Jeremiah Chapter 1

1^:1The Words of Jeremiah Son of Hilkiah

from the Priests at Anathoth in Benjamin

² Messages from the LORD came to him from the thirteenth year of Josiah son of Amon, king of Judah. ³ They came as well during the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah, till the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah son of Josiah, king of Judah, till Jerusalem’s exile in the fifth month.                                                                                                      

Jer 1:1-3

The Call of Jeremiah

⁴ A message from the LORD came to me:

            ⁵ “I knew you before I formed you in the womb;

                  I set you apart before you were born

                        and appointed you to be a prophet to the nations.”

         ⁶I said,

            “Lord GOD!

            I don’t know how to speak for you;

            I’m too young.”

         ⁷But the LORD told me,

            “Don’t say you’re too young;

                  you’ll go where I send you

                        and say what I tell you.

            ⁸ You don’t need to be afraid of them;

                  I’ll protect you.”

         ⁹ He reached out and touched my mouth,

            “I’ve put my message in you

            ¹⁰ and appointed you over nations and kingdoms

                  to pull up and tear down,

                  to overthrow and destroy,

                  to build and plant.”

Jer 1:4-10

¹¹ A message from the LORD came to me:

            “What do you see, Jeremiah?”

            “An ‘almond’ branch.”

                  ¹²“Yes; I’m ‘watching,’

                  and I’ll certainly do what I say.”

         ¹³Another message came to me:

            “What do you see?”

            “A boiling pot facing this way from the north.”                   

Jer 1:11-13

         ¹⁴Then he said,

“Evil is going to pour out from the north onto the people in this country. ¹⁵ I’m calling the armies in the kingdoms up north. Each one will set a throne at Jerusalem’s gates, against its walls all round, against the towns in Judah. ¹⁶ I’ll render judgment on this nation for leaving me and sacrificing to other gods, for worshiping what they’ve made with their own hands. ¹⁷ Gird up your loins. Get up and tell them everything I’ve told you. Don’t let them intimidate you, or I’ll dishearten you in front of them. ¹⁸ Today, I’m making you like a fortified city, like an iron pillar, like bronze walls against the whole land, Judah’s kings, officials, priests, and people. ¹⁹ They’ll fight you, but they won’t win, because I’m with you.” 

Jer 1:14-19