1 W ords of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, of the priests who in Anathoth, in the land of Benjamin,

These are the words of Jeremiah, the son of Hilkiah, one of the religious leaders at 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,

The Word of the Lord came to Jeremiah in the days of Josiah, the son of Amon, king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his rule.

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, the son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the fifth month of the eleventh year of Zedekiah, the son of Josiah, king of Judah, when the people of Jerusalem were taken away.

4 A nd there is a word of Jehovah unto me, saying,

Now 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 started to put you together in your mother, I knew you. Before you were born, I set you apart as holy. I chose you to speak to the nations for Me.”

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

Then I said, “O, Lord God! I do not know how to speak. I am only a boy.”

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, “Do not say, ‘I am only a boy.’ You must go everywhere I send you. And you must say whatever I tell you.

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

Do not be afraid of them. For I am with you to take you out of trouble,” 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 out His hand and touched my mouth, and said to me, “See, 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.'

I have chosen you this day to be over the nations and the kings, to dig up and to pull down, to destroy and to throw down, 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.'

And the Word of the Lord came to me saying, “What do you see, Jeremiah?” I said, “I see a branch 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 the Lord said to me, “You have seen well, for I am watching to see that My Word is completed.”

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.'

The Word of the Lord came to me a second time saying, “What do you see?” And I said, “I see a boiling pot, with its face turned away 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 trouble will come upon all the people 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, see, I am calling all the families of the nations of the north,” says the Lord. “And they will come. Then every one will set up his throne at the gates of Jerusalem, and against all the walls around it, 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 tell how they are to be punished for all their sin. For they have turned away from Me and have given gifts 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.

Now get ready. Stand up and tell them everything that I tell you. Do not be afraid of them, or I will make trouble for you in front of them.

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;

Today I have made you as a strong city ready for war, as a pillar of iron and as walls of brass against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, the rulers, its religious leaders, and 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 will fight against you. But they will not have power over you, for I am with you to take you out of trouble,” says the Lord.