Jeremiah 1

New International Version

1 The words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, one of the priests at Anathoth^(A) in the territory of Benjamin. ²The word of the Lord came^(B) to him in the thirteenth year of the reign of Josiah^(C) son of Amon king of Judah, ³and through the reign of Jehoiakim^(D) son of Josiah king of Judah, down to the fifth month of the eleventh year of Zedekiah^(E) son of Josiah king of Judah, when the people of Jerusalem went into exile.^(F)

The Call of Jeremiah

⁴The word of the Lord came to me, saying,

⁵“Before I formed you in the womb^(G) I knew^[a]^(H) you,
before you were born^(I) I set you apart;^(J)
I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.^(K)”

⁶“Alas, Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I do not know how to speak;^(L) I am too young.”^(M)

⁷But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. ⁸Do not be afraid^(N) of them, for I am with you^(O) and will rescue^(P) you,” declares the Lord.^(Q)

⁹Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched^(R) my mouth and said to me, “I have put my words in your mouth.^(S) ¹⁰See, today I appoint you over nations^(T) and kingdoms to uproot^(U) and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.”^(V)

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

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

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

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

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

¹⁴The Lord said to me, “From the north^(Z) disaster will be poured out on all who live in the land. ¹⁵I 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.^(AA)
¹⁶I will pronounce my judgments^(AB) on my people
    because of their wickedness^(AC) in forsaking me,^(AD)
in burning incense to other gods^(AE)
    and in worshiping^(AF) what their hands have made.^(AG)

¹⁷“Get yourself ready! Stand up and say^(AH) to them whatever I command you. Do not be terrified^(AI) by them, or I will terrify you before them. ¹⁸Today I have made you^(AJ) a fortified city, an iron pillar and a bronze wall to stand against the whole land—against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests and the people of the land. ¹⁹They will fight against you but will not overcome^(AK) you, for I am with you^(AL) and will rescue^(AM) you,” declares the Lord.

Footnotes

Jeremiah 1:5 Or chose
Jeremiah 1:12 The Hebrew for watching sounds like the Hebrew for almond tree.

Jeremiah 6:6-15

New International Version

⁶This is what the Lord Almighty says:

“Cut down the trees^(A)
    and build siege ramps^(B) against Jerusalem.
This city must be punished;
    it is filled with oppression.^(C)
⁷As a well pours out its water,
    so she pours out her wickedness.
Violence^(D) and destruction^(E) resound in her;
    her sickness and wounds are ever before me.
⁸Take warning, Jerusalem,
    or I will turn away^(F) from you
and make your land desolate
    so no one can live in it.”

⁹This is what the Lord Almighty says:

“Let them glean the remnant^(G) of Israel
as thoroughly as a vine;
pass your hand over the branches again,
like one gathering grapes.”

¹⁰To whom can I speak and give warning?
    Who will listen^(H) to me?
Their ears are closed^[a]^(I)
    so they cannot hear.^(J)
The word^(K) of the Lord is offensive to them;
    they find no pleasure in it.
¹¹But I am full of the wrath^(L) of the Lord,
    and I cannot hold it in.^(M)

“Pour it out on the children in the street
    and on the young men^(N) gathered together;
both husband and wife will be caught in it,
    and the old, those weighed down with years.^(O)
¹²Their houses will be turned over to others,^(P)
    together with their fields and their wives,^(Q)
when I stretch out my hand^(R)
    against those who live in the land,”
declares the Lord.
¹³“From the least to the greatest,
    all^(S) are greedy for gain;^(T)
prophets and priests alike,
    all practice deceit.^(U)
¹⁴They dress the wound of my people
    as though it were not serious.
‘Peace, peace,’ they say,
    when there is no peace.^(V)
¹⁵Are they ashamed of their detestable conduct?
    No, they have no shame at all;
    they do not even know how to blush.^(W)
So they will fall among the fallen;
    they will be brought down when I punish^(X) them,”
says the Lord.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

Jeremiah 6:10 Hebrew uncircumcised

Jeremiah 31:27-34

New International Version

²⁷“The days are coming,”^(A) declares the Lord, “when I will plant^(B) the kingdoms of Israel and Judah with the offspring of people and of animals. ²⁸Just as I watched^(C) over them to uproot^(D) and tear down, and to overthrow, destroy and bring disaster,^(E) so I will watch over them to build and to plant,”^(F) declares the Lord. ²⁹“In those days people will no longer say,

‘The parents^(G) have eaten sour grapes,
and the children’s teeth are set on edge.’^(H)

³⁰Instead, everyone will die for their own sin;^(I) whoever eats sour grapes—their own teeth will be set on edge.

³¹“The days are coming,” declares the Lord,
    “when I will make a new covenant^(J)
with the people of Israel
    and with the people of Judah.
³²It will not be like the covenant^(K)
    I made with their ancestors^(L)
when I took them by the hand
    to lead them out of Egypt,^(M)
because they broke my covenant,
    though I was a husband^(N) to^[a] them,^[b]”
declares the Lord.
³³“This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel
    after that time,” declares the Lord.
“I will put my law in their minds^(O)
    and write it on their hearts.^(P)
I will be their God,
    and they will be my people.^(Q)
³⁴No longer will they teach^(R) their neighbor,
    or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’
because they will all know^(S) me,
    from the least of them to the greatest,”
declares the Lord.
“For I will forgive^(T) their wickedness
    and will remember their sins^(U) no more.”