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”
Jeremiah 1
New American Standard Bible
Jeremiah’s Call and Commission
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 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. 3 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.
4 Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
5 “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.”
6 Then (K)I said, “Oh, Lord [a]God!
Behold, I do not know how to speak,
Because (L)I am a youth.”
7 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.
8 (O)Do not be afraid of them,
For (P)I am with you to save you,” declares the Lord.
9 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.
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 1:6 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
- Jeremiah 1:11 Heb shaqed, see note v 12
- Jeremiah 1:12 Heb shoqed, a wordplay on almond in v 11 (see note v 11)
- Jeremiah 1:14 Lit opened
- Jeremiah 1:16 Lit speak
- Jeremiah 1:16 Or burned incense
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