Jeremiæ 1
1 verba Hieremiae filii Helciae de sacerdotibus qui fuerunt in Anathoth in terra Beniamin
[I], Jeremiah, the son of Hilkiah, [am writing] these messages. [I am] a priest, from Anathoth [town] in the area where the tribe of Benjamin [lives].
2 quod factum est verbum Domini ad eum in diebus Iosiae filii Amon regis Iuda in tertiodecimo anno regni eius
Yahweh started to give me these messages when Josiah had been ruling Judah for almost 13 years.
3 et factum est in diebus Ioachim filii Iosiae regis Iuda usque ad consummationem undecimi anni Sedeciae filii Iosiae regis Iuda usque ad transmigrationem Hierusalem in mense quinto
Yahweh continued to give me more messages when Josiah’s son Jehoiakim was the king, and he continued to do that until Zedekiah had been the king of Judah for almost eleven years. It was in August of that year that the people of Jerusalem were (exiled/taken as prisoners) [to Babylonia].
4 et factum est verbum Domini ad me dicens
[One day] Yahweh gave me this message:
5 priusquam te formarem in utero novi te et antequam exires de vulva sanctificavi te prophetam gentibus dedi te
“I knew you before I [finished] forming you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born, I (set you apart/chose you) and I appointed you to be [my] prophet [whose messages would be] for [all] nations.”
6 et dixi a a a Domine Deus ecce nescio loqui quia puer ego sum
I replied, “O, Yahweh my God, I am [not qualified to] speak [for you], because I am very young!”
7 et dixit Dominus ad me noli dicere puer sum quoniam ad omnia quae mittam te ibis et universa quaecumque mandavero tibi loqueris
Yahweh replied, “Do not say that, because you must go to everyone to whom I will send you, and you must tell them everything that I tell you to say.
8 ne timeas a facie eorum quia tecum ego sum ut eruam te dicit Dominus
And you must not be afraid of the people [to whom you will speak], because I will protect you [from being harmed by them]. [This will surely happen because I], Yahweh, have said it!”
9 et misit Dominus manum suam et tetigit os meum et dixit Dominus ad me ecce dedi verba mea in ore tuo
Then [it was as though] Yahweh touched my mouth and said, “Listen to me! I am (putting my message into your mouth/telling you what you must speak).
10 ecce constitui te hodie super gentes et super regna ut evellas et destruas et disperdas et dissipes et aedifices et plantes
Today I am appointing you to warn nations and kingdoms. You will tell them that I will completely destroy and get rid of [DOU] some of them and that I will establish [MET] others and cause them to be strong.”
11 et factum est verbum Domini ad me dicens quid tu vides Hieremia et dixi virgam vigilantem ego video
Then Yahweh said to me, “Jeremiah, what do you see?” I replied, “I see a branch from an almond tree.”
12 et dixit Dominus ad me bene vidisti quia vigilabo ego super verbo meo ut faciam illud
Yahweh said, “That is correct. And [because the word for ‘almond’ resembles the word for ‘watching’], it means that I am watching [what will happen], and I will make certain that what I have said to you [about destroying nations] will happen.”
13 et factum est verbum Domini secundo ad me dicens quid tu vides et dixi ollam succensam ego video et faciem eius a facie aquilonis
[Then] Yahweh spoke to me again and said, “What do you see [now]?” I replied, “I see a pot full of boiling [water] [MTY]. It is tipping [toward me] from the north.”
14 et dixit Dominus ad me ab aquilone pandetur malum super omnes habitatores terrae
Yahweh replied, “[Yes! It means that] from the north great trouble/destruction will [spread] [MET] over this land, [like boiling water] [MET] pouring [from a pot].
15 quia ecce ego convocabo omnes cognationes regnorum aquilonis ait Dominus et venient et ponent unusquisque solium suum in introitu portarum Hierusalem et super omnes muros eius in circuitu et super universas urbes Iuda
Listen to what I say: I am summoning [the armies of] kingdoms that will come from the north [of Judah] to Jerusalem. Their kings will set up their thrones at the gates of this city [to indicate that they are now the kings of Judah]. [Their armies] will attack [and break down] the walls of this city, and [they will do the same thing to] all the [other] towns in Judah.
16 et loquar iudicia mea cum eis super omni malitia eorum qui dereliquerunt me et libaverunt diis alienis et adoraverunt opus manuum suarum
I will punish [MTY] my people because of all the evil things that they have done; they have abandoned me and they worship gods/idols. They worship idols that they have made with their own hands!
17 tu ergo accinge lumbos tuos et surge et loquere ad eos omnia quae ego praecipio tibi ne formides a facie eorum nec enim timere te faciam vultum eorum
So, get up and put on your clothes [to get ready for action]! Then go to the people of Judah and tell them everything that I tell you to say. Do not be afraid of them, because [if you are afraid of them], I will cause you to be truly terrified in front of them!
18 ego quippe dedi te hodie in civitatem munitam et in columnam ferream et in murum aereum super omnem terram regibus Iuda principibus eius et sacerdotibus et populo terrae
But listen! I will cause you to be [strong, like] [MET] a city that has strong walls around it. You will be [as strong as] [MET] an iron pillar or a bronze wall. None of the kings or officials or priests will be able to defeat you.
19 et bellabunt adversum te et non praevalebunt quia tecum ego sum ait Dominus ut liberem te
They will oppose you, but they will not be able to defeat you, because I will be with you and will protect you. [That will surely happen because I], Yahweh, have said it!”
