1 These are the words of Yeremyah the son of Hil·kyʹah, one of the priests in Anʹa·thoth in the land of Benjamin. 2 The word of Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah} came to him in the days of Jo·syʹah the son of Aʹmon, the king of Judah, in the 13th year of his reign. 3 It came also in the days of Ye·hoiʹa·kim the son of Jo·syʹah, the king of Judah, until the completion of the 11th year of Zed·e·kyʹah the son of Jo·syʹah, the king of Judah, until Yerushalom went into exile in the fifth month.
4 The word of Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah} came to me, saying:
5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
And before you were born I sanctified you.
I made you a prophet to the nations.”
6 But I said: “Alas, O Master Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah}!
I do not know how to speak, for I am just a boy.”
7 Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah} then said to me:
“Do not say, ‘I am just a boy.’
For you must go to all those to whom I send you,
And you should say everything that I command you.
8 Do not be afraid because of their appearance,
For ‘I am with you to save you,’ declares Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah}.”
9 Then Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah} stretched out his hand and touched my mouth. And Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah} said to me: “I have put my words in your mouth. 10 See, I have commissioned you this day to be over the nations and over the kingdoms, to uproot and to pull down, to destroy and to tear down, to build and to plant.”
11 The word of Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah} again came to me, saying: “What do you see, Yeremyah?” So I said: “I see the branch of an almond tree.”
12 Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah} said to me: “You have seen correctly, for I am wide awake concerning my word to carry it out.”
13 The word of Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah} came to me a second time, saying: “What do you see?” So I said: “I see a boiling pot, and its mouth is tilted away from the north.” 14 Then Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah} said to me:
“Out of the north the calamity will break loose
Against all the inhabitants of the land.
15 For ‘I am summoning all the families of the kingdoms of the north,’ declares Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah},
‘And they will come; each one will set up his throne
At the entrance of the gates of Yerushalom,
Against her walls all around
And against all the cities of Judah.
16 And I will declare my judgments against them over all their wickedness,
Because they have abandoned me,
And they are making sacrificial smoke to other gods
And bowing down to the works of their own hands.’
17 But you should prepare for action,
And you must stand up and tell them everything that I command you.
Do not be terrified of them,
So that I do not terrify you before them.
18 For today I have made you a fortified city,
An iron pillar, and copper walls against all the land,
Toward the kings of Judah and her princes,
Toward her priests and the people of the land.
19 And they will certainly fight against you,
But they will not prevail against you,
For ‘I am with you,’ declares Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah}, ‘to save you.’”