Jeremiah 1
1 The wordis of Jeremye, sone of Helchie, of the preestis that weren in Anathot, in the lond of Beniamyn.
These are the words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, one of the priests at Anathoth in the land of Benjamin.
2 For the word of the Lord was maad to hym in the daies of Josie, the sone of Amon, kyng of Juda, in the threttenethe yeer of his rewme.
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.
3 And it was don in the daies of Joachym, the sone of Josie, the king of Juda, til to the endyng of the enleuenthe yeer of Sedechie, sone of Josie, kyng of Juda, til the passyng ouer, ether caitifte, of Jerusalem, in the fyuethe monethe.
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.
4 And the word of the Lord was maad to me,
The word of Yahweh came to me, saying,
5 and seide, Bifor that Y fourmede thee in the wombe, Y knewe thee; and bifor that thou yedist out of the wombe, Y halewide thee; and Y yaf thee a profete among folkis.
“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.”
6 And Y seide, A! A! A! Lord God, lo! Y kan not speke, for Y am a child.
“Ah, Lord Yahweh!” I said, “I do not know how to speak, for I am too young.”
7 And the Lord seide to me, Nyle thou seie, that Y am a child; for thou schalt go to alle thingis, to whiche Y schal sende thee, and thou schalt speke alle thingis, what euer thingis Y schal comaunde to thee.
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!
8 Drede thou not of the face of hem, for Y am with thee, to delyuere thee, seith the Lord.
Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to rescue you—this is Yahweh's declaration.”
9 And the Lord sente his hond, and touchide my mouth; and the Lord seide to me, Lo! Y haue youe my wordis in thi mouth; lo!
Then Yahweh reached out with his hand, touched my mouth, and said to me, “Now, I have placed my word in your mouth.
10 Y haue ordeynede thee to day on folkis, and on rewmes, that thou drawe vp, and distrie, and leese, and scatere, and bilde, and plaunte.
I am appointing you today over nations and over kingdoms, to uproot and break down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and plant.”
11 And the word of the Lord was maad to me, and seide, What seest thou, Jeremye?
The word of Yahweh came to me, saying, “What do you see, Jeremiah?” I said, “I see an almond branch.”
12 And Y seide, Y se a yerde wakynge. And the Lord seide to me, Thou hast seen wel, for Y schal wake on my word, to do it.
Yahweh said to me, “You have seen well, for I am watching over my word to carry it out.”
13 And the word of the Lord was maad the secounde tyme to me, and seide, What seest thou? Y se a pot buylynge, and the face therof fro the face of the north.
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.”
14 And the Lord seide to me, Fro the north schal be schewid al yuel on alle the dwelleris of the lond.
Yahweh said to me, “Disaster will be opened up out of the north on all who live in this land.
15 For lo! Y schal clepe togidere alle the naciouns of rewmes of the north, seith the Lord, and thei schulen come, and sette ech man his seete in the entryng of the yatis of Jerusalem, and on alle the wallis therof in cumpas, and on alle the citees of Juda.
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.
16 And Y schal speke my domes with hem on al the malice of hem, that forsoken me, and maden sacrifice to alien goddis, and worschipiden the werk of her hondis.
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.
17 Therfor girde thou thi leendis, and rise thou, and speke to hem alle thingis whiche Y comaunde to thee; drede thou not of the face of hem, for Y schal not make thee for to drede the cheer of hem.
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!
18 For Y yaf thee to dai in to a strong citee, and in to an yrun piler, and in to a brasun wal, on al the lond, to the kyngis of Juda, and to the princis therof, and to the preestis therof, and to al the puple of the lond.
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.
19 And thei schulen fiyte ayens thee, and thei schulen not haue the maistrie; for Y am with thee, seith the Lord, that Y delyuere thee.
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.”
