Jeremiah 1

1The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the priests that were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin:

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

2to whom the word of Jehovah came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign.

2The word of the LORD first came to him during the thirteenth year of the reign of Josiah son of Amon, king of Judah.

3It 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.

3It continued to come during the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah son of Josiah, king of Judah, when the people of Jerusalem were taken into exile in the fifth month.

4Now the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying,

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

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

5Before I formed you in your mother's womb, I knew you. Before you were born, I set you apart for a special purpose; I appointed you to be a prophet to the nations.

6Then said I, Ah, Lord Jehovah! behold, I know not how to speak; for I am a child.

6But I said, Oh, Lord GOD! I don't know how to speak well; I am only a youth.

7But Jehovah said unto me, Say not, I am a child; for to whomsoever I shall send thee thou shalt go, and whatsoever I shall command thee thou shalt speak.

7The LORD replied to me, Do not say, I am only a youth. You must go to everyone I send you to, and you must say whatever I command you.

8Be not afraid because of them; for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith Jehovah.

8Do not be afraid of them, because I am with you to protect you, declares the LORD.

9Then Jehovah put forth his hand, and touched my mouth; and Jehovah said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth:

9Then the LORD reached out His hand and touched my mouth. The LORD said to me, Look, I have put my words in your mouth.

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

10Today I am appointing you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, and also to build and to plant.

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

11The word of the LORD came to me again: Jeremiah, what do you see? I answered, I see a branch from an almond tree.

12Then said Jehovah unto me, Thou hast well seen: for I watch over my word to perform it.

12The LORD said to me, You have seen correctly, for I am watching over my word to make sure it happens.

13And the word of Jehovah came unto me the second time, saying, What seest thou? And I said, I see a boiling caldron; and the face thereof is from the north.

13The word of the LORD came to me a second time: What do you see? I answered, I see a boiling pot tilted away from the north.

14Then Jehovah said unto me, Out of the north evil shall break forth upon all the inhabitants of the land.

14Then the LORD said to me, From the north, a disaster will be poured out on everyone living in this land.

15For, lo, I will call all the families of the kingdoms of the north, saith Jehovah; and they shall come, and they shall set every one his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, and against all the walls thereof round about, and against all the cities of Judah.

15I am about to call all the families of the kingdoms of the north, declares the LORD. They will come and each set up their thrones at the entrance of Jerusalem’s gates, against all the walls surrounding it, and against all the towns of Judah.

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

16I will announce my judgments against my people because of all their wickedness; they have abandoned me, offered sacrifices to other gods, and worshiped what their own hands made.

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

17Now, get yourself ready! Stand up and tell them everything I command you. Do not be terrified of them, or I will make you look terrified in front of them.

18For, behold, I have made thee this day a fortified city, and an iron pillar, and brazen 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.

18Look, today I have made you like a fortified city, an iron pillar, and bronze walls to stand against the whole land—against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests, and the common people.

19And they shall fight against thee; but they shall not prevail against thee: for I am with thee, saith Jehovah, to deliver thee.

19They will fight against you, but they will not defeat you, because I am with you to rescue you, declares the LORD.