Jeremiah 1
1 Words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, of the priests who [are] in Anathoth, in the land of Benjamin,
These are the words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, one of the priests in Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin.
2 to whom the word of YHWH has been in the days of Josiah son of Amon, king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign,
The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah in the thirteenth year of the reign of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah,
3 and it is in the days of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the completion of the eleventh year of Zedekiah son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the expulsion of Jerusalem in the fifth month.
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.
4 And there is a word of YHWH to me, saying,
The word of the LORD came to me, saying:
5 “Before I form you in the belly, I have known you; and before you come forth from the womb I have separated you; I have made you a prophet to the nations.”
“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.”
6 And I say, “Aah! Lord YHWH! Behold, I have not known—to speak, for I [am] a youth.”
“Ah, Lord GOD,” I said, “I surely do not know how to speak, for I am only a child!”
7 And YHWH says to me, “Do not say, I [am] a youth, for to all to whom I send you—go, and all that I command you—speak.
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.
8 Do not be afraid of their faces, for I [am] with you to deliver you,” a declaration of YHWH.
Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you,”
9 And YHWH puts forth His hand, and strikes against my mouth, and YHWH says to me, “Behold, I have put My words in your mouth.
Then the LORD reached out His hand, touched my mouth, and said to me: “Behold, I have put My words in your mouth.
10 See, I have charged you 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.”
See, I have appointed you today over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and plant.”
11 And there is a word of YHWH to me, saying, “What are you seeing, Jeremiah?” And I say, “I am seeing a rod of an almond tree.”
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.
12 And YHWH says to me, “You have seen well: for I am watching over My word to do it.”
“You have observed correctly,” said the LORD, “for I am watching over My word to accomplish it.”
13 And there is a word of YHWH to me a second time, saying, “What are you seeing?” And I say, “I am seeing a blown pot, and its face [is] from the north.”
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.”
14 And YHWH says to me, “From the north the evil is loosed against all inhabitants of the land.
Then the LORD said to me, “Disaster from the north will be poured out on all who live in the land.
15 For behold, I am calling for all families of the kingdoms of the north,” a declaration of YHWH, “And they have come, and each put his throne at the opening of the gates of Jerusalem, and by its walls all around, and by all cities of Judah.
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.
16 And I have spoken My judgments with them concerning all their evil, in that they have forsaken Me, and make incense to other gods, and bow themselves to the works of their own hands.
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.
17 And you, you gird up your loins, and have arisen, and spoken to them all that I command you: do not be frightened because of them, lest I frighten you before them.
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.
18 And I, behold, have given you this day for a fortified city, and for an iron pillar, and for bronze walls over all the land, to the kings of Judah, to its heads, to its priests, and to the people of the land;
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.
19 and they have fought against you, and they do not prevail against you; for I [am] with you,” a declaration of YHWH, “to deliver you.”
They will fight against you but will never overcome you, since I am with you to deliver you,” declares the LORD.
