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].
verba Hieremiae filii Helciae de sacerdotibus qui fuerunt in Anathoth in terra Beniamin
2 Yahweh started to give me these messages when Josiah had been ruling Judah for almost 13 years.
quod factum est verbum Domini ad eum in diebus Iosiae filii Amon regis Iuda in tertiodecimo anno regni eius
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].
et factum est in diebus Ioachim filii Iosiae regis Iuda usque ad consummationem undecimi anni Sedeciae filii Iosiae regis Iuda usque ad transmigrationem Hierusalem in mense quinto
4 [One day] Yahweh gave me this message:
et factum est verbum Domini ad me dicens
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.”
priusquam te formarem in utero novi te et antequam exires de vulva sanctificavi te prophetam gentibus dedi te
6 I replied, “O, Yahweh my God, I am [not qualified to] speak [for you], because I am very young!”
et dixi a a a Domine Deus ecce nescio loqui quia puer ego sum
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.
et dixit Dominus ad me noli dicere puer sum quoniam ad omnia quae mittam te ibis et universa quaecumque mandavero tibi loqueris
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!”
ne timeas a facie eorum quia tecum ego sum ut eruam te dicit Dominus
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).
et misit Dominus manum suam et tetigit os meum et dixit Dominus ad me ecce dedi verba mea in ore tuo
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.”
ecce constitui te hodie super gentes et super regna ut evellas et destruas et disperdas et dissipes et aedifices et plantes
11 Then Yahweh said to me, “Jeremiah, what do you see?” I replied, “I see a branch from an almond tree.”
et factum est verbum Domini ad me dicens quid tu vides Hieremia et dixi virgam vigilantem ego video
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.”
et dixit Dominus ad me bene vidisti quia vigilabo ego super verbo meo ut faciam illud
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.”
et factum est verbum Domini secundo ad me dicens quid tu vides et dixi ollam succensam ego video et faciem eius a facie aquilonis
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].
et dixit Dominus ad me ab aquilone pandetur malum super omnes habitatores terrae
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.
quia ecce ego convocabo omnes cognationes regnorum aquilonis ait Dominus et venient et ponent unusquisque solium suum in introitu portarum Hierusalem et super omnes muros eius in circuitu et super universas urbes Iuda
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!
et loquar iudicia mea cum eis super omni malitia eorum qui dereliquerunt me et libaverunt diis alienis et adoraverunt opus manuum suarum
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!
tu ergo accinge lumbos tuos et surge et loquere ad eos omnia quae ego praecipio tibi ne formides a facie eorum nec enim timere te faciam vultum eorum
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.
ego quippe dedi te hodie in civitatem munitam et in columnam ferream et in murum aereum super omnem terram regibus Iuda principibus eius et sacerdotibus et populo terrae
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!”
et bellabunt adversum te et non praevalebunt quia tecum ego sum ait Dominus ut liberem te
