Jeremiah 1
1 These are the words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, one of the priests living in Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin.
The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the priests that were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin:
2 The Lord's message came to Jeremiah beginning 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, king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign.
3 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.
It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, unto the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah the son of Josiah, king of Judah; unto the carrying away of Jerusalem captive in the fifth month.
4 The Lord came and told me,
Now the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
5 “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.”
Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee, and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee; I have appointed thee a prophet unto the nations.
6 “Oh no, Lord God!” I replied. “I really don't know how to speak in public because I'm still too young!”
Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child.
7 “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.
But the LORD said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for to whomsoever I shall send thee thou shalt go, and whatsoever I shall command thee thou shalt speak.
8 Don't be afraid of them because I'll go with you and I'll look after you. This is the Lord's promise.”
Be not afraid because of them: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the LORD.
9 The Lord stretched out his hand, touched my mouth, and told me: “Look, I've put my words in your mouth.
Then the LORD put forth his hand, and touched my mouth; and the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth:
10 Today I've placed you over nations and kingdoms to pull up and tear down, to destroy and demolish, to build and plant.”
see, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to pluck up and to break down, and to destroy and to overthrow; to build, and to plant.
11 The Lord's message came to me, asking, “Jeremiah, what can you see?” “I see a twig from an almond tree,” I answered.
Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Jeremiah, what seest thou? And I said, I see a rod of an almond tree.
12 “That's right, because I am watching to make sure what I say happens,” the Lord said.
Then said the LORD unto me, Thou hast well seen: for I watch over my word to perform it.
13 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.”
And the word of the LORD came unto me the second time, saying, What seest thou? And I said, I see a seething caldron; and the face thereof is from the north.
14 Then the Lord told me, “Trouble brewing from the north will sweep out over everyone living in the country.
Then the LORD said unto me, Out of the north evil shall break forth upon all the inhabitants of the land.
15 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.
For, lo, I will call 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 entering of the gates of Jerusalem, and against all the walls thereof round about, and against all the cities of Judah.
16 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.
And I will utter my judgments against them touching all their wickedness; in that they have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, and worshipped the works of their own hands.
17 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.
Thou therefore gird up thy loins, and arise, and speak unto them all that I command thee: be not dismayed at them, lest I dismay thee before them.
18 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.
For, behold, I have made thee this day a defenced city, and an iron pillar, and brasen walls, against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against the princes thereof, against the priests thereof, and against the people of the land.
19 They will fight against you but they won't defeat you, because I'll be there to rescue you,” declares the Lord.
And they shall fight against thee; but they shall not prevail against thee: for I am with thee, saith the LORD, to deliver thee.
