Chapter 1

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

To whom the word of the LORD came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon king of Judah, in the thirteenth ⁶²⁴⁰ year of his reign.²

It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the end² of the eleventh ⁶²⁴⁰ year of Zedekiah the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the carrying away of Jerusalem captive² in the fifth month.

Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,²

Before I formed⁴ thee in the belly I knew¹ thee; and before thou camest forth⁴ out of the womb I sanctified⁵² thee, [and] I ordained¹ thee a prophet unto the nations.

Then said⁴ I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot ^{3045 1} speak:¹⁵ for I [am] a child.

But the LORD said⁴ unto me, Say⁴ not, I [am] a child: for thou shalt go⁴ to all that I shall send⁴ thee, and whatsoever I command¹⁷ thee thou shalt speak.¹⁷

Be not afraid⁴ of their faces: for I [am] with thee to deliver⁵³ thee, saith⁷ the LORD.

Then the LORD put forth⁴ his hand, and touched⁵⁵ my mouth. And the LORD said⁴ unto me, Behold, I have put¹ my words in thy mouth.

See,³ I have this day set⁵² thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out,² and to pull down,² and to destroy,⁵³ and to throw down,² to build,² and to plant.²

Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,² Jeremiah, what seest⁶ thou? And I said,⁴ I see⁶ a rod of an almond tree.

Then said⁴ the LORD unto me, Thou hast well⁵² seen:² for I will hasten⁶ my word to perform² it.

And the word of the LORD came unto me the second time, saying,² What seest⁶ thou? And I said,⁴ I see⁶ a seething⁷ pot; and the face thereof [is] toward the north.

Then the LORD said⁴ unto me, Out of the north an evil shall break forth¹¹ upon all the inhabitants⁶ of the land.

For, lo, I will call⁶ all the families of the kingdoms of the north, saith⁷ the LORD; and they shall come,¹ and they shall set¹ 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.

And I will utter¹⁴ my judgments against them touching all their wickedness, who have forsaken¹ me, and have burned incense¹⁷ unto other gods, and worshipped¹⁰¹ the works of their own hands.

Thou therefore gird up⁴ thy loins, and arise,¹ and speak¹⁴ unto them all that I command¹⁷ thee: be not dismayed¹¹ at their faces, lest I confound⁵⁵ thee before them.

For, behold, I have made¹ 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.

And they shall fight⁸ against thee; but they shall not prevail⁴ against thee; for I [am] with thee, saith⁷ the LORD, to deliver⁵³ thee.