Yahweh Appoints Jeremiah as a Prophet to the Nations
1 The words of Jeremiah, the son of Hilkiah, among the priests who were in Anathoth, in the land of Benjamin, 2 to whom the word of Yahweh came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, the king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign. 3 It came also in the days of Jehoiakim, the son of Josiah, the king of Judah, until the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah, the son of Josiah, the king of Judah, until the exile of Jerusalem in the fifth month.
4 And the word of Yahweh came to me, saying,[a]
5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
and before you came out from the womb I consecrated you;
I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”
6 Then I said, “Ah, Lord Yahweh! Look, I do not know how to speak, for I am a youth.”[b] 7 But Yahweh said to me, “You must not say, ‘I am a youth,’[c] for to whomever[d] I send you, you will go, and whatever[e] I command you, you will speak. 8 Do not be afraid of them,[f] for I am with you to deliver you,” declares[g] Yahweh. 9 Then Yahweh stretched out his hand and he touched my mouth, and Yahweh said to me,
“Look, I have put my words in your mouth.
10 See, I appoint you this day over the nations
and over the kingdoms,
to pluck up and to pull down,
and to destroy and to tear down,
to build and to plant.”
Yahweh Confirms Jeremiah’s Call
11 And the word of Yahweh came to me, saying,[h] “What are you seeing, Jeremiah?” And I said, “I am seeing a branch of an almond tree.” 12 Then Yahweh said to me, “You did well to see, for I am watching over my word to perform it.” 13 And the word of Yahweh came to me a second time, saying,[i] “What are you seeing?” And I said, “I am seeing a boiling[j] pot, and its face is from the face of the north.” 14 Then Yahweh said to me, “From the north disaster will be unleashed[k] on all the inhabitants of the land. 15 For, look, I am calling to all the clans[l] of the kingdoms of the north,” declares[m] Yahweh, “and they will come and set each one his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, and against all its surrounding walls, and against all the cities of Judah. 16 And I will pass[n] my judgments on them because of all their wickedness in that they have forsaken me, and they made sacrifices to other gods, and they bowed in worship to the works of their hands. 17 But you, you must gird your loins, and stand, and speak to them all that I command you. Do not be afraid of them,[o] or I will shatter you before[p] them. 18 Now look, I have made you today[q] as a fortified city and as an iron pillar and a bronze wall[r] against all the land, against the kings of Judah, against its princes, against its priests, and against the people of the land. 19 And they will fight against you but they will not prevail against you, for I am with you,” declares[s] Yahweh, “to deliver you.”
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 1:4 Literally “to say”
- Jeremiah 1:6 Or “boy”
- Jeremiah 1:7 Or “boy”
- Jeremiah 1:7 Literally “all of whom”
- Jeremiah 1:7 Literally “all of that”
- Jeremiah 1:8 Literally “you must not be afraid from the faces of them”
- Jeremiah 1:8 Literally “declaration of”
- Jeremiah 1:11 Literally “to say”
- Jeremiah 1:13 Literally “to say”
- Jeremiah 1:13 Literally “blown upon”
- Jeremiah 1:14 Or “opened”
- Jeremiah 1:15 Or “families”
- Jeremiah 1:15 Literally “a declaration of”
- Jeremiah 1:16 Or “pronounce”
- Jeremiah 1:17 Literally “You must not be filled with terror from the faces of them”
- Jeremiah 1:17 Literally “to the faces of”
- Jeremiah 1:18 Literally “the day”
- Jeremiah 1:18 Hebrew “walls”
- Jeremiah 1:19 Literally “a declaration of”