Jeremiah 1
1 The words of Jeremiah, the son of Hilkiah of the priests who were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin.
Words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, of the priests who [are] in Anathoth, in the land of Benjamin,
2 The word of the Lord, which came to him in the days of Josiah, the son of Amon, king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign,
unto whom the word of Jehovah hath been in the days of Josiah son of Amon, king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign,
3 and which came to him in the days of Jehoiakim, the son of Josiah, king of Judah, even until the completion of the eleventh year of Zedekiah, the son of Josiah, king of Judah, even until the transmigration of Jerusalem in the fifth month.
and it is in the days of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah, till the completion of the eleventh year of Zedekiah son of Josiah, king of Judah, till the removal of Jerusalem in the fifth month.
4 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:
And there is a word of Jehovah unto me, saying,
5 “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you. And before you went forth from the womb, I sanctified you. And I made you a prophet to the nations.”
'Before I form thee in the belly, I have known thee; and before thou comest forth from the womb I have separated thee, a prophet to nations I have made thee.'
6 And I said: “Alas, alas, alas, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am a boy.”
And I say, 'Ah, Lord Jehovah! lo, I have not known — to speak, for I [am] a youth.'
7 And the Lord said to me: “Do not choose to say, ‘I am a boy.’ For you shall go forth to everyone to whom I will send you. And you shall speak all that I will command you.
And Jehovah saith unto me, 'Do not say, I [am] a youth, for to all to whom I send thee thou goest, and all that I command thee thou speakest.
8 You should not be afraid before their face. For I am with you, so that I may deliver you,” says the Lord.
Be not afraid of their faces, for with thee [am] I to deliver thee, — an affirmation of Jehovah.'
9 And the Lord put forth his hand, and he touched my mouth. And the Lord said to me: “Behold, I have placed my words in your mouth.
And Jehovah putteth forth His hand, and striketh against my mouth, and Jehovah saith unto me, 'Lo, I have put my words in thy mouth.
10 Behold, today I have appointed you over nations and over kingdoms, so that you may root up, and pull down, and destroy, and scatter, and so that you may build and plant.”
See, I have charged thee this day concerning the nations, and concerning the kingdoms, to pluck up, and to break down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.'
11 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “What do you see, Jeremiah?” And I said, “I see a staff, keeping watch.”
And there is a word of Jehovah unto me, saying, 'What art thou seeing, Jeremiah?' And I say, 'A rod of an almond tree I am seeing.'
12 And the Lord said to me: “You have seen well. For I will keep watch over my word, so that I may accomplish it.”
And Jehovah saith unto me, 'Thou hast well seen: for I am watching over My word to do it.'
13 And the word of the Lord came to me a second time, saying, “What do you see?” And I said, “I see a cooking pot upon a fire, and its face is before the face of the north.”
And there is a word of Jehovah unto me a second time, saying, 'What art thou seeing?' And I say, 'A blown pot I am seeing, and its face [is] from the north.'
14 And the Lord said to me: “From the north, an evil will spread over all the inhabitants of the earth.
And Jehovah saith unto me, 'From the north is the evil loosed against all inhabitants of the land.
15 For behold, I will call together all the close associates of the kingdoms of the north, says the Lord. And they will arrive, and each one of them will place his throne at the entrance to the gates of Jerusalem, and over all its surrounding walls, and over all the cities of Judah.
For, lo, I am calling for all families of the kingdoms of the north, — an affirmation of Jehovah — and they have come, and put each his throne at the opening of the gates of Jerusalem, and by its walls round about, and by all cities of Judah.
16 And I will speak my judgments with them, concerning all the wickedness of those who have forsaken me, and who have offered libations to strange gods, and who have adored the work of their own hands.
And I have spoken My judgments with them concerning all their evil, in that they have forsaken Me, and make perfume to other gods, and bow themselves to the works of their own hands.
17 Therefore, you should gird your waist, and rise up, and speak to them everything that I instruct you. You should not have dread before their face. For I will cause you to be unafraid of their countenance.
'And thou, thou dost gird up thy loins, and hast arisen, and spoken unto them all that I command thee: be not affrighted because of them, lest I affright thee before them.
18 For certainly, this day, I have made you like a fortified city, and an iron pillar, and a brass wall, over all the land, to the kings of Judah, to its leaders, and to the priests, and to the people of the land.
And I, lo, I have given thee this day for a fenced city, and for an iron pillar, and for brazen walls over all the land, to the kings of Judah, to its heads, to its priests, and to the people of the land;
19 And they will make war against you, but they will not prevail. For I am with you, says the Lord, so that I may free you.”
and they have fought against thee, and they prevail not against thee; for with thee [am] I, — an affirmation of Jehovah — to deliver thee.
