Jeremiah 1
1 These are the words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, one of the priests at Anathoth in the land of Benjamin.
The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the priests that were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin:
2 The word of Yahweh came to him in the days of Josiah son of Amon, king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign.
To whom the word of the LORD came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign.
3 It also came in the days of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the fifth month of the eleventh year of Zedekiah son of Josiah, king of Judah, when the people of Jerusalem were taken away as prisoners.
It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, to the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah the son of Josiah king of Judah, to the carrying away of Jerusalem captive in the fifth month.
4 The word of Yahweh came to me, saying,
Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
5 “Before I formed you in the womb, I chose you; before you came out from the womb I set you apart; I made you a prophet to the nations.”
Before I formed you in the belly I knew you; and before you came forth out of the womb I sanctified you, and I ordained you a prophet to the nations.
6 “Ah, Lord Yahweh!” I said, “I do not know how to speak, for I am too young.”
Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child.
7 But Yahweh said to me, “Do not say, 'I am too young.' You must go everywhere I send you, and you must say whatever I command you!
But the LORD said to me, Say not, I am a child: for you shall go to all that I shall send you, and whatever I command you you shall speak.
8 Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to rescue you—this is Yahweh's declaration.”
Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with you to deliver you, says the LORD.
9 Then Yahweh reached out with his hand, touched my mouth, and said to me, “Now, I have placed my word in your mouth.
Then the LORD put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD said to me, Behold, I have put my words in your mouth.
10 I am appointing you today over nations and over kingdoms, to uproot and break down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and plant.”
See, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.
11 The word of Yahweh came to me, saying, “What do you see, Jeremiah?” I said, “I see an almond branch.”
Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying, Jeremiah, what see you? And I said, I see a rod of an almond tree.
12 Yahweh said to me, “You have seen well, for I am watching over my word to carry it out.”
Then said the LORD to me, You have well seen: for I will hasten my word to perform it.
13 The word of Yahweh came to me a second time, saying, “What do you see?” I said, “I see a heated pot, whose surface is churning, tipping away from the north.”
And the word of the LORD came to me the second time, saying, What see you? And I said, I see a seething pot; and the face thereof is toward the north.
14 Yahweh said to me, “Disaster will be opened up out of the north on all who live in this land.
Then the LORD said to me, Out of the north an evil shall break forth on all the inhabitants of the land.
15 For I am calling all the tribes of the northern kingdoms, declares Yahweh. They will come, and everyone will set his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, against all the walls that surround it, and against all the cities of Judah.
For, see, I will call all the families of the kingdoms of the north, says the LORD; and they shall come, and they shall set every one his throne at the entering of the gates of Jerusalem, and against all the walls thereof round about, and against all the cities of Judah.
16 I will pronounce sentence against them for all their evil in forsaking me, in burning incense to other gods, and in worshiping what they made with their own hands.
And I will utter my judgments against them touching all their wickedness, who have forsaken me, and have burned incense to other gods, and worshipped the works of their own hands.
17 Get yourself ready! Stand up and say to them whatever I command you. Do not be shattered before them, or I will shatter you before them!
You therefore gird up your loins, and arise, and speak to them all that I command you: be not dismayed at their faces, lest I confound you before them.
18 Behold! Today I have made you a fortified city, an iron pillar, and bronze walls against the whole land—against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests, and the people of the land.
For, behold, I have made you this day a defended city, and an iron pillar, and brazen walls against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against the princes thereof, against the priests thereof, and against the people of the land.
19 They will fight against you, but they will not defeat you, for I will be with you to rescue you—this is Yahweh's declaration.”
And they shall fight against you; but they shall not prevail against you; for I am with you, says the LORD, to deliver you.
