Chapter 1

Words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, of the priests who are in Anathoth, in the land of Benjamin,

unto whom the word of Yehovah hath been in the days of Josiah son of Amon, king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign,

and it is in the days of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah, till the completion of the eleventh year of Zedekiah son of Josiah, king of Judah, till the removal of Jerusalem in the fifth month.

And there is a word of Yehovah unto me, saying,

`Before I form thee in the belly, I have known thee; and before thou comest forth from the womb I have separated thee, a prophet to nations I have made thee.`

And I say, `Ah, Lord Yehovah! lo, I have not known -- to speak, for I am a youth.`

And Yehovah saith unto me, `Do not say, I am a youth, for to all to whom I send thee thou goest, and all that I command thee thou speakest.

Be not afraid of their faces, for with thee am I to deliver thee, -- an affirmation of Yehovah.`

And Yehovah putteth forth His hand, and striketh against my mouth, and Yehovah saith unto me, `Lo, I have put my words in thy mouth.

See, I have charged thee this day concerning the nations, and concerning the kingdoms, to pluck up, and to break down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.`

And there is a word of Yehovah unto me, saying, `What art thou seeing, Jeremiah?` And I say, `A rod of an almond tree I am seeing.`

And Yehovah saith unto me, `Thou hast well seen: for I am watching over My word to do it.`

And there is a word of Yehovah unto me a second time, saying, `What art thou seeing?` And I say, `A blown pot I am seeing, and its face is from the north.`

And Yehovah saith unto me, `From the north is the evil loosed against all inhabitants of the land.

For, lo, I am calling for all families of the kingdoms of the north, -- an affirmation of Yehovah -- and they have come, and put each his throne at the opening of the gates of Jerusalem, and by its walls round about, and by all cities of Judah.

And I have spoken My judgments with them concerning all their evil, in that they have forsaken Me, and make perfume to other gods, and bow themselves to the works of their own hands.

`And thou, thou dost gird up thy loins, and hast arisen, and spoken unto them all that I command thee: be not affrighted because of them, lest I affright thee before them.

And I, lo, I have given thee this day for a fenced city, and for an iron pillar, and for brazen walls over all the land, to the kings of Judah, to its heads, to its priests, and to the people of the land;

and they have fought against thee, and they prevail not against thee; for with thee am I, -- an affirmation of Yehovah -- to deliver thee.