Yahweh Sends Jeremiah the Prophet
The words of aJeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the priests who were in bAnathoth in the land of Benjamin, 2 to whom the word of Yahweh came in the days of aJosiah the son of bAmon, king of Judah, in the cthirteenth year of his reign. 3 And it came in the days of aJehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the end of the eleventh year of bZedekiah the son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the exile of Jerusalem in the fifth month.
4 Now the word of Yahweh came to me saying,
5 “Before I aformed you in the innermost parts I knew you,
And bbefore you came out from the womb I set you apart;
I have cgiven you as a prophet to the nations.”
6 Then aI said, “Alas, Lord Yahweh!
Behold, I do not know how to speak
Because bI am a youth.”
7 But Yahweh said to me,
“Do not say, ‘I am a youth,’
aBecause everywhere I send you, you shall go,
And ball that I command you, you shall speak.
8 aDo not be afraid of them,
For bI am with you to deliver you,” declares Yahweh.
9 Then Yahweh sent forth His hand and atouched my mouth, and Yahweh said to me,
“Behold, I have bput My words in your mouth.
10 See, aI have appointed you this day over the nations and over the kingdoms,
bTo uproot and to tear down,
To cause to perish and to pull down,
cTo build and to plant.”
The Almond Rod and Boiling Pot
11 Now the word of Yahweh came to me saying, “What do you see, aJeremiah?” And I said, “I see a rod of an almond tree.” 12 Then Yahweh said to me, “You have seen well, for aI am watching over My word to do it.”
13 The word of Yahweh came to me a second time saying, “aWhat do you see?” And I said, “I see a boiling bpot, facing away from the north.” 14 Then Yahweh said to me, “aFrom the north the evil will break open on all the inhabitants of the land. 15 For, behold, I am calling aall the families of the kingdoms of the north,” declares Yahweh; “and they will come, and each one of them will bput his throne at the opening of the gates of Jerusalem, and against all its walls round about and against all the ccities of Judah. 16 I will speak My judgments on them concerning all their evil, whereby they have aforsaken Me and have bburned incense to other gods and worshiped the cworks of their own hands. 17 Now, agird up your loins and arise and speak to them all which I command you. bDo not be dismayed before them, lest I dismay you before them. 18 Now behold, I have given you today as a fortified city and as a pillar of iron and as walls of bronze against the whole land, to the kings of Judah, to its princes, 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 am with you to deliver you,” declares Yahweh.