Jeremiah Called to Be a Priest

The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the priests who were (A)in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin, to whom the word of the Lord came in the days of (B)Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, (C)in the thirteenth year of his reign. It came also in the days of (D)Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, (E)until the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah the son of Josiah, king of Judah, (F)until the carrying away of Jerusalem captive (G)in the fifth month.

The Prophet Is Called

Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying:

“Before I (H)formed you in the womb (I)I knew you;
Before you were born I (J)sanctified[a] you;
I [b]ordained you a prophet to the nations.”

Then said I:

(K)“Ah, Lord God!
Behold, I cannot speak, for I am a youth.”

But the Lord said to me:

“Do not say, ‘I am a youth,’
For you shall go to all to whom I send you,
And (L)whatever I command you, you shall speak.
(M)Do not be afraid of their faces,
For (N)I am with you to deliver you,” says the Lord.

Then the Lord put forth His hand and (O)touched my mouth, and the Lord said to me:

“Behold, I have (P)put My words in your mouth.
10 (Q)See, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms,
To (R)root out and to pull down,
To destroy and to throw down,
To build and to plant.”

11 Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Jeremiah, what do you see?”

And I said, “I see a [c]branch of an almond tree.”

12 Then the Lord said to me, “You have seen well, for I am [d]ready to perform My word.”

13 And the word of the Lord came to me the second time, saying, “What do you see?”

And I said, “I see (S)a boiling pot, and it is facing away from the north.”

14 Then the Lord said to me:

“Out of the (T)north calamity shall break forth
On all the inhabitants of the land.
15 For behold, I am (U)calling
All the families of the kingdoms of the north,” says the Lord;
“They shall come and (V)each one set his throne
At the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem,
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,
Because (W)they have forsaken Me,
Burned (X)incense to other gods,
And worshiped the works of their own (Y)hands.

17 “Therefore (Z)prepare yourself and arise,
And speak to them all that I command you.
(AA)Do not be dismayed before their faces,
Lest I dismay you before them.
18 For behold, I have made you this day
(AB)A fortified city and 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 shall not prevail against you.
For I am with you,” says the Lord, “to deliver you.”

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 1:5 set you apart
  2. Jeremiah 1:5 appointed
  3. Jeremiah 1:11 Lit. rod
  4. Jeremiah 1:12 Lit. watching

耶利米的蒙召

便雅憫地亞拿突城的一位祭司,希勒家的兒子耶利米的話記在下面。 猶大王亞們的兒子約西亞作王第十三年,耶和華的話臨到耶利米。 從猶大王約西亞的兒子約雅敬年間,直到猶大王約西亞的兒子西底家末年,就是第十一年五月,耶路撒冷人被擄的時候,耶和華的話也常臨到耶利米。

耶和華的話臨到我,說:

“我使你在母腹中成形以先,就認識你;

你還未出母胎,我已把你分別為聖,

立你作列國的先知。”

我就說:“主耶和華啊!

我不曉得說話,

因為我年輕。”

耶和華對我說:

“你不要說:‘我年輕’,

因為無論我差你到誰那裡,你都要去;

無論我吩咐你說甚麼,你都要說。

你不要怕他們,

因為我與你同在,要拯救你。”

這是耶和華的宣告。

於是耶和華伸手按著我的口,對我說:

“看哪!我把我的話放在你口中。

10 今日我立你在列邦列國之上,

為要拔出、拆毀、

毀滅、傾覆,

又要建立和栽植。”

兩個異象

11 耶和華的話又臨到我,說:“耶利米,你看見甚麼?”我說:“我看見一根杏樹枝子。” 12 耶和華對我說:“你看得不錯,因為我要留意使我的話成就。”

13 耶和華的話再次臨到我,說:“你看見甚麼?”我說:“我看見一個沸騰的鍋,鍋口從北面向南傾側。” 14 耶和華對我說:“必有災禍從北方發出,臨到這地所有的居民。 15 看哪!我要呼召北方列國的眾族,他們要來,各人在耶路撒冷的城門口,設立自己的座位,攻擊耶路撒冷周圍的城牆,又攻擊猶大各城鎮。”這是耶和華的宣告。 16 “為了他們的一切惡事,就是離棄我,向別神燒香,叩拜自己手所做的,我要宣判他們的罪。

耶和華安慰且鼓勵耶利米

17 “因此,你要束腰,你要起來,把我吩咐你的一切話,都告訴他們。不要因他們驚惶,不然我就使你在他們面前驚惶。 18 看哪!今日我使你成為堅城、鐵柱、銅牆,抵擋全地,就是抵擋猶大的君王、首領、祭司和這地的眾民。 19 他們必攻擊你,卻不能勝過你,因為我與你同在,要拯救你。”這是耶和華的宣告。

The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the priests that were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin:

To whom the word of the Lord came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign.

It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the carrying away of Jerusalem captive in the fifth month.

Then the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,

Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.

Then said I, Ah, Lord God! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child.

But the Lord said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak.

Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the Lord.

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.

18 For, behold, I have made thee this day a defenced city, and an iron pillar, and brasen walls against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against the princes thereof, against the priests thereof, and against the people of the land.

19 And they shall fight against thee; but they shall not prevail against thee; for I am with thee, saith the Lord, to deliver thee.

The words of Jeremiah, the son of Hilkiah, one (A)of the priests who were in (B)Anathoth in the land of Benjamin, to whom the word of the Lord came in the days of (C)Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, in (D)the thirteenth year of his reign. It came also in the days of (E)Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, and (F)until the end of the eleventh year of (G)Zedekiah, the son of Josiah, king of Judah, (H)until the captivity of Jerusalem in the fifth month.

The Call of Jeremiah

Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying,

(I)“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
and before you were born (J)I consecrated you;
I appointed you a prophet (K)to the nations.”

Then I said, “Ah, Lord God! Behold, (L)I do not know how to speak, (M)for I am only a youth.” But the Lord said to me,

“Do not say, ‘I am only a youth’;
for to all to whom I send you, you shall go,
and (N)whatever I command you, you shall speak.
(O)Do not be afraid of them,
(P)for I am with you to deliver you,
declares the Lord.”

(Q)Then the Lord put out his hand and (R)touched my mouth. And the Lord said to me,

“Behold, I have put (S)my words in your mouth.
10 See, I have set you this day (T)over nations and over kingdoms,
(U)to pluck up and to break down,
to destroy and to overthrow,
to build and to plant.”

11 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, (V)“Jeremiah, what do you see?” And I said, “I see an almond[a] branch.” 12 Then the Lord said to me, “You have seen well, for I am watching over my word to perform it.”

13 The word of the Lord came to me a second time, saying, “What do you see?” And I said, “I see (W)a boiling pot, facing away (X)from the north.” 14 Then the Lord said to me, (Y)“Out of the north disaster[b] shall be let loose upon all the inhabitants of the land. 15 For behold, (Z)I am calling all the tribes of the kingdoms of the north, declares the Lord, (AA)and they shall come, and every one shall set his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, against all its walls all around and against all the cities of Judah. 16 And (AB)I will declare my judgments against them, for all their evil (AC)in forsaking me. (AD)They have made offerings to other gods and (AE)worshiped the works of their own hands. 17 But you, (AF)dress yourself for work;[c] arise, and (AG)say to them everything that I command you. (AH)Do not be dismayed by them, lest I dismay you before them. 18 And I, behold, I make you this day (AI)a fortified city, (AJ)an iron pillar, and (AK)bronze walls, against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests, and the people of the land. 19 (AL)They will fight against you, but they shall not prevail against you, for (AM)I am with you, declares the Lord, to deliver you.”

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 1:11 Almond sounds like the Hebrew for watching (compare verse 12)
  2. Jeremiah 1:14 The Hebrew word can mean evil, harm, or disaster, depending on the context; so throughout Jeremiah
  3. Jeremiah 1:17 Hebrew gird up your loins