^{1 Ref} Words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, of the priests who `are' in Anathoth, in the land of Benjamin,

^{2 Ref} unto whom the word of Jehovah hath been in the days of Josiah son of Amon, king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign,

^{3 Ref} and it is in the days of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah, till the completion of the eleventh year of Zedekiah son of Josiah, king of Judah, till the removal of Jerusalem in the fifth month.

^{4 Ref} And there is a word of Jehovah unto me, saying,

^{5 Ref} `Before I form thee in the belly, I have known thee; and before thou comest forth from the womb I have separated thee, a prophet to nations I have made thee.'

^{6 Ref} And I say, `Ah, Lord Jehovah! lo, I have not known -- to speak, for I `am' a youth.'

^{7 Ref} And Jehovah saith unto me, `Do not say, I `am' a youth, for to all to whom I send thee thou goest, and all that I command thee thou speakest.

^{8 Ref} Be not afraid of their faces, for with thee `am' I to deliver thee, -- an affirmation of Jehovah.'

^{9 Ref} And Jehovah putteth forth His hand, and striketh against my mouth, and Jehovah saith unto me, `Lo, I have put my words in thy mouth.

^{10 Ref} See, I have charged thee this day concerning the nations, and concerning the kingdoms, to pluck up, and to break down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.'

^{11 Ref} And there is a word of Jehovah unto me, saying, `What art thou seeing, Jeremiah?' And I say, `A rod of an almond tree I am seeing.'

^{12 Ref} And Jehovah saith unto me, `Thou hast well seen: for I am watching over My word to do it.'

^{13 Ref} And there is a word of Jehovah unto me a second time, saying, `What art thou seeing?' And I say, `A blown pot I am seeing, and its face `is' from the north.'

^{14 Ref} And Jehovah saith unto me, `From the north is the evil loosed against all inhabitants of the land.

^{15 Ref} For, lo, I am calling for all families of the kingdoms of the north, -- an affirmation of Jehovah -- and they have come, and put each his throne at the opening of the gates of Jerusalem, and by its walls round about, and by all cities of Judah.

^{16 Ref} And I have spoken My judgments with them concerning all their evil, in that they have forsaken Me, and make perfume to other gods, and bow themselves to the works of their own hands.

^{17 Ref} `And thou, thou dost gird up thy loins, and hast arisen, and spoken unto them all that I command thee: be not affrighted because of them, lest I affright thee before them.

^{18 Ref} And I, lo, I have given thee this day for a fenced city, and for an iron pillar, and for brazen walls over all the land, to the kings of Judah, to its heads, to its priests, and to the people of the land;

^{19 Ref} and they have fought against thee, and they prevail not against thee; for with thee `am' I, -- an affirmation of Jehovah -- to deliver thee.

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

^{2 Ref} to whom the word of Jehovah came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign.

^{3 Ref} 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.

^{4 Ref} Now the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying,

^{5 Ref} Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee, and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee; I have appointed thee a prophet unto the nations.

^{6 Ref} Then said I, Ah, Lord Jehovah! behold, I know not how to speak; for I am a child.

^{7 Ref} But Jehovah said unto me, Say not, I am a child; for to whomsoever I shall send thee thou shalt go, and whatsoever I shall command thee thou shalt speak.

^{8 Ref} Be not afraid because of them; for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith Jehovah.

^{9 Ref} Then Jehovah put forth his hand, and touched my mouth; and Jehovah said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth:

^{10 Ref} see, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to pluck up and to break down and to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.

^{11 Ref} Moreover the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying, Jeremiah, what seest thou? And I said, I see a rod of an almond-tree.

^{12 Ref} Then said Jehovah unto me, Thou hast well seen: for I watch over my word to perform it.

^{13 Ref} And the word of Jehovah came unto me the second time, saying, What seest thou? And I said, I see a boiling caldron; and the face thereof is from the north.

^{14 Ref} Then Jehovah said unto me, Out of the north evil shall break forth upon all the inhabitants of the land.

^{15 Ref} For, lo, I will call all the families of the kingdoms of the north, saith Jehovah; and they shall come, and they shall set every one his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, and against all the walls thereof round about, and against all the cities of Judah.

^{16 Ref} And I will utter my judgments against them touching all their wickedness, in that they have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, and worshipped the works of their own hands.

^{17 Ref} Thou therefore gird up thy loins, and arise, and speak unto them all that I command thee: be not dismayed at them, lest I dismay thee before them.

^{18 Ref} For, behold, I have made thee this day a fortified city, and an iron pillar, and brazen 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.

^{19 Ref} And they shall fight against thee; but they shall not prevail against thee: for I am with thee, saith Jehovah, to deliver thee.