King James Version

1 The words of Jeremiah, son of Hilkiah, from the priests who were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin. 2 The word of the Lord came to me in the days of Josiah son of Amon, king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign. 3 And it was 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 exile of Jerusalem in the fifth month. 4 And the word of the LORD came to me, saying. 5 Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you, and before you came out of the womb, I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations. 6 And I said, "Alas, Lord Yahweh, behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am a youth." 7 And the Lord said to me, "Do not say, 'I am a youth,' for to all to which I send you, you shall go, and whatever I command you, you shall speak." 8 Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to rescue you, declares the Lord. 9 And the Lord sent His hand and touched my mouth, and the Lord said to me, "Behold, I have put My words in your mouth." 10 See, I have appointed you today over the nations and over the kingdoms to uproot and to tear down, to destroy and to demolish, to build and to plant. 11 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, "What do you see, Jeremiah?" And I said, "I see a rod of an almond tree." 12 And the Lord said to me, "You have done well to see that I am watching over my word to perform it." 13 And the word of the Lord came to me a second time, saying, "What do you see?" And I said, "I see a boiling pot, and it is facing away from the north." 14 And Yahweh said to me, "From the north the evil shall be unleashed upon all the inhabitants of the earth." 15 For behold, I am calling to all the families of the kingdoms of the north, declares the LORD, and they will come and each will set his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem and upon all its walls round about and upon all the cities of Judah. 16 And I spoke My judgment against all their wickedness that they have forsaken Me and have burned incense to other gods and have bowed down to the work of their hands. 17 And you shall gird your loins and rise up and speak to them all that I command you; do not be dismayed before them, lest I dismay you before them. 18 And I, behold, I have given you today to a fortified city and to a pillar of iron and to walls of bronze on all the earth for the kings of Judah, for its princes, for its priests, and for the people of the land. 19 And they will fight against you, but they will not prevail against you, for I am with you, declares the LORD, to save you.