Add parallel Print Page Options

The Prophet Jeremiah

These are the words of Jeremiah, son of Hilkiah. He was one of the priests at Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin. Yahweh spoke his word to Jeremiah when King Josiah, son of Amon, was in his thirteenth year as king of Judah. Yahweh also spoke when Jehoiakim, son of Josiah, was king of Judah and during the 11 years that Zedekiah, another son of Josiah, was king of Judah. Yahweh continued to speak to Jeremiah until the people of Jerusalem were taken away into captivity in the fifth month of the year.

The Lord Gives Jeremiah a Message for His People

Yahweh spoke his word to me,

“Before I formed you in the womb,
    I knew you.
    Before you were born,
    I set you apart for my holy purpose.
    I appointed you to be a prophet to the nations.”

I, Jeremiah, said, “Adonay Yahweh, I do not know how to speak. I am only a boy!”

But Yahweh said to me, “Don’t say that you are only a boy. You will go wherever I send you. You will say whatever I command you to say. Don’t be afraid of people. I am with you, and I will rescue you,” declares Yahweh.

Then Yahweh stretched out his hand and touched my mouth. Yahweh said to me,

“Now I have put my words in your mouth.
10 Today I have put you in charge of nations and kingdoms.
    You will uproot and tear down.
    You will destroy and overthrow.
    You will build and plant.”

11 Again Yahweh spoke his word to me and asked, “Jeremiah, what do you see?”

I answered, “I see a branch of an almond tree.”

12 Then Yahweh said to me, “Right. I am watching to make sure that my words come true.”[a]

13 Again Yahweh spoke his word to me and asked, “What do you see?”

I answered, “I see a boiling pot, and its top is tilted away from the north.”

14 Then Yahweh said to me,

“Disaster will be poured out from the north
    on all those who live in the land.
15 I am going to call every family and kingdom from the north,”
    declares Yahweh.
        “They will come, and they will set up their thrones
            at the entrance of Jerusalem’s gates.
        They will attack all the walls around the city
            and all the cities of Judah.
16 I will pass sentence on my people because of all their wickedness.
    They abandoned me,
        burned incense to other gods,
            and worshiped what their hands have made.
17 Brace yourself, Jeremiah!
    Stand up, and say to them whatever I tell you to say.
    Don’t be terrified in their presence,
        or I will make you even more terrified in their presence.
18 Today I have made you like a fortified city,
    an iron pillar, and a bronze wall.
        You will be able to stand up to the whole land.
        You will be able to stand up to Judah’s kings,
            its officials, its priests, and all the common people.
19 They will fight you, but they will not defeat you.
    I am with you, and I will rescue you,” declares Yahweh.

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 1:12 There is a play on words here between Hebrew shaked (almond tree) and shoked (watching).

The words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, one of the priests at Anathoth(A) in the territory of Benjamin. The word of the Lord came(B) to him in the thirteenth year of the reign of Josiah(C) son of Amon king of Judah, and through the reign of Jehoiakim(D) son of Josiah king of Judah, down to the fifth month of the eleventh year of Zedekiah(E) son of Josiah king of Judah, when the people of Jerusalem went into exile.(F)

The Call of Jeremiah

The word of the Lord came to me, saying,

“Before I formed you in the womb(G) I knew[a](H) you,
    before you were born(I) I set you apart;(J)
    I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.(K)

“Alas, Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I do not know how to speak;(L) I am too young.”(M)

But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid(N) of them, for I am with you(O) and will rescue(P) you,” declares the Lord.(Q)

Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched(R) my mouth and said to me, “I have put my words in your mouth.(S) 10 See, today I appoint you over nations(T) and kingdoms to uproot(U) and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.”(V)

11 The word of the Lord came to me: “What do you see, Jeremiah?”(W)

“I see the branch of an almond tree,” I replied.

12 The Lord said to me, “You have seen correctly, for I am watching[b](X) to see that my word is fulfilled.”

13 The word of the Lord came to me again: “What do you see?”(Y)

“I see a pot that is boiling,” I answered. “It is tilting toward us from the north.”

14 The Lord said to me, “From the north(Z) disaster will be poured out on all who live in the land. 15 I am about to summon all the peoples of the northern kingdoms,” declares the Lord.

“Their kings will come and set up their thrones
    in the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem;
they will come against all her surrounding walls
    and against all the towns of Judah.(AA)
16 I will pronounce my judgments(AB) on my people
    because of their wickedness(AC) in forsaking me,(AD)
in burning incense to other gods(AE)
    and in worshiping(AF) what their hands have made.(AG)

17 “Get yourself ready! Stand up and say(AH) to them whatever I command you. Do not be terrified(AI) by them, or I will terrify you before them. 18 Today I have made you(AJ) a fortified city, an iron pillar and a bronze wall to stand 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 not overcome(AK) you, for I am with you(AL) and will rescue(AM) you,” declares the Lord.

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 1:5 Or chose
  2. Jeremiah 1:12 The Hebrew for watching sounds like the Hebrew for almond tree.