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 Chilkiyahu, one 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 the 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.
And who continued [prophet] in the days of Jehoyakim the son of Josiah the king of Judah, until the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah the son of Josiah the king of Judah, until the carrying away into exile of Jerusalem in the fifth month.
4 The word of Yahweh came to me, saying,
And the word of the Lord came unto 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 yet I had formed thee in thy mother's body I knew thee; and before thou wast yet come forth out of the womb I sanctified thee: a prophet unto the nations did I ordain thee.
6 “Ah, Lord Yahweh!” I said, “I do not know how to speak, for I am too young.”
And I said, Ah, Lord Eternal! behold, I know not how to speak; for I am [but] a lad.
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!
And the Lord said unto me, Say not, I am [but] a lad; but to whomsoever I may send thee shalt thou go, and whatsoever I may command thee shalt thou speak.
8 Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to rescue you—this is Yahweh's declaration.”
Be not afraid because of them; for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith 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.
And the Lord stretched forth his hand, and touched [me] therewith on my mouth; and the Lord said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy 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 appointed thee this day over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down: to build up, and to plant.
11 The word of Yahweh came to me, saying, “What do you see, Jeremiah?” I said, “I see an almond branch.”
And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, What seest thou, Jeremiah? And I said, A staff of all almond-tree do I see.
12 Yahweh said to me, “You have seen well, for I am watching over my word to carry it out.”
And the Lord said unto me, Thou hast well seen; for I am watching over 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 unto me the second time, saying, What seest thou? And I said, A seething pot do I see; and the front thereof is turned from the north.
14 Yahweh said to me, “Disaster will be opened up out of the north on all who live in this land.
And the Lord said unto me, Out of the north shall the evil break forth over 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, lo, I will call unto all the families of the kingdoms of the north, saith the Lord; and they shall come, and they shall set every one his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, and upon all its walls round about, and upon [those of] 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 call them to account touching all their wickedness, in that they have forsaken me, and have burnt incense unto other gods, and have bowed down unto 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!
But do thou gird up thy loins, and arise, and speak unto them all that I may command thee; be not discouraged because of them, lest I humble thee 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.
But I, behold, I have made of thee this day a fortified city, and an iron pillar, and brazen walls over the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against its princes, against its priests, 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 [although] they fight against thee, they shall not prevail against thee; for with thee am I saith the Lord, to deliver thee.
