Yirmiyahu - Chapter 1

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

2. 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. And he was in the days of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the end of eleven years of Zedekiah son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the exile of Jerusalem in the fifth month.

4. And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:

5. When I had not yet formed you in the womb, I knew you, and when you had not yet emerged from the womb, I had appointed you; a prophet to the nations I made you.

6. And I said, "Alas, O Lord God! Behold, I know not to speak for I am a youth.

7. And the Lord said to me; Say not, "I am a youth," for wherever I send you, you shall go, and whatever I command you, you shall speak.

8. Fear them not, for I am with you to save you, says the Lord.

9. And the Lord stretched out His hand and reached my mouth, and the Lord said to me; Behold, I have placed My words in your mouth.

10. Behold, I have appointed you over the nations and over the kingdoms, to uproot and to crush, and to destroy and to demolish, to build and to plant.

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

12. And the Lord said to me; You have seen well, for I hasten My word to accomplish it.

13. And the word of the Lord came to me a second time, saying: What do you see? And I said, "I see a bubbling pot, whose foam is toward the north."

14. And the Lord said to me; From the north the misfortune will break forth upon all the inhabitants of the land.

15. For, behold I am summoning all the families of the kingdoms of the north, says the Lord, and they will come and place, each one his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem and against all its walls around and against all the cities of Judah.

16. And I will utter My judgments against them concerning all their evil, that they left Me and offered up burnt-offerings to other gods and they prostrated themselves to the work of their hands.

17. And you shall gird your loins and arise and speak to them all that I command you; be not dismayed by them, lest I break you before them.

18. And I, behold I have made you today into a fortified city and into an iron pillar, and into copper walls against the entire land, against the kings of Judah, against its princes, against its priests, and against the people of the land.

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