Jeremiah’s Call and Commission

The words of (A)Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, 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 (D)Amon, king of Judah, in the (E)thirteenth year of his reign. It came also 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.

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

“Before I (H)formed you in the womb I knew you,
And (I)before you were born I consecrated you;
I have (J)appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”
Then (K)I said, “Oh, Lord [a]God!
Behold, I do not know how to speak,
Because (L)I am a youth.”
But the Lord 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.
(O)Do not be afraid of them,
For (P)I am with you to save you,” declares the Lord.

Then the Lord stretched out His hand and (Q)touched my mouth, and the Lord 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 root out and to tear down,
To destroy and to overthrow,
(U)To build and to plant.”

The Almond Branch and Boiling Pot

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

13 And the word of the Lord 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 the Lord said to me, “(Z)Out of the north the evil [d]will be unleashed on all the inhabitants of the land. 15 For, behold, I am calling (AA)all the families of the kingdoms of the north,” declares the Lord; “and they will come and (AB)place, each one of them, his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, and against all its walls around, and against all the (AC)cities of Judah. 16 And I will [e]pronounce My judgments against them concerning all their wickedness, since they have (AD)abandoned Me and have [f](AE)offered sacrifices to other gods, and worshiped the (AF)works of their own hands. 17 Now, (AG)belt your garment around your waist and arise, and speak to them all that I command you. (AH)Do not be dismayed before them, or I will make you dismayed before them. 18 Now behold, I have made you today like a fortified city and like a pillar of iron and walls of bronze against the whole land, to the kings of Judah, to its leaders, 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 save you,” declares the Lord.

Judah’s Apostasy

Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Go and (AJ)proclaim in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, ‘This is what the Lord says:

“I remember regarding you the [g](AK)devotion of your youth,
Your love when you were a bride,
(AL)Your following after Me in the wilderness,
Through a land not sown.
Israel was (AM)holy to the Lord,
The (AN)first of His harvest.
(AO)All who ate of it became guilty;
Evil came upon them,” declares the Lord.’”

Hear the word of the Lord, house of Jacob, and all the families of the house of Israel. This is what the Lord says:

(AP)What injustice did your fathers find in Me,
That they went far from Me,
And walked after (AQ)emptiness and became empty?
They did not say, ‘Where is the Lord
Who (AR)brought us up out of the land of Egypt,
Who (AS)led us through the wilderness,
Through a land of deserts and of pits,
Through a land of drought and of [h]deep darkness,
Through a land that no one crossed
And where no person lived?’
I brought you into the (AT)fruitful land
To eat its fruit and its good things.
But you came and (AU)defiled My land,
And you made My inheritance an abomination.
The (AV)priests did not say, ‘Where is the Lord?’
And those who handle the Law (AW)did not know Me;
The [i]rulers also revolted against Me,
And the (AX)prophets prophesied by Baal
And walked after (AY)things that were of no benefit.

“Therefore I will still (AZ)contend with you,” declares the Lord,
“And I will contend with your sons’ sons.
10 For (BA)cross to the coastlands of [j]Kittim and see,
And send to (BB)Kedar and observe closely,
And see if there has been anything like this!
11 Has a nation changed gods,
When (BC)they were not gods?
But My people have (BD)exchanged their glory
For that which is of no benefit.
12 Be appalled at this, (BE)you heavens,
And shudder, be very desolate,” declares the Lord.
13 “For My people have committed two evils:
They have abandoned Me,
The (BF)fountain of living waters,
To carve out for themselves (BG)cisterns,
Broken cisterns
That do not hold water.

14 “Is Israel (BH)a slave? Or is he a servant born in the home?
Why has he become plunder?
15 The young (BI)lions have roared at him,
They have [k]roared loudly.
And they have (BJ)made his land a waste;
His cities have been destroyed, without inhabitant.
16 Also the [l]men of (BK)Memphis and Tahpanhes
Have [m]shaved (BL)your head.
17 Have you not (BM)done this to yourself
By your abandoning the Lord your God
When He (BN)led you in the way?
18 But now what are you doing (BO)on the road to Egypt,
Except to drink the waters of the [n](BP)Nile?
Or what are you doing on the road to Assyria,
Except to drink the waters of the Euphrates River?
19 (BQ)Your own wickedness will correct you,
And your (BR)apostasies will punish you;
Know therefore and see that it is evil and (BS)bitter
For you to abandon the Lord your God,
And (BT)the fear of Me is not in you,” declares the Lord [o]God of armies.

20 “For long ago [p](BU)I broke your yoke
And tore off your restraints;
But you said, ‘I will not serve!’
For on every (BV)high hill
And under every leafy tree
You have lain down as a prostitute.
21 Yet I (BW)planted you as a choice vine,
A completely faithful seed.
How then have you turned yourself before Me
Into the (BX)degenerate shoots of a foreign vine?
22 Although you (BY)wash yourself with lye
And [q]use much soap,
The (BZ)stain of your guilt is before Me,” declares the Lord [r]God.
23 (CA)How can you say, ‘I am not defiled,
I have not gone after the (CB)Baals’?
Look at your way in the (CC)valley!
Know what you have done!
You are a swift young camel (CD)running about senselessly on her ways,
24 A (CE)wild donkey accustomed to the wilderness,
That sniffs the wind in her passion.
Who can turn her away in her mating season?
None who seek her will grow weary;
In her month they will find her.
25 Keep your feet from being bare,
And your throat from thirst;
But you said, ‘(CF)It is [s]hopeless!
No! For I have (CG)loved strangers,
And I will walk after them.’

26 “Like the shame of a (CH)thief when he is discovered,
So the house of Israel is shamed;
They, their kings, their leaders,
Their priests, and their prophets,
27 Who say to a tree, ‘You are my father,’
And to a stone, ‘You gave me birth.’
For they have turned their (CI)backs to Me,
And not their faces;
But in the (CJ)time of their [t]trouble they will say,
‘Arise and save us!’
28 But where are your (CK)gods
Which you made for yourself?
Let them arise, if they can (CL)save you
In the time of your [u]trouble!
For (CM)as many as the number of your cities
Are your gods, Judah.

29 “Why do you contend with Me?
You have (CN)all revolted against Me,” declares the Lord.
30 (CO)In vain I have struck your sons;
They did not accept discipline.
Your (CP)sword has devoured your prophets
Like a destroying lion.
31 You generation, look to the word of the Lord.
Have I been a wilderness to Israel,
Or a (CQ)land of thick darkness?
Why do My people say, ‘(CR)We are free to roam;
We will no longer come to You’?
32 Can a virgin forget her jewelry,
Or a bride her attire?
Yet My people have (CS)forgotten Me
For days without number.
33 How well you prepare your way
To seek love!
Therefore even to the wicked women
You have taught your ways.
34 Also on your skirts is found
The (CT)lifeblood of the innocent poor;
You did not find them (CU)breaking in.
But in spite of all these things,
35 You said, ‘I am innocent;
Surely His anger is turned away from me.’
Behold, I will (CV)enter into judgment with you
Because you (CW)say, ‘I have not sinned.’
36 Why do you (CX)go around so much
Changing your way?
Also, (CY)you will be put to shame by Egypt,
Just as you were put to shame by (CZ)Assyria.
37 From this place as well you will go out
With (DA)your hands on your head;
For the Lord has rejected (DB)those in whom you trust,
And you will not prosper with them.”

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 1:6 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
  2. Jeremiah 1:11 Heb shaqed, see note v 12
  3. Jeremiah 1:12 Heb shoqed, a wordplay on almond in v 11 (see note v 11)
  4. Jeremiah 1:14 Lit opened
  5. Jeremiah 1:16 Lit speak
  6. Jeremiah 1:16 Or burned incense
  7. Jeremiah 2:2 Or faithfulness
  8. Jeremiah 2:6 Or the shadow of death
  9. Jeremiah 2:8 Lit shepherds
  10. Jeremiah 2:10 I.e., Cyprus and other islands
  11. Jeremiah 2:15 Lit given their voice
  12. Jeremiah 2:16 Lit sons
  13. Jeremiah 2:16 Lit grazed
  14. Jeremiah 2:18 Heb Shihor
  15. Jeremiah 2:19 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
  16. Jeremiah 2:20 Or you
  17. Jeremiah 2:22 Lit acquire much soap for yourself
  18. Jeremiah 2:22 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
  19. Jeremiah 2:25 Or desperate
  20. Jeremiah 2:27 Or evil
  21. Jeremiah 2:28 Or evil

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

Jeremiah’s Call and Commission

Now the word of the Lord came to me saying,

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

Then I said, “Ah, Lord God! Truly I do not know how to speak, for I am only a boy.”(E) But the Lord said to me,

“Do not say, ‘I am only a boy,’
for you shall go to all to whom I send you,
and you shall speak whatever I command you.
Do not be afraid of them,
for I am with you to deliver you,
            says the Lord.”(F)

Then the Lord put out his hand and touched my mouth, and the Lord said to me,

“Now I have put my words in your mouth.(G)
10 See, today I appoint you over nations and over kingdoms,
to pluck up and to pull down,
to destroy and to overthrow,
to build and to plant.”(H)

11 The word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Jeremiah, what do you see?” And I said, “I see a branch of an almond tree.”(I) 12 Then the Lord said to me, “You have seen well, for I am watching[a] 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 a boiling pot, tilted away from the north.”(J)

14 Then the Lord said to me: “Out of the north disaster shall break out on all the inhabitants of the land.(K) 15 For now I am calling all the tribes of the kingdoms of the north, says the Lord, and they shall come, and all of them shall set their thrones at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, against all its surrounding walls and against all the cities of Judah.(L) 16 And I will utter my judgments against them for all their wickedness in forsaking me; they have made offerings to other gods and worshiped the works of their own hands.(M) 17 But you, gird up your loins; stand up and tell them everything that I command you. Do not break down before them, or I will break you before them.(N) 18 And I for my part have made you today a fortified city, an iron pillar, and a bronze wall against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests, and the people of the land.(O) 19 They will fight against you, but they shall not prevail against you, for I am with you, says the Lord, to deliver you.”(P)

God Pleads with Israel to Repent

The word of the Lord came to me, saying: Go and proclaim in the hearing of Jerusalem, Thus says the Lord:

I remember the devotion of your youth,
    your love as a bride,
how you followed me in the wilderness,
    in a land not sown.(Q)
Israel was holy to the Lord,
    the first fruits of his harvest.
All who ate of it were held guilty;
    disaster came upon them,
            says the Lord.(R)

Hear the word of the Lord, O house of Jacob, and all the families of the house of Israel. Thus says the Lord:

What wrong did your ancestors find in me
    that they went far from me
and went after worthless things and became worthless themselves?(S)
They did not say, “Where is the Lord,
    who brought us up from the land of Egypt,
who led us in the wilderness,
    in a land of deserts and pits,
in a land of drought and deep darkness,
    in a land that no one passes through,
    where no one lives?”(T)
I brought you into a plentiful land
    to eat its fruits and its good things.
But when you entered you defiled my land
    and made my heritage an abomination.(U)
The priests did not say, “Where is the Lord?”
    Those who handle the law did not know me;
the rulers[b] transgressed against me;
    the prophets prophesied by Baal
    and went after things that do not profit.(V)

Therefore once more I accuse you,
            says the Lord,
    and I accuse your children’s children.(W)
10 Cross to the coasts of Cyprus and look;
    send to Kedar and examine with care;
    see if there has ever been such a thing.
11 Has a nation changed its gods,
    even though they are no gods?
But my people have changed their glory
    for something that does not profit.(X)
12 Be appalled, O heavens, at this;
    be shocked; be utterly desolate,
            says the Lord,
13 for my people have committed two evils:
    they have forsaken me,
the fountain of living water,
    and dug out cisterns for themselves,
cracked cisterns
    that can hold no water.(Y)

14 Is Israel a slave? Is he a homeborn servant?
    Why then has he become plunder?(Z)
15 The lions have roared against him;
    they have roared loudly.
They have made his land a waste;
    his cities are in ruins, without inhabitant.(AA)
16 Moreover, the people of Memphis and Tahpanhes
    have broken the crown of your head.(AB)
17 Have you not brought this upon yourself
    by forsaking the Lord your God,
    while he led you in the way?(AC)
18 What then do you gain by going to Egypt,
    to drink the waters of the Nile?
Or what do you gain by going to Assyria,
    to drink the waters of the Euphrates?(AD)
19 Your wickedness will punish you,
    and your faithlessness will convict you.
Know and see that it is evil and bitter
    for you to forsake the Lord your God;
    the fear of me is not in you,
            says the Lord God of hosts.(AE)

20 For long ago you broke your yoke
    and burst your bonds,
    and you said, “I will not serve!”
On every high hill
    and under every green tree
    you sprawled and prostituted yourself.(AF)
21 Yet I planted you as a choice vine
    from the purest stock.
How then did you turn degenerate
    and become a wild vine?(AG)
22 Though you wash yourself with lye
    and use much soap,
    the stain of your guilt is still before me,
            says the Lord God.(AH)
23 How can you say, “I am not defiled;
    I have not gone after the Baals”?
Look at your way in the valley;
    know what you have done:
a restive young camel interlacing her tracks,(AI)
24     a wild ass at home in the wilderness
in her heat sniffing the wind!
    Who can restrain her lust?
None who seek her need weary themselves;
    in her month they will find her.(AJ)
25 Keep your feet from going bare
    and your throat from thirst.
But you said, “It is no use,
    for I have loved strangers,
    and after them I will go.”(AK)

26 As a thief is shamed when caught,
    so the house of Israel shall be shamed:
they, their kings, their officials,
    their priests, and their prophets,(AL)
27 who say to a tree, “You are my father,”
    and to a stone, “You gave me birth.”
For they have turned their backs to me
    and not their faces.
But in the time of their trouble they say,
    “Come and save us!”(AM)
28 But where are your gods
    that you made for yourself?
Let them come, if they can save you,
    in your time of trouble,
for you have as many gods
    as you have towns, O Judah.(AN)

29 Why do you complain against me?
    You have all rebelled against me,
            says the Lord.(AO)
30 In vain I have struck down your children;
    they accepted no correction.
Your own sword devoured your prophets
    like a ravening lion.(AP)
31 And you, O generation, behold the word of the Lord![c]
Have I been a wilderness to Israel
    or a land of thick darkness?
Why then do my people say, “We are free;
    we will come to you no more”?(AQ)
32 Can a young woman forget her ornaments
    or a bride her attire?
Yet my people have forgotten me,
    days without number.(AR)

33 How well you direct your course
    to seek lovers!
So that even to wicked women
    you have taught your ways.
34 Also on your skirts is found
    the lifeblood of the innocent poor,
though you did not catch them breaking in.
    Yet in spite of all these things[d](AS)
35 you say, “I am innocent;
    surely his anger has turned from me.”
Now I am bringing you to judgment
    for saying, “I have not sinned.”(AT)
36 Why do you go about so much
    to change your way?
You shall be put to shame by Egypt
    as you were put to shame by Assyria.(AU)
37 From there also you will come away
    with your hands on your head,
for the Lord has rejected those in whom you trust,
    and you will not prosper through them.(AV)

Footnotes

  1. 1.12 In Heb the word for almond resembles the word for watching
  2. 2.8 Heb shepherds
  3. 2.31 Meaning of Heb uncertain
  4. 2.34 Meaning of Heb uncertain

The words of Jeremias the son of Helcias, of the priests that were in Anathoth, in the land of Benjamin.

The word of the Lord which came to him in the days of Josias the son of Amon king of Juda, in the thirteenth year of his reign.

And which came to him in the days of Joakim the son of Josias king of Juda, unto the end of the eleventh year of Sedecias the son of Josias king of Juda, even unto the carrying away of Jerusalem captive, in the fifth month.

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

Before I formed thee in the bowels of thy mother, I knew thee: and before thou camest forth out of the womb, I sanctified thee, and made thee a prophet unto the nations.

And I said: Ah, ah, ah, Lord God: behold, I cannot speak, for I am a child.

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

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

And the Lord put forth his hand, and touched my mouth: and the Lord said to me: Behold I have given my words in thy mouth:

10 Lo, I have set thee this day over the nations, and over the kingdoms, to root up, and pull down, and to waste, and to destroy, and to build, and to plant.

11 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying: What seest thou, Jeremias? And I said: I see a rod watching.

12 And the Lord said to me: Thou hast seen well: for I will watch over my word to perform it.

13 And the word of the Lord came to me a second time, saying: What seest thou? I see a boiling caldron, and the face thereof from the face of the north.

14 And the Lord said to me: from the north shall an evil break forth upon all the inhabitants of the land.

15 For behold I will call together all the families of the kingdoms of the north: saith the Lord: and they shall come, and shall set every one his throne in the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, and upon all the walls thereof round about, and upon all the cities of Juda,

16 And I will pronounce my judgements against them, touching all their wickedness, who have forsaken me, and have sacrificed to strange gods, and have adored the work of their own hands.

17 Thou therefore gird up thy loins, and arise, and speak to them all that I command thee. Be not afraid at their presence: for I will make thee not to fear their countenance.

18 For behold I have made thee this day a fortified city, and a pillar of iron, and a wall of brass, over all the land, to the kings of Juda, to the princes thereof, and to the priests, and to the people of the land.

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

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

Go, and cry in the ears of Jerusalem, saying: Thus saith the Lord: I have remembered thee, pitying thy soul, pitying thy youth, and the love of thy espousals, when thou followedst me in the desert, in a land that is not sown.

Israel is holy to the Lord, the first fruits of his increase: all they that devour him offend: evils shall come upon them, saith the Lord.

Hear ye the word of the Lord, O house of Jacob, and all ye families of the house of Israel.

Thus saith the Lord: What iniquity have your fathers found in me, that they are gone far from me, and have walked after vanity, and are become vain?

And they have not said: Where is the Lord, that made us come up out of the land of Egypt? that led us through the desert, through a land uninhabited and unpassable, through a land of drought, and the image of death, through a land wherein no man walked, nor any man dwelt?

And I brought you into the land of Carmel, to eat the fruit thereof, and the best things thereof: and when ye entered in, you defiled my land, and made my inheritance an abomination.

The priests did not say: Where is the Lord? and they that held the law knew me not, and the pastors transgressed against me: and the prophets prophesied in Baal, and followed idols.

Therefore will I yet contend in judgement with you, saith the Lord, and I will plead with your children.

10 Pass over to the isles of Cethim, and see: and send into Cedar, and consider diligently: and see if there hath been done any thing like this.

11 If a nation hath changed their gods, and indeed they are not gods: but my people have changed their glory into an idol.

12 Be astonished, O ye heavens, at this, and ye gates thereof, be very desolate, saith the Lord.

13 For my people have done two evils. They have forsaken me, the fountain of living water, and have digged to themselves cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.

14 Is Israel a bondman, or a homeborn slave? why then is he become prey?

15 The lions have roared upon him, and have made a noise, they have made his land a wilderness: his cities are burnt down and there is none to dwell in them.

16 The children also of Memphis, and of Taphnes have deflowered thee, even to the crown of the head.

17 Hath not this been done to thee, because thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God at that time, when he led thee by the way?

18 And now what hast thou to do in the way of Egypt, to drink the troubled water? And what hast thou to do with the way of the Assyrians, to drink the water of the river?

19 Thy own wickedness shall reprove thee, and thy apostasy shall rebuke thee. Know thou, and see that it is an evil and a bitter thing for thee, to have left the Lord thy God, and that my fear is not with thee, saith the Lord the God of hosts.

20 Of old time thou hast broken my yoke, thou hast burst my bands, and thou saidst: I will not serve. For on every high hill, and under every green tree thou didst prostitute thyself.

21 Yet I planted thee a chosen vineyard, all true seed: how then art thou turned unto me into that which is good for nothing, O strange vineyard?

22 Though thou wash thyself with nitre, and multiply to thyself the herb borith, thou art stained in thy iniquity before me, saith the Lord God.

23 How canst thou say: I am not polluted, and I have not walked after Baalim? see thy ways in the valley, know what thou hast done: as a swift runner pursuing his course.

24 A wild ass accustomed to the wilderness in the desire of his heart, snuffed up the wind of his love: none shall turn her away: all that seek her shall not fail: in her monthly filth they shall find her.

25 Keep thy foot from being bare, and thy throat from thirst. But thou saidst: I have lost all hope, I will not do it: for I have loved strangers, and I will walk after them.

26 As the thief is confounded when he is taken, so is the house of Israel confounded, they and their kings, their princes and their priests, and their prophets.

27 Saying to a stock: Thou art my father: and to a stone: thou hast begotten me: they have turned their back to me, and not their face: and in the time of their affliction they will say: Arise, and deliver us.

28 Where are the gods, whom thou hast made thee? let them arise and deliver thee in the time of thy affliction: for according to the number of thy cities were thy gods, O Juda.

29 Why will you contend with me in judgement? you have all forsaken me, saith the Lord.

30 In vain have I struck your children, they have not received correction: your sword hath devoured your prophets, your generation is like a ravaging lion.

31 See ye the word of the Lord: Am I become a wilderness to Israel, or a lateward springing land? why then have my people said: We are revolted, we will come to thee no more.

32 Will a virgin forget her ornament, or a bride her stomacher? but my people hath forgotten me days without number.

33 Why dost thou endeavour to shew thy way good to seek my love, thou who has also taught thy malices to be thy ways,

34 And in thy skirts is found the blood of the souls of the poor and innocent? not in ditches have I found them, but in all places, which I mentioned before.

35 And thou hast said: I am without sin and am innocent: and therefore let thy anger be turned away from me. Behold, I will contend with thee in judgement, because thou hast said: I have not sinned.

36 How exceeding base art thou become, going the same ways over again! and thou shalt be ashamed of Egypt, as thou wast ashamed of Assyria.

37 For from thence thou shalt go, and thy hand shall be upon thy head: for the Lord hath destroyed thy trust, and thou shalt have nothing prosperous therein.

Demolish, and Then Start Over

1-4 The Message of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah of the family of priests who lived in Anathoth in the country of Benjamin. God’s Message began to come to him during the thirteenth year that Josiah son of Amon reigned over Judah. It continued to come to him during the time Jehoiakim son of Josiah reigned over Judah. And it continued to come to him clear down to the fifth month of the eleventh year of the reign of Zedekiah son of Josiah over Judah, the year that Jerusalem was taken into exile. This is what God said:

“Before I shaped you in the womb,
    I knew all about you.
Before you saw the light of day,
    I had holy plans for you:
A prophet to the nations—
    that’s what I had in mind for you.”

But I said, “Hold it, Master God! Look at me.
    I don’t know anything. I’m only a boy!”

7-8 God told me, “Don’t say, ‘I’m only a boy.’
    I’ll tell you where to go and you’ll go there.
I’ll tell you what to say and you’ll say it.
    Don’t be afraid of a soul.
I’ll be right there, looking after you.”
    God’s Decree.

9-10 God reached out, touched my mouth, and said,
    “Look! I’ve just put my words in your mouth—hand-delivered!
See what I’ve done? I’ve given you a job to do
    among nations and governments—a red-letter day!
Your job is to pull up and tear down,
    take apart and demolish,
And then start over,
    building and planting.”

Stand Up and Say Your Piece

11-12 God’s Message came to me: “What do you see, Jeremiah?”
    I said, “A walking stick—that’s all.”
And God said, “Good eyes! I’m sticking with you.
    I’ll make every word I give you come true.”

13-15 God’s Message came again: “So what do you see now?”
    I said, “I see a boiling pot, tipped down toward us.”
Then God told me, “Disaster will pour out of the north
    on everyone living in this land.
Watch for this: I’m calling all the kings out of the north.”
    God’s Decree.

15-16 “They’ll come and set up headquarters
    facing Jerusalem’s gates,
Facing all the city walls,
    facing all the villages of Judah.
I’ll pronounce my judgment on the people of Judah
    for walking out on me—what a terrible thing to do!—
And courting other gods with their offerings,
    worshiping as gods sticks they’d carved, stones they’d painted.

17 “But you—up on your feet and get dressed for work!
    Stand up and say your piece. Say exactly what I tell you to say.
Don’t pull your punches
    or I’ll pull you out of the lineup.

18-19 “Stand at attention while I prepare you for your work.
    I’m making you as impregnable as a castle,
Immovable as a steel post,
    solid as a concrete block wall.
You’re a one-man defense system
    against this culture,
Against Judah’s kings and princes,
    against the priests and local leaders.
They’ll fight you, but they won’t
    even scratch you.
I’ll back you up every inch of the way.”
    God’s Decree.

Israel Was God’s Holy Choice

1-3 God’s Message came to me. It went like this:

“Get out in the streets and call to Jerusalem,
    God’s Message!
I remember your youthful loyalty,
    our love as newlyweds.
You stayed with me through the wilderness years,
    stuck with me through all the hard places.
Israel was God’s holy choice,
    the pick of the crop.
Anyone who laid a hand on her
    would soon wish he hadn’t!’”
        God’s Decree.

* * *

4-6 Hear God’s Message, House of Jacob!
    Yes, you—House of Israel!
God’s Message: “What did your ancestors find fault with in me
    that they drifted so far from me,
Took up with Sir Windbag
    and turned into windbags themselves?
It never occurred to them to say, ‘Where’s God,
    the God who got us out of Egypt,
Who took care of us through thick and thin, those rough-and-tumble
    wilderness years of parched deserts and death valleys,
A land that no one who enters comes out of,
    a cruel, inhospitable land?’

7-8 “I brought you to a garden land
    where you could eat lush fruit.
But you barged in and polluted my land,
    trashed and defiled my dear land.
The priests never thought to ask, ‘Where’s God?’
    The religion experts knew nothing of me.
The rulers defied me.
    The prophets preached god Baal
And chased empty god-dreams and silly god-schemes.

9-11 “Because of all this, I’m bringing charges against you”
        God’s Decree—
    “charging you and your children and your grandchildren.
Look around. Have you ever seen anything quite like this?
    Sail to the western islands and look.
Travel to the Kedar wilderness and look.
    Look closely. Has this ever happened before,
That a nation has traded in its gods
    for gods that aren’t even close to gods?
But my people have traded my Glory
    for empty god-dreams and silly god-schemes.

12-13 “Stand in shock, heavens, at what you see!
    Throw up your hands in disbelief—this can’t be!”
        God’s Decree.
“My people have committed a compound sin:
    they’ve walked out on me, the fountain
Of fresh flowing waters, and then dug cisterns—
    cisterns that leak, cisterns that are no better than sieves.

14-17 “Isn’t Israel a valued servant,
    born into a family with place and position?
So how did she end up a piece of meat
    fought over by snarling and roaring lions?
There’s nothing left of her but a few old bones,
    her towns trashed and deserted.
Egyptians from the cities of Memphis and Tahpanhes
    have broken your skulls.
And why do you think all this has happened?
    Isn’t it because you walked out on your God
    just as he was beginning to lead you in the right way?

18-19 “And now, what do you think you’ll get by going off to Egypt?
    Maybe a cool drink of Nile River water?
Or what do you think you’ll get by going off to Assyria?
    Maybe a long drink of Euphrates River water?
Your evil ways will get you a sound thrashing, that’s what you’ll get.
    You’ll pay dearly for your disloyal ways.
Take a long, hard look at what you’ve done and its bitter results.
    Was it worth it to have walked out on your God?”
        God’s Decree, Master God-of-the-Angel-Armies.

Addicted to Alien Gods

20-22 “A long time ago you broke out of the harness.
    You shook off all restraints.
You said, ‘I will not serve!’
    and off you went,
Visiting every sex-and-religion shrine on the way,
    like a common whore.
You were a select vine when I planted you
    from completely reliable stock.
And look how you’ve turned out—
    a tangle of rancid growth, a poor excuse for a vine.
Scrub, using the strongest soaps.
    Scour your skin raw.
The sin-grease won’t come out. I can’t stand to even look at you!”
    God’s Decree, the Master’s Decree.

23-24 “How dare you tell me, ‘I’m not stained by sin.
    I’ve never chased after the Baal sex gods’!
Well, look at the tracks you’ve left behind in the valley.
    How do you account for what is written in the desert dust—
Tracks of a camel in heat, running this way and that,
    tracks of a wild donkey in rut,
Sniffing the wind for the slightest scent of sex.
    Who could possibly corral her!
On the hunt for sex, sex, and more sex—
    insatiable, indiscriminate, promiscuous.

25 “Slow down. Take a deep breath. What’s the hurry?
    Why wear yourself out? Just what are you after anyway?
But you say, ‘I can’t help it.
    I’m addicted to alien gods. I can’t quit.’

* * *

26-28 “Just as a thief is chagrined, but only when caught,
    so the people of Israel are chagrined,
Caught along with their kings and princes,
    their priests and prophets.
They walk up to a tree and say, ‘My father!’
    They pick up a stone and say, ‘My mother! You bore me!’
All I ever see of them is their backsides.
    They never look me in the face.
But when things go badly, they don’t hesitate to come running,
    calling out, ‘Get a move on! Save us!’
Why not go to your handcrafted gods you’re so fond of?
    Rouse them. Let them save you from your bad times.
You’ve got more gods, Judah,
    than you know what to do with.

Trying Out Another Sin-Project

29-30 “What do you have against me,
    running off to assert your ‘independence’?”
        God’s Decree.
“I’ve wasted my time trying to train your children.
    They’ve paid no attention to me, ignored my discipline.
And you’ve gotten rid of your God-messengers,
    treating them like dirt and sweeping them away.

31-32 “What a generation you turned out to be!
    Didn’t I tell you? Didn’t I warn you?
Have I let you down, Israel?
    Am I nothing but a dead-end street?
Why do my people say, ‘Good riddance!
    From now on we’re on our own’?
Young women don’t forget their jewelry, do they?
    Brides don’t show up without their veils, do they?
But my people forget me.
    Day after day after day they never give me a thought.

* * *

33-35 “What an impressive start you made
    to get the most out of life.
You founded schools of sin,
    taught graduate courses in evil!
And now you’re sending out graduates, resplendent in cap and gown—
    except the gowns are stained with the blood of your victims!
All that blood convicts you.
    You cut and hurt a lot of people to get where you are.
And yet you have the nerve to say, ‘I’ve done nothing wrong.
    God doesn’t mind. He hasn’t punished me, has he?’
Don’t look now, but judgment’s on the way,
    aimed at you who say, ‘I’ve done nothing wrong.’

36-37 “You think it’s just a small thing, don’t you,
    to try out another sin-project when the first one fails?
But Egypt will leave you in the lurch
    the same way that Assyria did.
You’re going to walk away from there
    wringing your hands.
I, God, have blacklisted those you trusted.
    You’ll get not a lick of help from them.”