth out of the womb I sanctified thee: a prophet unto the nations did I ordain thee.
6 “Ah, Lord GOD,” I said, “I surely do not know how to speak, for I am only a child!”
And I said, Ah, Lord Eternal! behold, I know not how to speak; for I am [but] a lad.
7 But the LORD told me: “Do not say, ‘I am only a child.’ For to everyone I send you, you must go, and all that I command you, you must speak.
And the Lord said unto me, Say not, I am [but] a lad; but to whomsoever I may send thee shalt thou go, and whatsoever I may command thee shalt thou speak.
8 Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you,”
Be not afraid because of them; for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the Lord.
9 Then the LORD reached out His hand, touched my mouth, and said to me: “Behold, I have put My words in your mouth.
And the Lord stretched forth his hand, and touched [me] therewith on my mouth; and the Lord said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth.
10 See, I have appointed you today over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and plant.”
See, I have appointed thee this day over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down: to build up, and to plant.
11 And the word of the LORD came to me, asking, “Jeremiah, what do you see?” “I see a branch of an almond tree,” I replied.
And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, What seest thou, Jeremiah? And I said, A staff of all almond-tree do I see.
12 “You have observed correctly,” said the LORD, “for I am watching over My word to accomplish it.”
And the Lord said unto me, Thou hast well seen; for I am watching over my word to perform it.
13 Again the word of the LORD came to me, asking, “What do you see?” “I see a boiling pot,” I replied, “and it is tilting toward us from the north.”
And the word of the Lord came unto me the second time, saying, What seest thou? And I said, A seething pot do I see; and the front thereof is turned from the north.
14 Then the LORD said to me, “Disaster from the north will be poured out on all who live in the land.
And the Lord said unto me, Out of the north shall the evil break forth over all the inhabitants of the land,
15 For I am about to summon all the clans and kingdoms of the north,” declares the LORD. “Their kings will come and set up their thrones at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem. They will attack all her surrounding walls and all the other cities of Judah.
For, lo, I will call unto all the families of the kingdoms of the north, saith the Lord; and they shall come, and they shall set every one his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, and upon all its walls round about, and upon [those of] all the cities of Judah.
16 I will pronounce My judgments against them for all their wickedness, because they have forsaken Me to burn incense to other gods and to worship the works of their own hands.
And I will call them to account touching all their wickedness, in that they have forsaken me, and have burnt incense unto other gods, and have bowed down unto the works of their own hands.
17 Get yourself ready. Stand up and tell them everything that I command you. Do not be intimidated by them, or I will terrify you before them.
But do thou gird up thy loins, and arise, and speak unto them all that I may command thee; be not discouraged because of them, lest I humble thee before them.
18 Now behold, this day I have made you like 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.
But I, behold, I have made of thee this day a fortified city, and an iron pillar, and brazen walls over the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against its princes, against its priests, and against the people of the land.
19 They will fight against you but will never overcome you, since I am with you to deliver you,” declares the LORD.
And [although] they fight against thee, they shall not prevail against thee; for with thee am I saith the Lord, to deliver thee.
