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, to the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah the son of Josiah king of Judah, to the carrying away of Jerusalem captive in the fifth month.
4 The Lord came and told me,
Then the word of the LORD came to 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 you in the belly I knew you; and before you came forth out of the womb I sanctified you, and I ordained you a prophet to 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 to me, Say not, I am a child: for you shall go to all that I shall send you, and whatever I command you you shall 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 of their faces: for I am with you to deliver you, says 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 to me, Behold, I have put my words in your 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 you over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, 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 to me, saying, Jeremiah, what see you? 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 to me, You have well seen: for I will hasten 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 to me the second time, saying, What see you? And I said, I see a seething pot; and the face thereof is toward 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 to me, Out of the north an evil shall break forth on 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, see, I will call all the families of the kingdoms of the north, says 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, who have forsaken me, and have burned incense to 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.
You therefore gird up your loins, and arise, and speak to them all that I command you: be not dismayed at their faces, lest I confound you 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 you this day a defended city, and an iron pillar, and brazen 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 you; but they shall not prevail against you; for I am with you, says the LORD, to deliver you.
