< Jeremiah 1 >

1 Words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, of the priests who [are] in Anathoth, in the land of Benjamin,
The words of Jeremiah, the son of Hilkiah of the priests who were in Anathoth in the land 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, which came to him in the days of Josiah, the son of Amon, king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign,
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 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.
4 And there is a word of YHWH to me, saying,
And 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 went forth from the womb, I sanctified you. And I made you a prophet to the nations.”
6 And I say, “Aah! Lord YHWH! Behold, I have not known—to speak, for I [am] a youth.”
And I said: “Alas, alas, alas, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am a boy.”
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.
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.
8 Do not be afraid of their faces, for I [am] with you to deliver you,” a declaration of YHWH.
You should not be afraid before their face. For I am with you, so that I may deliver you,” says the Lord.
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.
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.
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.”
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.”
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, saying, “What do you see, Jeremiah?” And I said, “I see a staff, keeping watch.”
12 And YHWH says to me, “You have seen well: for I am watching over My word to do it.”
And the Lord said to me: “You have seen well. For I will keep watch over my word, so that I may 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.”
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.”
14 And YHWH says to me, “From the north the evil is loosed against all inhabitants of the land.
And the Lord said to me: “From the north, an evil will spread over all the inhabitants of the earth.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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;
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.
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.”
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.”

< Jeremiah 1 >