< Jeremiah 1 >
1 The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the priests that were in 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 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.
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 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.
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 Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
5 Before I formed thee in the womb I knew thee; and before thou wast born I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee 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 Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child.
And I said, Ah, Lord Eternal! behold, I know not how to speak; for I am [but] a lad.
7 But the LORD said to me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatever I command thee thou shalt speak.
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 Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the LORD.
Be not afraid because of them; for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the Lord.
9 Then the LORD put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD said to me, Behold, I have put my words in thy 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 See, I have this day set thee 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.
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 Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying, Jeremiah, what seest thou? And I said, I see a rod of an almond tree.
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 Then said the LORD to me, Thou hast well seen: for I will hasten my word to perform it.
And the Lord said unto me, Thou hast well seen; for I am watching over my word to perform it.
13 And the word of the LORD came to me the second time, saying, What seest thou? And I said, I see a boiling pot; and its face is toward 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 Then the LORD said to me, Out of the north an evil shall break forth upon all the inhabitants of the 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, lo, I will call 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 against all its walls on every side, 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 And I will utter my judgments against them concerning all their wickedness, who have forsaken me, and have burned incense to other gods, and worshipped the works of 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 Thou therefore gird up thy loins, and arise, and speak to them all that I command thee: be not dismayed at their faces, lest I confound thee 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 For, behold, I have made thee this day a fortified city, and an iron pillar, and brasen walls against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against its princes, against its priests, and against 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 And they shall fight against thee; but they shall not prevail against thee; for I am with thee, saith the LORD, to deliver thee.
And [although] they fight against thee, they shall not prevail against thee; for with thee am I saith the Lord, to deliver thee.