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 [were] at Anathoth in [the] land of Benjamin.
2 Yahweh started to give me these messages when Josiah had been ruling Judah for almost 13 years.
Whom it came [the] word of Yahweh to him in [the] days of Josiah [the] son of Amon [the] king of Judah in thir-teen year of reigning his.
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].
And it came in [the] days of Jehoiakim [the] son of Josiah [the] king of Judah until was finished one [plus] ten year of Zedekiah [the] son of Josiah [the] king of Judah until went into exile Jerusalem in the month fifth.
4 [One day] Yahweh gave me this message:
And it came [the] word of Yahweh 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 you *Q(k)*) in the belly I knew you and before you came forth from [the] womb I set apart you a prophet to the nations I appointed you.
6 I replied, “O, Yahweh my God, I am [not qualified to] speak [for you], because I am very young!”
And I said alas! O Lord Yahweh here! not I know to speak for [am] a youth I.
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.
And he said Yahweh to me may not you say [am] a youth I for to every [one] whom I will send you you will go and all that I will command you you will speak.
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!”
May not you be afraid of them for [will be] with you I to deliver you [the] utterance of Yahweh.
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).
And he stretched out Yahweh hand his and he touched mouth my and he said Yahweh to me here! I have put words my in mouth your.
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.”
See I appoint you - the day this over the nations and over kingdoms to pluck up and to pull down and to destroy and to tear down 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.”
And it came [the] word of Yahweh to me saying what? [are] you seeing O Jeremiah and I said a branch of an almond tree I [am] seeing.
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 he said Yahweh to me you have done well to see for [am] watching I over word my to do 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 it came [the] word of Yahweh - to me a second [time] saying what? [are] you seeing and I said a pot blown upon I [am] seeing and face its [is] away from [the] face of north-ward.
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 he said Yahweh to me from [the] north it will be let loose calamity on 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 - here I [am] summoning all [the] clans of [the] kingdoms of north-ward [the] utterance of Yahweh and they will come and they will set each one throne his [the] entrance of - [the] gates of Jerusalem and on all walls its all around and on 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 speak judgments my with them on all wickedness their which they have forsaken me and they have made smoke to gods other and they have bowed down to [the] products of hands their.
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!
And you you will gird loins your and you will arise and you will say to them all that I I will command you may not you be dismayed because of them lest I should make dismayed you 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.
And I here! I have made you this day into a city of fortification and into a pillar of iron and into walls of bronze on all the land to [the] kings of Judah to officials its to priests its and to [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!”
And they will fight against you and not they will prevail to you for [will be] with you I [the] utterance of Yahweh to deliver you.
