Jeremiah 1

1 These are the words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, one of the priests in Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin.

2 The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah in the thirteenth year of the reign of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah,

3 and through 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 went into exile.

4 The word of the LORD came to me, saying:

5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”

6 “Ah, Lord GOD,” I said, “I surely do not know how to speak, for I am only a child!”

7 But the LORD told me: “Do not say, ‘I am only a child.’ For to everyone I send you, you must go, and all that I command you, you must speak.

8 Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you,” declares the LORD.

9 Then the LORD reached out His hand, touched my mouth, and said to me: “Behold, I have put My words in your mouth.

10 See, I have appointed you today over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and plant.”

11 And the word of the LORD came to me, asking, “Jeremiah, what do you see?” “I see a branch of an almond tree,” I replied.

12 “You have observed correctly,” said the LORD, “for I am watching over My word to accomplish it.”

13 Again the word of the LORD came to me, asking, “What do you see?” “I see a boiling pot,” I replied, “and it is tilting toward us from the north.”

14 Then the LORD said to me, “Disaster from the north will be poured out on all who live in the land.

15 For I am about to summon all the clans and kingdoms of the north,” declares the LORD. “Their kings will come and set up their thrones at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem. They will attack all her surrounding walls and all the other cities of Judah.

16 I will pronounce My judgments against them for all their wickedness, because they have forsaken Me, and they have burned incense to other gods and worshiped the works of their own hands.

17 Get yourself ready. Stand up and tell them everything that I command you. Do not be intimidated by them, or I will terrify you before them.

18 Now behold, this day I have made you like 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 They will fight against you but will never overcome you, since I am with you to deliver you,” declares the LORD.

1 ¶ The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, 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.

3 It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the carrying away of Jerusalem captive in the fifth month.

4 ¶ Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, [and] I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.

6 Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak: for I [am] a child.

7 But the LORD said unto me, Say not, I [am] a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak.

8 Be not afraid of their faces: 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 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.

11 ¶ Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Jeremiah, what seest thou? And I said, I see a rod of an almond tree.

12 Then said the LORD unto me, Thou hast well seen: for I will hasten my word to perform it.

13 And the word of the LORD came unto me the second time, saying, What seest thou? And I said, I see a seething pot; and the face thereof [is] toward the north.

14 Then the LORD said unto me, Out of the north an evil shall break forth upon 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 entering of the gates of Jerusalem, and against all the walls thereof round about, and against all the cities of Judah.

16 And I will utter my judgments against them touching all their wickedness, who have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, and worshipped the works of their own hands.

17 Thou therefore gird up thy loins, and arise, and speak unto them all that I command thee: be not dismayed at their faces, lest I confound thee before them.

18 For, behold, I have made thee this day a defenced city, and an iron pillar, and brasen walls against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against the princes thereof, against the priests thereof, 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.

1 These are the acts of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the priests of 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,

2 Go and preach openly at Jerusalem, saying, Thus saith the LORD; I remember thee, when thou wast a kind young maid, and a fair bride, when thou followedest me in the wilderness of the land that soweth not,

3 And afterward in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the prison of Jerusalem in the fifth month.

3 When Israel was the LORD'S own, and the firstfruits thereof. He that devoured them was guilty, and evil came upon him, saith the LORD.

4 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying:

5 I knew thee before I prepared thee in the womb, and I separated thee before thou wast born of thy mother, and set thee to be a prophet among the nations.

6 And I said, O Lord GOD, I am not fit to preach, for I am too young.

7 And the LORD said unto me, Say not, I am too young: but go whithersoever I send thee, and preach the things which I command thee.

8 Fear them not: for I am with thee, and will deliver thee, saith the LORD.

9 And the LORD put forth his hand, and touched my mouth, and said unto me, Behold, I put my words in thy mouth.

10 Behold, I set thee this day over nations and kingdoms, to pluck up, and to break down, and to destroy, and to build, and to plant.

11 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Jeremiah, what seest thou? And I said: I see a rod of valour.

12 And the LORD said unto me, Thou hast seen right: for I will be valiant in my word to do it.

13 And the word of the LORD came unto me the second time, saying, What seest thou? And I said: I see a hot boiling pot from the north.

14 And the LORD said unto me, From northward there shall be calamity upon all them that dwell in the land.

15 For, behold, I will call all the princes of the kingdoms toward the north, saith the LORD; and they shall come and set their seats at the gates of Jerusalem, and round about the walls thereof, and before all the cities of Judah.

16 And I will execute judgment upon them for all their wickedness; and they shall forsake me, and burn incense unto other gods, and worship the work of their hands.

17 Gird up thy loins therefore, and arise, and preach unto them all that I bid thee. Be not afraid of them, as if I should discourage thee!

18 For I will make thee this day a strong city, a pillar of iron, a wall of brass throughout all the land, against the kings of Judah, against their princes, against their priests, against the people of the land,

19 That though they fight against thee, yet they shall not prevail against thee: for I am with thee, saith the LORD, to deliver thee. Ch. 2, v. 1. And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying: