Jeremiah 1
1
1My name is Jeremiah. I am a priest, and my father Hilkiah and everyone else in my family are from Anathoth in the territory of the Benjamin tribe. This book contains the things that the Lord told me to say. 2#2 K 22.3—23.27; 2 Ch 34.8—35.19. The Lord first spoke to me in the thirteenth year that Josiah#1.2 Josiah: Ruled 640–609 b.c. was king of Judah, 3#2 K 23.36—24.7; 2 Ch 36.5-8; 2 K 24.18—25.21; 2 Ch 36.11-21. and he continued to speak to me during the rule of Josiah's son Jehoiakim.#1.3 Jehoiakim: Ruled 609–598 b.c. The last time the Lord spoke to me was in the fifth month#1.3 fifth month: Ab, the fifth month of the Hebrew calendar, from about mid-July to mid-August. of the eleventh year that Josiah's son Zedekiah#1.3 Zedekiah: Ruled 598–586 b.c. was king. That was also when the people of Jerusalem were taken away as prisoners.
The Lord Chooses Jeremiah
4The Lord said:
5“Jeremiah, I am your Creator,
and before you were born,
I chose you to speak for me
to the nations.”
6I replied, “I'm not a good speaker, Lord, and I'm too young.”
7“Don't say you're too young,” the Lord answered. “If I tell you to go and speak to someone, then go! And when I tell you what to say, don't leave out a word! 8I promise to be with you and keep you safe, so don't be afraid.”
9The Lord reached out his hand, then he touched my mouth and said, “I am giving you the words to say, 10and I am sending you with authority to speak to the nations for me. You will tell them of doom and destruction, and of rising and rebuilding again.”
11The Lord showed me something in a vision. Then he asked, “What do you see, Jeremiah?”
I answered, “A branch of almonds that ripen early.”
12“That's right,” the Lord replied, “and I always rise early#1.11,12 almonds … rise early: In Hebrew “almonds that ripen early” sounds like “always rise early.” to keep a promise.”
13Then the Lord showed me something else and asked, “What do you see now?”
I answered, “I see a pot of boiling water in the north, and it's about to spill out toward us.”
14The Lord said:
I will pour out destruction
all over the land.
15Just watch while I send
for the kings of the north.
They will attack and capture
Jerusalem and other towns,
then set up their thrones
at the gates of Jerusalem.
16I will punish my people,
because they are guilty
of turning from me
to worship idols.
17Jeremiah, get ready!
Go and tell the people
what I command you to say.
Don't be frightened by them,
or I will make you terrified
while they watch.
18My power will make you strong
like a fortress
or a column of iron
or a wall of bronze.
You will oppose all of Judah,
including its kings and leaders,
its priests and people.
19They will fight back,
but they won't win.
I, the Lord, give my word—
I won't let them harm you.
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Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)
© 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.
Jeremiah 1
1
1The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkijah, of the priests that were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin: 2to whom the word of Jehovah came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign; 3it 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.
4And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying, 5Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I hallowed thee, I appointed thee a prophet unto the nations. 6And I said, Alas, Lord Jehovah! behold, I cannot speak; for I am a child. 7But Jehovah said unto me, Say not, I am a child; for thou shalt go to whomsoever I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak. 8Be not afraid of them; for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith Jehovah. 9And Jehovah put forth his hand and touched my mouth; and Jehovah said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth. 10See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to pluck up, and to break down, and to destroy, and to overthrow, to build and to plant.
11And the word of Jehovah came to me, saying, Jeremiah, what seest thou? And I said, I see a rod of an almond-tree. 12And Jehovah said unto me, Thou hast well seen; for I am watchful over my word to perform it. 13And the word of Jehovah came to me the second time, saying, What seest thou? And I said, I see a seething-pot, and its face is from the north. 14And Jehovah said unto me, Out of the north shall evil break forth upon all the inhabitants of the land. 15For behold, I am calling all the families of the kingdoms of the north, saith Jehovah, and they shall come, and they shall set every one his throne at the entering of the gates of Jerusalem, and against all the walls thereof round about, and against all the cities of Judah: 16and I will pronounce my judgments against them for all their wickedness, in that they have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, and worshipped the works of their own hands. 17Thou, therefore, gird up thy loins, and arise, and speak unto them all that I shall command thee: be not dismayed at them, lest I cause thee to be dismayed before them. 18And I, behold, I appoint thee this day as a strong city, and an iron pillar, and brazen walls, against the whole land; against the kings of Judah, against its princes, against its priests, and against the people of the land. 19And they shall fight against thee, but they shall not prevail against thee: for I am with thee, saith Jehovah, to deliver thee.
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First published in 1890. This edition is maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.