Jeremiah 1
International Standard Version
Introduction
1 The words of Hilkiah’s son Jeremiah,[a] who was one of the priests at Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin. 2 This message from the Lord came to him during the thirteenth year of the reign of[b] Ammon’s son Josiah, the king of Judah, 3 and during the reign of[c] Josiah’s son Jehoiakim, the king of Judah, and continued until the exile of Jerusalem in the fifth month, at[d] the end of the eleventh year of the reign of Josiah’s son Zedekiah, the king of Judah.
Jeremiah’s Call as a Prophet
4 This message from the Lord came to me:
5 “I knew you before I formed you in the womb;
I set you apart for me before you were born;
I appointed you to be a prophet to the nations.”
6 I replied, “Ah, Lord God! Look, I don’t know how to speak, because I’m only[e] a young man.”
7 Then the Lord told me, “Don’t say, ‘I’m only[f] a young man,’ for you will go everywhere I send you, and you will speak everything I command you. 8 Don’t be afraid of them, because I am with you to deliver you,” declares the Lord.
9 The Lord stretched out his hand, touched my mouth, and then told me, “Look, I’ve put my words in your mouth. 10 See, today I’ve appointed you to prophesy about nations and kingdoms, to pull up and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.”
The Visions of the Almond Branch and Boiling Pot
11 This message from the Lord came to me, asking, “What do you see, Jeremiah?”
I replied, “I see an almond branch.”
12 The Lord told me, “You have observed well, because I’m watching over[g] my message, to make sure it comes about.”
13 This message from the Lord came to me a second time: “What do you see?”
I replied, “I see a boiling pot, and its mouth is tilted away from the north.”
14 Then the Lord told me, “From the north disaster will pour out on all who live in the land, 15 because I’m about to summon all the families and kingdoms from the north,” declares the Lord.
“They’ll come and each one will set up his seat[h]
at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem,
against all of its surrounding walls,
and against all of the towns of Judah.
16 “I’ll pronounce my judgments against them
because of all their wickedness.
They have forsaken me,
they have burned incense to other gods,
and they have bowed down in worship
to the works of their own[i] hands.”[j]
The Lord’s Assurance to Jeremiah
17 “As for you, get ready![k] Stand up and tell them everything that I’ve commanded you. Don’t be frightened as you face them, or I’ll frighten you right in front of them.
18 “As for me, today I’m making you a fortified city, an iron pillar, and a bronze wall against the whole land—against the kings of Judah, against its princes, against its priests, and against the people of the land. 19 They’ll fight against you, but they won’t prevail against you, because I am with you,” declares the Lord, “to deliver you.”
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 1:1 The Heb. name Jeremiah means God has appointed me
- Jeremiah 1:2 Lit. him in the days of
- Jeremiah 1:3 Lit. and in the days of
- Jeremiah 1:3 Lit. until
- Jeremiah 1:6 The Heb. lacks only
- Jeremiah 1:7 The Heb. lacks only
- Jeremiah 1:12 The Heb. word almond (shaqed) sounds like the Heb. word watching (shoqed)
- Jeremiah 1:15 Or throne
- Jeremiah 1:16 The Heb. lacks own
- Jeremiah 1:16 I.e. idols
- Jeremiah 1:17 Lit. gird up your loins
Jeremiah 1
Lexham English Bible
Yahweh Appoints Jeremiah as a Prophet to the Nations
1 The words of Jeremiah, the son of Hilkiah, among the priests who were in Anathoth, in the land of Benjamin, 2 to whom the word of Yahweh came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, the king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign. 3 It came also in the days of Jehoiakim, the son of Josiah, the king of Judah, until the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah, the son of Josiah, the king of Judah, until the exile of Jerusalem in the fifth month.
4 And the word of Yahweh came to me, saying,[a]
5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
and before you came out from the womb I consecrated you;
I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”
6 Then I said, “Ah, Lord Yahweh! Look, I do not know how to speak, for I am a youth.”[b] 7 But Yahweh said to me, “You must not say, ‘I am a youth,’[c] for to whomever[d] I send you, you will go, and whatever[e] I command you, you will speak. 8 Do not be afraid of them,[f] for I am with you to deliver you,” declares[g] Yahweh. 9 Then Yahweh stretched out his hand and he touched my mouth, and Yahweh said to me,
“Look, I have put my words in your mouth.
10 See, I appoint you this day over the nations
and over the kingdoms,
to pluck up and to pull down,
and to destroy and to tear down,
to build and to plant.”
Yahweh Confirms Jeremiah’s Call
11 And the word of Yahweh came to me, saying,[h] “What are you seeing, Jeremiah?” And I said, “I am seeing a branch of an almond tree.” 12 Then Yahweh said to me, “You did well to see, for I am watching over my word to perform it.” 13 And the word of Yahweh came to me a second time, saying,[i] “What are you seeing?” And I said, “I am seeing a boiling[j] pot, and its face is from the face of the north.” 14 Then Yahweh said to me, “From the north disaster will be unleashed[k] on all the inhabitants of the land. 15 For, look, I am calling to all the clans[l] of the kingdoms of the north,” declares[m] Yahweh, “and they will come and set each one his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, and against all its surrounding walls, and against all the cities of Judah. 16 And I will pass[n] my judgments on them because of all their wickedness in that they have forsaken me, and they made sacrifices to other gods, and they bowed in worship to the works of their hands. 17 But you, you must gird your loins, and stand, and speak to them all that I command you. Do not be afraid of them,[o] or I will shatter you before[p] them. 18 Now look, I have made you today[q] as a fortified city and as an iron pillar and a bronze wall[r] against all the land, against the kings of Judah, against its princes, against its priests, and against the people of the land. 19 And they will fight against you but they will not prevail against you, for I am with you,” declares[s] Yahweh, “to deliver you.”
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 1:4 Literally “to say”
- Jeremiah 1:6 Or “boy”
- Jeremiah 1:7 Or “boy”
- Jeremiah 1:7 Literally “all of whom”
- Jeremiah 1:7 Literally “all of that”
- Jeremiah 1:8 Literally “you must not be afraid from the faces of them”
- Jeremiah 1:8 Literally “declaration of”
- Jeremiah 1:11 Literally “to say”
- Jeremiah 1:13 Literally “to say”
- Jeremiah 1:13 Literally “blown upon”
- Jeremiah 1:14 Or “opened”
- Jeremiah 1:15 Or “families”
- Jeremiah 1:15 Literally “a declaration of”
- Jeremiah 1:16 Or “pronounce”
- Jeremiah 1:17 Literally “You must not be filled with terror from the faces of them”
- Jeremiah 1:17 Literally “to the faces of”
- Jeremiah 1:18 Literally “the day”
- Jeremiah 1:18 Hebrew “walls”
- Jeremiah 1:19 Literally “a declaration of”
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