1 W ords of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, of the priests who 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 u nto whom the word of Jehovah hath been in the days of Josiah 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 a nd it is in the days of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah, till the completion of the eleventh year of Zedekiah son of Josiah, king of Judah, till the removal 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 A nd there is a word of Jehovah unto me, saying,

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

5 ` Before I form thee in the belly, I have known thee; and before thou comest forth from the womb I have separated thee, a prophet to nations I have made thee.'

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 A nd I say, `Ah, Lord Jehovah! lo, I have not known -- to speak, for I a youth.'

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

7 A nd Jehovah saith unto me, `Do not say, I a youth, for to all to whom I send thee thou goest, and all that I command thee thou speakest.

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 B e not afraid of their faces, for with thee I to deliver thee, -- an affirmation of Jehovah.'

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

9 A nd Jehovah putteth forth His hand, and striketh against my mouth, and Jehovah saith unto me, `Lo, I have put my words in thy 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 S ee, I have charged thee this day concerning the nations, and concerning the kingdoms, to pluck up, and to break down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.'

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 A nd there is a word of Jehovah unto me, saying, `What art thou seeing, Jeremiah?' And I say, `A rod of an almond tree I am seeing.'

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 A nd Jehovah saith unto me, `Thou hast well seen: for I am watching over My word to do 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 A nd there is a word of Jehovah unto me a second time, saying, `What art thou seeing?' And I say, `A blown pot I am seeing, and its face 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 A nd Jehovah saith unto me, `From the north is the evil loosed against all 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, lo, I am calling for all families of the kingdoms of the north, -- an affirmation of Jehovah -- and they have come, and put each his throne at the opening of the gates of Jerusalem, and by its walls round about, and by all 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 A nd I have spoken My judgments with them concerning all their evil, in that they have forsaken Me, and make perfume to other gods, and bow themselves to 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 ` And thou, thou dost gird up thy loins, and hast arisen, and spoken unto them all that I command thee: be not affrighted because of them, lest I affright thee 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 A nd I, lo, I have given thee this day for a fenced city, and for an iron pillar, and for brazen walls over all the land, to the kings of Judah, to its heads, 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 a nd they have fought against thee, and they prevail not against thee; for with thee I, -- an affirmation of Jehovah -- to deliver thee.

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