Jeremiah 1
1 The words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, —of the priests who 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 unto whom came the word of Yahweh, in the days of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah, —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 it came also in the days of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah, unto the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah son of Josiah king of Judah, —as far as 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 So then, the word of Yahweh came unto me, saying:
The Lord came and told me,
5 Before I formed thee at thy birth, I took knowledge of thee, And before thy nativity, I hallowed thee, —A prophet to the nations, I appointed thee.
“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 Then said I—Ah! My Lord Yahweh! Lo! I know not how to speak, —For a child, am I!
“Oh no, Lord God!” I replied. “I really don't know how to speak in public because I'm still too young!”
7 Then said Yahweh unto me, Do not say, A child, am, I,—For against whomsoever I send thee, shalt thou go, And whatsoever I command thee, shalt thou 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 of their faces, For with thee, am I, to deliver thee Declareth Yahweh.
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 Then Yahweh put forth his hand, and touched my mouth, —and Yahweh said unto me, Lo! I have put 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 See! I have set thee in charge this day, over the nations and over the kingdoms, To uproot and to break down, and to destroy and to tear in pieces, —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 Moreover the Word of Yahweh came unto me saying, What canst thou see Jeremiah? And I said, A twig of an almond-tree, can I see.
The Lord's message came to me, asking, “Jeremiah, what can you see?” “I see a twig from an almond tree,” I answered.
12 Then said Yahweh unto me—Thou hast rightly seen, —for keeping watch, am I 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 Yahweh came unto me a second time saying, What canst thou see? And I said, A boiling caldron, can I see, with, the front thereof, on 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 Then said Yahweh unto me, —Out of the North, shall break forth calamity, against 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 me! calling for all the families of the kingdoms of the North, Declareth Yahweh, —and they shall come, and set every one his throne at the opening of the gates of Jerusalem and against all her walls round about, and against all the cities of Judah!
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 Then will I pronounce my judgments against them, concerning all their wickedness, —in that they have forsaken me and have burned incense unto other gods, and have bowed down to the works 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, shalt gird thy loins, and arise, and speak unto them, all that, I, command thee, —be not dismayed because of them, lest I dismay thee before their face.
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 I, therefore—lo! I have set thee to-day as a fortified city, and as a pillar of iron and as walls of bronze, over all the land, —against the kings of Judah, against her princes, against her priests and against 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 will fight against thee but shall not prevail against thee, —for with thee, am I, Declareth Yahweh, 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.
