Jeremiah 1
v1
The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, one of the priests who were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin.
v2
Yahwehโs word came to him in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign.
v3
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.
v4
Now Yahwehโs word came to me, saying,
v5
โBefore 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.โ
v6
Then I said, โAh, Lord Yahweh! Behold, I donโt know how to speak; for I am a child.โ
v7
But Yahweh said to me, โDonโt say, โI am a child;โ for you must go to whomever I send you, and you must say whatever I command you.
v8
Donโt be afraid because of them, for I am with you to rescue you,โ says Yahweh.
v9
Then Yahweh stretched out his hand, and touched my mouth. Then Yahweh said to me, โBehold, I have put my words in your mouth.
v10
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.โ
v11
Moreover Yahwehโs word came to me, saying, โJeremiah, what do you see?โ I said, โI see a branch of an almond tree.โ
v12
Then Yahweh said to me, โYou have seen well; for I watch over my word to perform it.โ
v13
Yahwehโs word came to me the second time, saying, โWhat do you see?โ I said, โI see a boiling cauldron; and it is tipping away from the north.โ
v14
Then Yahweh said to me, โOut of the north, evil will break out on all the inhabitants of the land.
v15
For, behold, I will call all the families of the kingdoms of the north,โ says Yahweh. โThey 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.
v16
I will utter my judgments against them concerning all their wickedness, in that they have forsaken me, and have burned incense to other gods, and worshiped the works of their own hands.
v17
โYou therefore put your belt on your waist, arise, and say to them all that I command you. Donโt be dismayed at them, lest I dismay you before them.
v18
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.
v19
They will fight against you, but they will not prevail against you; for I am with youโ, says Yahweh, โto rescue you.โ