Jeremiah 1
1 The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, one of the priests who were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin.
The word of God which came to Jeremias the [son] of Chelcias, of the priests, who lived in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin:
2 The LORD’s word came to him in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign.
[accordingly] as the word of God came to him in the days of Josias son of Amos king of Juda, 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 it was in the days of Joakim, son of Josias king of Juda, until the eleventh year of Sedekias king of Juda, [even] until the captivity of Jerusalem in the fifth month.
4 Now the LORD’s word came to me, saying,
And the word of the Lord came to him, [saying],
5 “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you. Before you were born, I sanctified you. I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.”
Before I formed you in the belly, I knew you; and before you came forth from the womb, I sanctified you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.
6 Then I said, “Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, I don’t know how to speak; for I am a child.”
And I said, O Lord, you that are supreme Lord, behold, I know not [how] to speak, for I am a child.
7 But the LORD said to me, “Don’t say, ‘I am a child;’ for you must go to whomever I send you, and you must say whatever I command you.
And the Lord said to me, Say not, I am a child: for you shall go to all to whoever I shall send you, and according to all [the words] that I shall command you, you shall speak.
8 Don’t be afraid because of them, for I am with you to rescue you,” says the LORD.
Be not afraid before them: for I am with you to deliver you, says the Lord.
9 Then the LORD stretched out his hand and touched my mouth. Then the LORD said to me, “Behold, I have put my words in your mouth.
And the Lord stretched forth his hand to me, and touched my mouth: and the Lord said to me, Behold, I have put my words into your mouth.
10 Behold, I have today set you over the nations and over the kingdoms, to uproot and to tear down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.”
Behold, I have appointed you this day over nations and over kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to rebuild, and to plant.
11 Moreover the LORD’s word came to me, saying, “Jeremiah, what do you see?” I said, “I see a branch of an almond tree.”
And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, What see you? And I said, A rod of an almond tree.
12 Then the LORD said to me, “You have seen well; for I watch over my word to perform it.”
And the Lord said to me, You have well seen: for I have watched over my words to perform them.
13 The LORD’s word came to me the second time, saying, “What do you see?” I said, “I see a boiling cauldron; and it is tipping away from the north.”
And the word of the Lord came to me a second time, saying, What see you? And I said, A cauldron on the fire; and the face of it is towards the north.
14 Then the LORD said to me, “Out of the north, evil will break out on all the inhabitants of the land.
And the Lord said to me, From the north shall flame forth evils upon all the inhabitants of the land.
15 For behold, I will call all the families of the kingdoms of the north,” says the LORD. “They will come, and they will each set his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, and against all its walls all around, and against all the cities of Judah.
For, behold, I call together all the kingdoms of the earth from the north, says the Lord; and they shall come, and shall set each one his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, and against all the walls round about her, and against all the cities of Juda.
16 I will utter my judgements against them concerning all their wickedness, in that they have forsaken me, and have burnt incense to other gods, and worshipped the works of their own hands.
And I will speak to them in judgement, concerning all their iniquity, [forasmuch] as they have forsaken me, and sacrificed to strange gods, and worshipped the works of their own hands.
17 “You therefore put your belt on your waist, arise, and say to them all that I command you. Don’t be dismayed at them, lest I dismay you before them.
And do you gird up your loins, and stand up, and speak all [the words] that I shall command you: be not afraid of their face, neither be you alarmed before them; for I am with you to deliver you, says the Lord.
18 For behold, I have made you today a fortified city, an iron pillar, and bronze walls against the whole land—against the kings of Judah, against its princes, against its priests, and against the people of the land.
Behold, I have made you this day as a strong city, and as a brazen wall, strong [against] all the kings of Juda, and the princes thereof, and the people of the land.
19 They will fight against you, but they will not prevail against you; for I am with you”, says the LORD, “to rescue you.”
And they shall fight against you; but they shall by no means prevail against you; because I am with you, to deliver you, says the Lord.
