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 the son of Hilkiah, of the priests that 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 the 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 carrying away of Jerusalem captive in the fifth month. The Prophet Is Called

It 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.

4 T hen the word of the Lord came to me, saying:

¶ Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

5 “ Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.”

Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the Gentiles.

6 T hen said I: “Ah, Lord God! Behold, I cannot speak, for I am a youth.”

Then I said, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I do not know how to speak: for I am a child.

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

But the LORD said unto me, Do not say, I am a child; for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak.

8 D o not be afraid of their faces, For I am with you to deliver you,” says the Lord.

Do not be afraid of their faces; for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the LORD.

9 T hen 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.

Then the LORD put forth his hand and touched my mouth. And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth.

10 S ee, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms, To root out and to pull down, To destroy and to throw down, To build and to plant.”

See, I have placed thee in this day over Gentiles and over kingdoms, to root out, and to destroy, and to throw out, and to cast down, to build, and to plant.

11 M oreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Jeremiah, what do you see?” And I said, “I see a branch of an almond tree.”

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

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

Then the LORD said unto me, Thou hast seen well, for I will hasten my word to perform it.

13 A nd 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 it is facing away from the north.”

And the word of the LORD came unto me the second time, saying, What seest thou? And I said, I see a seething pot; and its face is toward the north.

14 T hen the Lord said to me: “Out of the north calamity shall break forth On all the inhabitants of the land.

Then the LORD said unto me, Out of the north an evil shall 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,” says the Lord; “They shall come and each one set his throne At the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, Against all its walls all around, And against all the cities of Judah.

For, behold, I will call all the families of the kingdoms of the north, saith the LORD; and they shall come, and each one shall set his seat at the entering of the gates of Jerusalem and near all its walls round about and near all the cities of Judah.

16 I will utter My judgments Against them concerning all their wickedness, Because they have forsaken Me, Burned incense to other gods, And worshiped the works of their own hands.

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

17 “ Therefore prepare yourself and arise, And speak to them all that I command you. Do not be dismayed before their faces, Lest I dismay you before them.

Thou therefore gird up thy loins, and thou shalt arise and speak unto them all that I shall command thee; do not fear them lest I confound thee before them.

18 F or 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.

For, behold, I have made thee this day as a defenced city and as an iron pillar and as a wall of brass upon all the earth 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 shall not prevail against you. For I am with you,” says the Lord, “to deliver you.”

And they shall fight against thee; but they shall not prevail against thee; for I am with thee, saith the LORD, to deliver thee.