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
year
of his reign
.
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
.
Then the word of the LORD
came unto me, saying
,
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
.
Then said I, Ah
, Lord
GOD
! behold, I cannot
speak
: for I am a child
.
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
.
Be not afraid of their faces
: for I am with thee to deliver
thee, saith
the LORD
.
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
.
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
.
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
.
Then said the LORD
unto me, Thou hast well
seen
: for I will hasten
my word
to perform
it.
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
.
Then the LORD said
unto me, Out of the north
an evil
shall break forth
upon all the inhabitants
of the land
.
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
.
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
.
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.
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
.
And they shall fight against thee; but they shall not prevail
against thee; for I am with thee, saith
the LORD
, to deliver
thee.