Jeremiah 1
1 [I], Jeremiah, the son of Hilkiah, [am writing] these messages. [I am] a priest, from Anathoth [town] in the area where the tribe of Benjamin [lives].
The words of Jeremiah, the son of Hilkiah, one of the priests, who dwelt in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin;
2 Yahweh started to give me these messages when Josiah had been ruling Judah for almost 13 years.
to whom the word of Jehovah came in the days of Josiah, the son of Amon, king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign;
3 Yahweh continued to give me more messages when Josiah’s son Jehoiakim was the king, and he continued to do that until Zedekiah had been the king of Judah for almost eleven years. It was in August of that year that the people of Jerusalem were (exiled/taken as prisoners) [to Babylonia].
to whom it also came in the days of Jehoiakim, the son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah, the son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the carrying away of Jerusalem into captivity in the fifth month.
4 [One day] Yahweh gave me this message:
The word of Jehovah came to me, saying:
5 “I knew you before I [finished] forming you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born, I (set you apart/chose you) and I appointed you to be [my] prophet [whose messages would be] for [all] nations.”
Before I formed thee in the womb, I knew thee; and before thou camest into the world, I chose thee; I appointed thee to be a prophet to the nations.
6 I replied, “O, Yahweh my God, I am [not qualified to] speak [for you], because I am very young!”
Then said I, Alas, O Lord Jehovah! Behold, I am not able to speak; for I am a child.
7 Yahweh replied, “Do not say that, because you must go to everyone to whom I will send you, and you must tell them everything that I tell you to say.
But Jehovah said to me, Say not, I am a child; but go to whomever I send thee, and speak whatever I command thee!
8 And you must not be afraid of the people [to whom you will speak], because I will protect you [from being harmed by them]. [This will surely happen because I], Yahweh, have said it!”
Be not afraid of them! For I am with thee to help thee, saith Jehovah.
9 Then [it was as though] Yahweh touched my mouth and said, “Listen to me! I am (putting my message into your mouth/telling you what you must speak).
Then Jehovah put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. Jehovah also said to me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth.
10 Today I am appointing you to warn nations and kingdoms. You will tell them that I will completely destroy and get rid of [DOU] some of them and that I will establish [MET] others and cause them to be strong.”
Behold, I have set thee this day over nations and over kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to overthrow; and to build, and to plant.
11 Then Yahweh said to me, “Jeremiah, what do you see?” I replied, “I see a branch from an almond tree.”
Then the word of Jehovah came to me, saying, What seest thou, Jeremiah? And I said, I see a rod of almond-wood.
12 Yahweh said, “That is correct. And [because the word for ‘almond’ resembles the word for ‘watching’], it means that I am watching [what will happen], and I will make certain that what I have said to you [about destroying nations] will happen.”
And Jehovah said to me, Thou hast seen right; for I am watchful over my word to perform it.
13 [Then] Yahweh spoke to me again and said, “What do you see [now]?” I replied, “I see a pot full of boiling [water] [MTY]. It is tipping [toward me] from the north.”
And the word of Jehovah came to me a second time, saying, What seest thou? And I said, I see a boiling pot, whose face is turned from the north.
14 Yahweh replied, “[Yes! It means that] from the north great trouble/destruction will [spread] [MET] over this land, [like boiling water] [MET] pouring [from a pot].
And Jehovah said to me, From the north shall evil break forth upon all the inhabitants of the land.
15 Listen to what I say: I am summoning [the armies of] kingdoms that will come from the north [of Judah] to Jerusalem. Their kings will set up their thrones at the gates of this city [to indicate that they are now the kings of Judah]. [Their armies] will attack [and break down] the walls of this city, and [they will do the same thing to] all the [other] towns in Judah.
For, behold, I will call all the tribes of the kingdoms of the north, saith Jehovah; and they shall come, and shall set every one his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, and against all her walls around, and against all the cities of Judah.
16 I will punish [MTY] my people because of all the evil things that they have done; they have abandoned me and they worship gods/idols. They worship idols that they have made with their own hands!
And I will pronounce my judgments against them for all their wickedness, in that they have forsaken me, and have burned incense to other gods, and worshipped the work of their own hands.
17 So, get up and put on your clothes [to get ready for action]! Then go to the people of Judah and tell them everything that I tell you to say. Do not be afraid of them, because [if you are afraid of them], I will cause you to be truly terrified in front of them!
Thou, therefore, gird up thy loins, and arise, and speak to them all that I command thee; be not afraid of them, lest I confound thee before them.
18 But listen! I will cause you to be [strong, like] [MET] a city that has strong walls around it. You will be [as strong as] [MET] an iron pillar or a bronze wall. None of the kings or officials or priests will be able to defeat you.
For, behold, I make thee this day a fortified city, and a pillar of iron, and a wall of brass against all this land, against the kings of Judah, against the princes thereof, against the priests thereof, and against the people of the land.
19 They will oppose you, but they will not be able to defeat you, because I will be with you and will protect you. [That will surely happen because I], Yahweh, have said it!”
They shall fight against thee, but they shall not prevail against thee; for I will be with thee, saith Jehovah, to help thee.
