Jeremiah, 1

1. The words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, one of the priests living at Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin.

1. The words of Jeremiah, the son of Hilki'ah, of the priests who were in An'athoth in the land of Benjamin,

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

2. to whom the word of the LORD came in the days of Josi'ah the son of Amon, king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign.

3. then in the days of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the deportation of Jerusalem, in the fifth month.

3. It came also in the days of Jehoi'akim the son of Josi'ah, king of Judah, and until the end of the eleventh year of Zedeki'ah, the son of Josi'ah, king of Judah, until the captivity of Jerusalem in the fifth month.

4. The word of Yahweh came to me, saying:

4. Now the word of the LORD came to me saying,

5. 'Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you came to birth I consecrated you; I appointed you as prophet to the nations.'

5. "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations."

6. I then said, 'Ah, ah, ah, Lord Yahweh; you see, I do not know how to speak: I am only a child!'

6. Then I said, "Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth."

7. But Yahweh replied, 'Do not say, "I am only a child," for you must go to all to whom I send you and say whatever I command you.

7. But the LORD said to me, "Do not say, `I am only a youth'; for to all to whom I send you you shall go, and whatever I command you you shall speak.

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

8. Be not afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, says the LORD."

9. Then Yahweh stretched out his hand and touched my mouth, and Yahweh said to me: 'There! I have put my words into your mouth.

9. Then the LORD put forth his hand and touched my mouth; and the LORD said to me, "Behold, I have put my words in your mouth.

10. Look, today I have set you over the nations and kingdoms, to uproot and to knock down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.'

10. See, I have set you this day over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck up and to break down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant."

11. The word of Yahweh came to me, asking, 'Jeremiah, what do you see?' I answered, 'I see a branch of the Watchful Tree.'

11. And the word of the LORD came to me, saying, "Jeremiah, what do you see?" And I said, "I see a rod of almond."

12. Then Yahweh said, 'Well seen, for I am watching over my word to perform it.'

12. Then the LORD said to me, "You have seen well, for I am watching over my word to perform it."

13. A second time the word of Yahweh came to me, asking, 'What do you see?' I answered, 'I see a cooking pot on the boil, with its mouth tilting from the north.'

13. The word of the LORD came to me a second time, saying, "What do you see?" And I said, "I see a boiling pot, facing away from the north."

14. Then Yahweh said: 'From the north disaster will come boiling over on all who live in the country,

14. Then the LORD said to me, "Out of the north evil shall break forth upon all the inhabitants of the land.

15. for I am now summoning all the families of the kingdoms of the north, Yahweh declares. They will come, and each will set his throne in front of the gates of Jerusalem, all round, against its walls and against all the towns of Judah.

15. For, lo, I am calling all the tribes of the kingdoms of the north, says the LORD; and they shall come and every one shall set his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, against all its walls round about, and against all the cities of Judah.

16. I shall pronounce my judgements on them because of all their wickedness, since they have abandoned me, offering incense to other gods and worshipping what their own hands have made.

16. And I will utter my judgments against them, for all their wickedness in forsaking me; they have burned incense to other gods, and worshiped the works of their own hands.

17. 'As for you, prepare yourself for action. Stand up and tell them all I command you. Have no fear of them and in their presence I will make you fearless.

17. But you, gird up your loins; arise, and say to them everything that I command you. Do not be dismayed by them, lest I dismay you before them.

18. For look, today I have made you into a fortified city, a pillar of iron, a wall of bronze to stand against the whole country: the kings of Judah, its princes, its priests and the people of the country.

18. And I, behold, I make you this day a fortified city, an iron pillar, and bronze walls, against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, its princes, its priests, and the people of the land.

19. They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you, Yahweh declares, to rescue you.'

19. They will fight against you; but they shall not prevail against you, for I am with you, says the LORD, to deliver you."