Jeremiah 1
Legacy Standard Bible
Yahweh Sends Jeremiah the Prophet
1 The words of (A)Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the priests who were in (B)Anathoth in the land of Benjamin, 2 to whom the word of [a]Yahweh came in the days of (C)Josiah the son of (D)Amon, king of Judah, in the (E)thirteenth year of his reign. 3 And it came in the days of (F)Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the end of the eleventh year of (G)Zedekiah the son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the exile of Jerusalem in the fifth month.
4 Now the word of Yahweh came to me saying,
5 “Before I (H)formed you in the [b]innermost parts I knew you,
And (I)before you came out from the womb I set you apart;
I have (J)given you as a prophet to the nations.”
6 Then (K)I said, “Alas, Lord Yahweh!
Behold, I do not know how to speak
Because (L)I am a youth.”
7 But Yahweh said to me,
“Do not say, ‘I am a youth,’
(M)Because everywhere I send you, you shall go,
And (N)all that I command you, you shall speak.
8 (O)Do not be afraid of them,
For (P)I am with you to deliver you,” declares Yahweh.
9 Then Yahweh sent forth His hand and (Q)touched my mouth, and Yahweh said to me,
“Behold, I have (R)put My words in your mouth.
10 See, (S)I have appointed you this day over the nations and over the kingdoms,
(T)To uproot and to tear down,
To cause to perish and to pull down,
(U)To build and to plant.”
The Almond Rod and Boiling Pot
11 Now the word of Yahweh came to me saying, “What do you see, (V)Jeremiah?” And I said, “I see a rod of an [c]almond tree.” 12 Then Yahweh said to me, “You have seen well, for (W)I am [d]watching over My word to do it.”
13 The word of Yahweh came to me a second time saying, “(X)What do you see?” And I said, “I see a boiling (Y)pot, facing away from the north.” 14 Then Yahweh said to me, “(Z)From the north the evil [e]will break open on all the inhabitants of the land. 15 For, behold, I am calling (AA)all the families of the kingdoms of the north,” declares Yahweh; “and they will come, and each one of them will (AB)put his throne at the opening of the gates of Jerusalem, and against all its walls round about and against all the (AC)cities of Judah. 16 I will speak My judgments on them concerning all their evil, whereby they have (AD)forsaken Me and have (AE)burned incense to other gods and worshiped the (AF)works of their own hands. 17 Now, (AG)gird up your loins and arise and speak to them all which I command you. (AH)Do not be dismayed before them, lest I dismay you before them. 18 Now behold, I have given you today as a fortified city and as a pillar of iron and as walls of bronze against the whole land, to the kings of Judah, to its princes, to its priests, and to the people of the land. 19 And they will fight against you, but they will not overcome you, for (AI)I am with you to deliver you,” declares Yahweh.
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 1:2 The personal covenant name of God, a form of I AM WHO I AM, cf. Ex 3:14-15
- Jeremiah 1:5 Lit stomach
- Jeremiah 1:11 Heb shaqed
- Jeremiah 1:12 Heb shoqed
- Jeremiah 1:14 Lit will be opened
Jeremiah 1
Common English Bible
Introduction
1 These are the words of Jeremiah, Hilkiah’s son, who was one of the priests from Anathoth in the land of Benjamin. 2 The Lord’s word came to Jeremiah in the thirteenth year of Judah’s King Josiah, Amon’s son, 3 and throughout the rule of Judah’s King Jehoiakim, Josiah’s son, until the fifth month of the eleventh year of King Zedekiah, Josiah’s son, when the people of Jerusalem were taken into exile.
Call of Jeremiah
4 The Lord’s word came to me:
5 “Before I created you in the womb I knew you;
before you were born I set you apart;
I made you a prophet to the nations.”
6 “Ah, Lord God,” I said, “I don’t know how to speak
because I’m only a child.”
7 The Lord responded,
“Don’t say, ‘I’m only a child.’
Where I send you, you must go;
what I tell you, you must say.
8 Don’t be afraid of them,
because I’m with you to rescue you,”
declares the Lord.
9 Then the Lord stretched out his hand,
touched my mouth, and said to me,
“I’m putting my words in your mouth.
10 This very day I appoint you over nations and empires,
to dig up and pull down,
to destroy and demolish,
to build and plant.”
Jeremiah’s mission confirmed
11 The Lord asked me, “What do you see, Jeremiah?”
I said, “A branch of an almond[a] tree.”
12 The Lord then said, “You are right, for I’m watching over[b] my word until it is fulfilled.” 13 The Lord asked me again, “What do you see?”
I said, “A pot boiling over from the north.”
14 The Lord said to me, “Trouble will erupt from the north against the people of this land.”
15 I’m calling for all the tribes of great nations from the north, says the Lord, and they will set up their rulers by the entrances of Jerusalem, on its walls, and in every city of Judah. 16 I will declare my judgment against them for doing evil: for abandoning me, worshipping other gods, and trusting in the works of their hands. 17 But you must prepare for battle and be ready to utter every word I command you. Don’t be frightened before them, or I will frighten you before them. 18 Today I have made you an armed city, an iron pillar, and a bronze wall against the entire land—the kings of Judah, its princes, its priests, and all its people. 19 They will attack you, but they won’t defeat you, because I am with you and will rescue you, declares the Lord.
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 1:11 Heb shaqed
- Jeremiah 1:12 Heb shoqed
Legacy Standard Bible Copyright ©2021 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org For Permission to Quote Information visit https://www.LSBible.org.
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible