1:1 The word of God which came to Jeremias the [son] of Chelcias, of the priests, who dwelt in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin:

1:2 [accordingly] as the word of God came to him in the days of Josias son of Amos king of Juda, in the thirteenth year of his reign.

1:3 And it was in the days of Joakim, son of Josias king of Juda, until the eleventh year of Sedekias king of Juda, [even] until the captivity of Jerusalem in the fifth month.

1:4 And the word of the Lord came to him, [saying],

1:5 Before I formed thee in the belly, I knew thee; and before thou camest forth from the womb, I sanctified thee; I appointed thee a prophet to the nations.

1:6 And I said, O Lord, thou that art supreme Lord, behold, I know not [how] to speak, for I am a child.

1:7 And the Lord said to me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all to whomsoever I shall send thee, and according to all [the words] that I shall command thee, thou shalt speak.

1:8 Be not afraid before them: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the Lord.

1:9 And the Lord stretched forth his hand to me, and touched my mouth: and the Lord said to me, Behold, I have put my words into thy mouth.

1:10 Behold, I have appointed thee this day over nations and over kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to rebuild, and to plant.

1:11 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, What seest thou? And I said, A rod of an almond tree.

1:12 And the Lord said to me, Thou hast well seen: for I have watched over my words to perform them.

1:13 And the word of the Lord came to me a second time, saying, What seest thou? And I said, A caldron on the fire; and the face of it is toward the north.

1:14 And the Lord said to me, From the north shall flame forth evils upon all the inhabitants of the land.

1:15 For, behold, I call together all the kingdoms of the earth from the north, saith the Lord; and they shall come, and shall set each one his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, and against all the walls round about her, and against all the cities of Juda.

1:16 And I will speak to them in judgment, concerning all their iniquity, [forasmuch] as they have forsaken me, and sacrificed to strange gods, and worshipped the works of their own hands.

1:17 And do thou gird up thy loins, and stand up, and speak all [the words] that I shall command thee: be not afraid of their face, neither be thou alarmed before them; for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the Lord.

1:18 Behold, I have made thee this day as a strong city, and as a brazen wall, strong [against] all the kings of Juda, and the princes thereof, and the people of the land.

1:19 And they shall fight against thee; but they shall by no means prevail against thee; because I am with thee, to deliver thee, saith the Lord.

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

1:2 To 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.

1:3 It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the carrying away of Jerusalem captive in the fifth month.

1:4 Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

1:5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.

1:6 Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child.

1:7 But the LORD said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak.

1:8 Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the LORD.

1:9 Then the LORD put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth.

1:10 See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.

1:11 Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Jeremiah, what seest thou? And I said, I see a rod of an almond tree.

1:12 Then said the LORD unto me, Thou hast well seen: for I will hasten my word to perform it.

1:13 And the word of the LORD came unto me the second time, saying, What seest thou? And I said, I see a seething pot; and the face thereof is toward the north.

1:14 Then the LORD said unto me, Out of the north an evil shall break forth upon all the inhabitants of the land.

1:15 For, lo, I will call all the families of the kingdoms of the north, saith the LORD; and they shall come, and they shall set every one his throne at the entering of the gates of Jerusalem, and against all the walls thereof round about, and against all the cities of Judah.

1:16 And I will utter my judgments against them touching all their wickedness, who have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, and worshipped the works of their own hands.

1:17 Thou therefore gird up thy loins, and arise, and speak unto them all that I command thee: be not dismayed at their faces, lest I confound thee before them.

1:18 For, behold, I have made thee this day a defenced city, and an iron pillar, and brasen walls against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against the princes thereof, against the priests thereof, and against the people of the land.

1:19 And they shall fight against thee; but they shall not prevail against thee; for I am with thee, saith the LORD, to deliver thee.