Jeremiah 1
1 The words of Jeremias the son of Helcias, of the priests that were in Anathoth, in the land of Benjamin.
These are the words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, one of the priests living in Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin.
2 The word of the Lord which came to him in the days of Josias the son of Amon king of Juda, in the thirteenth year of his reign.
The Lord's message came to Jeremiah beginning in the thirteenth year of the reign of Josiah, son of Amon, king of Judah,
3 And which came to him in the days of Joakim the son of Josias king of Juda, unto the end of the eleventh year of Sedecias the son of Josias king of Juda, even unto the carrying away of Jerusalem captive, in the fifth month.
and on through the time of Jehoiakim, son of Josiah, king of Judah, up to the fifth month of the eleventh year of Zedekiah, son of Josiah, king of Judah, which was when the people of Jerusalem went into exile.
4 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:
The Lord came and told me,
5 Before I formed thee in the bowels of thy mother, I knew thee: and before thou camest forth out of the womb, I sanctified thee, and made thee a prophet unto the nations.
“I knew exactly who you would be before I created you in your mother's womb; I chose you before you were born to be a prophet to the nations.”
6 And I said: Ah, ah, ah, Lord God: behold, I cannot speak, for I am a child.
“Oh no, Lord God!” I replied. “I really don't know how to speak in public because I'm still too young!”
7 And the Lord said to me: Say not: I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee: and whatsoever I shall command thee, thou shalt speak.
“Don't say you're too young,” the Lord told me. “Go to everyone I send you to. Tell them everything I order you to say.
8 Be not afraid at their presence: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the Lord.
Don't be afraid of them because I'll go with you and I'll look after you. This is the Lord's promise.”
9 And the Lord put forth his hand, and touched my mouth: and the Lord said to me: Behold I have given my words in thy mouth:
The Lord stretched out his hand, touched my mouth, and told me: “Look, I've put my words in your mouth.
10 Lo, I have set thee this day over the nations, and over the kingdoms, to root up, and pull down, and to waste, and to destroy, and to build, and to plant.
Today I've placed you over nations and kingdoms to pull up and tear down, to destroy and demolish, to build and plant.”
11 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying: What seest thou, Jeremias? And I said: I see a rod watching.
The Lord's message came to me, asking, “Jeremiah, what can you see?” “I see a twig from an almond tree,” I answered.
12 And the Lord said to me: Thou hast seen well: for I will watch over my word to perform it.
“That's right, because I am watching to make sure what I say happens,” the Lord said.
13 And the word of the Lord came to me a second time, saying: What seest thou? I see a boiling caldron, and the face thereof from the face of the north.
The Lord's message came to me again, asking, “What can you see?” “I see a pot that's boiling,” I answered, “and it's tipping in this direction from the north.”
14 And the Lord said to me: from the north shall an evil break forth upon all the inhabitants of the land.
Then the Lord told me, “Trouble brewing from the north will sweep out over everyone living in the country.
15 For behold I will call together all the families of the kingdoms of the north: saith the Lord: and they shall come, and shall set every one his throne in the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, and upon all the walls thereof round about, and upon all the cities of Juda,
Watch out! I'm going to summon all the nations and kings of the north,” declares the Lord. “Each of these kings will come and set up their thrones right at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, and attack all its fortifications and all the towns in Judah.
16 And I will pronounce my judgements against them, touching all their wickedness, who have forsaken me, and have sacrificed to strange gods, and have adored the work of their own hands.
I will carry out my sentence against the inhabitants for all their wickedness, because they abandoned me to burn incense to pagan gods, to worship idols they themselves made.
17 Thou therefore gird up thy loins, and arise, and speak to them all that I command thee. Be not afraid at their presence: for I will make thee not to fear their countenance.
You need to get yourself ready. You are going to stand before the people and tell them everything that I order you to say. Don't be scared by them, or I will scare you in front of them.
18 For behold I have made thee this day a fortified city, and a pillar of iron, and a wall of brass, over all the land, to the kings of Juda, to the princes thereof, and to the priests, and to the people of the land.
Look! Today I have made you like a fortified city, a pillar of iron, a wall of bronze to stand against the whole country—against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests, and the people of the country.
19 And they shall fight against thee, and shall not prevail: for I am with thee, saith the Lord, to deliver thee.
They will fight against you but they won't defeat you, because I'll be there to rescue you,” declares the Lord.
