1 The words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, one of the priests at Anathoth(A) in the territory of Benjamin. 2 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, 3 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
4 The word of the Lord came to me, saying,
5 “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)”
6 “Alas, Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I do not know how to speak;(L) I am too young.”(M)
7 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. 8 Do not be afraid(N) of them, for I am with you(O) and will rescue(P) you,” declares the Lord.(Q)
9 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
- Jeremiah 1:5 Or chose
- Jeremiah 1:12 The Hebrew for watching sounds like the Hebrew for almond tree.
Cross references
- Jeremiah 1:1 : S Jos 21:18
- Jeremiah 1:2 : Eze 1:3; Hos 1:1; Joel 1:1
- Jeremiah 1:2 : S 2Ki 22:1
- Jeremiah 1:3 : S 2Ki 23:34
- Jeremiah 1:3 : S 2Ki 24:17
- Jeremiah 1:3 : Ezr 5:12; Jer 52:15
- Jeremiah 1:5 : S Ps 139:13
- Jeremiah 1:5 : Ps 139:16
- Jeremiah 1:5 : S Isa 49:1
- Jeremiah 1:5 : Jn 10:36
- Jeremiah 1:5 : ver 10; Jer 25:15-26
- Jeremiah 1:6 : S Ex 3:11; S 6:12
- Jeremiah 1:6 : 1Ki 3:7
- Jeremiah 1:8 : S Ge 15:1; S Jos 8:1
- Jeremiah 1:8 : S Ge 26:3; S Jos 1:5; Jer 15:20
- Jeremiah 1:8 : ver 19; Jer 15:21; 26:24; 36:26; 42:11
- Jeremiah 1:8 : Jer 20:11
- Jeremiah 1:9 : S Isa 6:7
- Jeremiah 1:9 : S Ex 4:12
- Jeremiah 1:10 : Jer 25:17; 46:1
- Jeremiah 1:10 : Jer 12:17
- Jeremiah 1:10 : Jer 18:7-10; 24:6; 31:4, 28
- Jeremiah 1:11 : Jer 24:3; Am 7:8
- Jeremiah 1:12 : S Job 29:2; Jer 44:27
- Jeremiah 1:13 : Jer 24:3; Zec 4:2; 5:2
- Jeremiah 1:14 : S Isa 14:31
- Jeremiah 1:15 : Jer 4:16; 9:11; 10:22
- Jeremiah 1:16 : Jer 4:12
- Jeremiah 1:16 : S Ge 6:5; Jer 44:5
- Jeremiah 1:16 : Jer 2:13; 17:13
- Jeremiah 1:16 : S Ex 20:3; Jer 7:9; 19:4; 44:3
- Jeremiah 1:16 : S Nu 25:3
- Jeremiah 1:16 : Ps 115:4-8; S 135:15
- Jeremiah 1:17 : ver 7; Jer 7:27; 26:2, 15; 42:4
- Jeremiah 1:17 : S Dt 31:6; S 2Ki 1:15
- Jeremiah 1:18 : S Isa 50:7
- Jeremiah 1:19 : S Ps 129:2
- Jeremiah 1:19 : S Ge 26:3; Isa 43:2; Jer 20:11
- Jeremiah 1:19 : S ver 8; S Pr 20:22; Ac 26:17