The Word Am I

The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

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- Chapter 1 -

1
These are the words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, one of the priests in Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin.
2
The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah in the thirteenth year of the reign of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah,
3
and through the days of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, until the fifth month of the eleventh year of Zedekiah son of Josiah king of Judah, when the people of Jerusalem went into exile.
4
The word of the LORD came to me, saying:
5
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”
6
“Ah, Lord GOD,” I said, “I surely do not know how to speak, for I am only a child!”
7
But the LORD told me: “Do not say, ‘I am only a child.’ For to everyone I send you, you must go, and all that I command you, you must speak.
8
Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you,”
9
declares the LORD. Then the LORD reached out His hand, touched my mouth, and said to me: “Behold, I have put My words in your mouth.
10
See, I have appointed you today over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and plant.”
11
And the word of the LORD came to me, asking, “Jeremiah, what do you see?” “I see a branch of an almond tree,” I replied.
12
“You have observed correctly,” said the LORD, “for I am watching (a) over My word to accomplish it.”
13
Again the word of the LORD came to me, asking, “What do you see?” “I see a boiling pot,” I replied, “and it is tilting toward us from the north.”
14
Then the LORD said to me, “Disaster from the north will be poured out on all who live in the land.
15
For I am about to summon all the clans and kingdoms of the north,” declares the LORD. “Their kings will come and set up their thrones at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem. They will attack all her surrounding walls and all the other cities of Judah.
16
I will pronounce My judgments against them for all their wickedness, because they have forsaken Me to burn incense to other gods and to worship the works of their own hands.
17
Get yourself ready.(b) Stand up and tell them everything that I command you. Do not be intimidated by them, or I will terrify you before them.
18
Now behold, this day I have made you like a fortified city, an iron pillar, and bronze walls against the whole land—against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests, and the people of the land.
19
They will fight against you but will never overcome you, since I am with you to deliver you,” declares the LORD.

Footnotes

(a)1:12 The Hebrew for watching sounds like the Hebrew for almond tree.
(b)1:17 Hebrew Gird up your loins.
1
The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, one of the priests who were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin.
2
The LORD’s(a) word came to him in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign.
3
It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, to the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah, the son of Josiah, king of Judah, to the carrying away of Jerusalem captive in the fifth month.
4
Now the LORD’s word came to me, saying,
5
“Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you. Before you were born, I sanctified you. I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.”
6
Then I said, “Ah, Lord (b) GOD! Behold,(c) I don’t know how to speak; for I am a child.”
7
But the LORD said to me, “Don’t say, ‘I am a child;’ for you must go to whomever I send you, and you must say whatever I command you.
8
Don’t be afraid because of them, for I am with you to rescue you,” says the LORD.
9
Then the LORD stretched out his hand and touched my mouth. Then the LORD said to me, “Behold, I have put my words in your mouth.
10
Behold, I have today set you over the nations and over the kingdoms, to uproot and to tear down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.”
11
Moreover the LORD’s word came to me, saying, “Jeremiah, what do you see?” I said, “I see a branch of an almond tree.”
12
Then the LORD said to me, “You have seen well; for I watch over my word to perform it.”
13
The LORD’s word came to me the second time, saying, “What do you see?” I said, “I see a boiling cauldron; and it is tipping away from the north.”
14
Then the LORD said to me, “Out of the north, evil will break out on all the inhabitants of the land.
15
For behold, I will call all the families of the kingdoms of the north,” says the LORD. “They will come, and they will each set his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, and against all its walls all around, and against all the cities of Judah.
16
I will utter my judgments against them concerning all their wickedness, in that they have forsaken me, and have burned incense to other gods, and worshiped the works of their own hands.
17
“You therefore put your belt on your waist, arise, and say to them all that I command you. Don’t be dismayed at them, lest I dismay you before them.
18
For behold, I have made you today a fortified city, 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
They will fight against you, but they will not prevail against you; for I am with you”, says the LORD, “to rescue you.”

Footnotes

(a)1:2 When rendered in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS, “LORD” or “GOD” is the translation of God’s Proper Name.
(b)1:6 The word translated “Lord” is “Adonai.”
(c)1:6 “Behold”, from “הִנֵּה”, means look at, take notice, observe, see, or gaze at. It is often used as an interjection.
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