Jeremiah 1

1The words of Yirmeyahu son of Hilqiyahu, one of the priests who were in Anathoth, in the land of Benjamin.

2to whom the word of Yahweh came in the days of Josiah son of Amon, king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign.

3And it continued in the days of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the completion of the eleventh year of Zedekiah son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the exile of Jerusalem in the fifth month.

4The word of Yahweh came to me, saying,

5Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you, and before you came out from the womb, I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.

6Then I said, “Ah, Lord Yahweh! Look, I do not know how to speak, for I am a youth.”

7But Yahweh 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 you, you shall speak.”

8Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, declares Yahweh.

9Then the LORD stretched out his hand and touched my mouth, and the LORD said to me, “Look, I have put my words in your mouth.”

10See, today I have appointed you over the nations and over the kingdoms, to uproot and to tear down, and to destroy and to demolish, to build and to plant.

11And the word of Yahweh came to me, saying, “What do you see, Jeremiah?” And I said, “I see a branch of an almond tree.”

12Then Yahweh said to me, “You have seen well, for I am watching over my word to perform it.”

13And the word of Yahweh 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 Yahweh said to me, “From the north the disaster will break forth against all the inhabitants of the land.”

15For behold, I am calling all the clans of the kingdoms of the north, declares Yahweh, and they will come, and each will set his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, against all her walls all around, and against all the cities of Judah.

16And I will pronounce my judgments against them for all their evil, because they have forsaken me, burned incense to other gods, and bowed down to the works of their own hands.

17But 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 today a fortified city, an iron pillar, and bronze walls against the whole land—against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests, and the people of the land.

19They will fight against you, but they will not prevail against you, for I am with you, declares Yahweh, to deliver you.