Old Testament · Jeremiah

Jeremiah 1

The Call of Jeremiah

1The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the priests who were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin,

2to 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. 3And it came to pass in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah the son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the carrying away of Jerusalem captive in the fifth month.

4And the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

5Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you came forth out of the womb I sanctified you; a prophet to the nations I appointed you.

6And I said, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am a youth.

7And the LORD said to me, Do not say, I am a youth; for to all to whom I send you, you shall go, and all that I command^a you, you shall speak.

8Do not be afraid before them; for I am with you to deliver you, declares the LORD.

9And the LORD put forth his hand, and touched my mouth; and the LORD said to me, Behold, I have put my words in your mouth.

10See, I have set you this day over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to overthrow; to build, and to plant.

11And the word of the LORD came to me, saying, What do you see, Jeremiah? And I said, I see a rod of an almond tree.

12And the LORD said to me, You have seen well; for I am watching over my word to perform it.

13And the word of the LORD came to me a second time, saying, What do you see? And I said, I see a boiling pot, and its face is from the north.

14And the LORD said to me, Out of the north the evil shall break forth upon all the inhabitants of the land. 15For, behold, I am calling to all the families of the kingdoms of the north, declares the LORD; and they shall come, and they shall set every man^b his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, and against all its walls round about, and against all the cities of Judah.

16And I will utter my judgments^c against them concerning all their evil, in that they have forsaken me, and have burned incense to other gods, and bowed themselves to the works of their own hands.

17And you, gird up your loins, and arise, and speak to them all that I command you; do not be dismayed before them, lest I dismay you before them. 18And I, behold, I have made you this day a fortified city, and an iron pillar, and walls of bronze, against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against its princes, against its priests, and against the people of the land. 19And they shall fight against you; but they shall not prevail against you; for I am with you, declares the LORD, to deliver you.