Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched(A) my mouth and said to me, “I have put my words in your mouth.(B) 10 See, today I appoint you over nations(C) and kingdoms to uproot(D) and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.”(E)

11 The word of the Lord came to me: “What do you see, Jeremiah?”(F)

“I see the branch of an almond tree,” I replied.

12 The Lord said to me, “You have seen correctly, for I am watching[a](G) to see that my word is fulfilled.”

13 The word of the Lord came to me again: “What do you see?”(H)

“I see a pot that is boiling,” I answered. “It is tilting toward us from the north.”

14 The Lord said to me, “From the north(I) disaster will be poured out on all who live in the land. 15 I am about to summon all the peoples of the northern kingdoms,” declares the Lord.

“Their kings will come and set up their thrones
    in the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem;
they will come against all her surrounding walls
    and against all the towns of Judah.(J)
16 I will pronounce my judgments(K) on my people
    because of their wickedness(L) in forsaking me,(M)
in burning incense to other gods(N)
    and in worshiping(O) what their hands have made.(P)

17 “Get yourself ready! Stand up and say(Q) to them whatever I command you. Do not be terrified(R) by them, or I will terrify you before them.

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Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 1:12 The Hebrew for watching sounds like the Hebrew for almond tree.

Then the Lord put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the Lord said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth.

10 See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.

11 Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Jeremiah, what seest thou? And I said, I see a rod of an almond tree.

12 Then said the Lord unto me, Thou hast well seen: for I will hasten my word to perform it.

13 And the word of the Lord came unto me the second time, saying, What seest thou? And I said, I see a seething pot; and the face thereof is toward the north.

14 Then the Lord said unto me, Out of the north an evil shall break forth upon all the inhabitants of the land.

15 For, lo, I will call all the families of the kingdoms of the north, saith the Lord; 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.

16 And I will utter my judgments against them touching all their wickedness, who have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, and worshipped the works of their own hands.

17 Thou therefore gird up thy loins, and arise, and speak unto them all that I command thee: be not dismayed at their faces, lest I confound thee before them.

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