1 T he words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the priests who were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin,

The words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, of the priests who were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin,

2 t o whom the word of the Lord came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign.

To whom the word of the Lord came in the days of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah in the thirteenth year of his reign.

3 I t came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah the son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the exile of Jerusalem in the fifth month.

It came also in the days of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah until the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah son of Josiah king of Judah, until the carrying away of Jerusalem into captivity in the fifth month.

4 N ow the word of the Lord came to me saying,

Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying,

5 “ Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, And before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.”

Before I formed you in the womb I knew approved of you, and before you were born I separated and set you apart, consecrating you; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.

6 T hen I said, “Alas, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak, Because I am a youth.”

Then said I, Ah, Lord God! Behold, I cannot speak, for I am only a youth.

7 B ut the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am a youth,’ Because everywhere I send you, you shall go, And all that I command you, you shall speak.

But the Lord said to me, Say not, I am only a youth; for you shall go to all to whom I shall send you, and whatever I command you, you shall speak.

8 “ Do not be afraid of them, For I am with you to deliver you,” declares the Lord.

Be not afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, says the Lord.

9 T hen the Lord stretched out His hand and touched my mouth, and the Lord said to me, “Behold, I have put My words in your mouth.

Then the Lord put forth His hand and touched my mouth. And the Lord said to me, Behold, I have put My words in your mouth.

10 “ See, I have appointed you this day over the nations and over the kingdoms, To pluck up and to break down, To destroy and to overthrow, To build and to plant.” The Almond Rod and Boiling Pot

See, I have this day appointed you to the oversight of the nations and of the kingdoms to root out and pull down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.

11 T he word of the Lord came to me saying, “What do you see, Jeremiah?” And I said, “I see a rod of an almond tree.”

Moreover, the word of the Lord came to me, saying, Jeremiah, what do you see? And I said, I see a branch or shoot of an almond tree.

12 T hen the Lord said to me, “You have seen well, for I am watching over My word to perform it.”

Then said the Lord to me, You have seen well, for I am alert and active, watching over My word to perform it.

13 T he word of the Lord came to me a second time saying, “ What do you see?” And I said, “I see a boiling pot, facing away from the north.”

And the word of the Lord came to me the second time, saying, What do you see? And I said, I see a boiling pot, and the face of it is from the north.

14 T hen the Lord said to me, “ Out of the north the evil will break forth on all the inhabitants of the land.

Then the Lord said to me, Out of the north the evil shall disclose itself and break forth upon all the inhabitants of the land.

15 F or, behold, I am calling all the families of the kingdoms of the north,” declares the Lord; “and they will come and they will set each one his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, and against all its walls round about and against all the cities of Judah.

For, behold, I will call all the tribes of the kingdoms of the north, says the Lord; and they will come and set every one his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, against all its walls round about, and against all the cities of Judah.

16 I will pronounce My judgments on them concerning all their wickedness, whereby they have forsaken Me and have offered sacrifices to other gods, and worshiped the works of their own hands.

And I will utter My judgments against them for all the wickedness of those who have forsaken Me, burned incense to other gods, and worshiped the works of their own hands.

17 N ow, gird up your loins and arise, and speak to them all which I command you. Do not be dismayed before them, or I will dismay you before them.

But you, gird up your loins! Arise and tell them all that I command you. Do not be dismayed and break down at the sight of their faces, lest I confound you before them and permit you to be overcome.

18 N ow behold, I have made you today as a fortified city and as a pillar of iron and as walls of bronze against the whole land, to the kings of Judah, to its princes, to its priests and to the people of the land.

For I, behold, I have made you this day a fortified city and 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.

19 T hey will fight against you, but they will not overcome you, for I am with you to deliver you,” declares the Lord.

And they shall fight against you, but they shall not prevail against you, for I am with you, says the Lord, to deliver you.