Jeremiah’s Call and Commission
1 The words of a Jer 1:1: 2 Chr 35:25; 36:12, 21, 22; Ezra 1:1; Dan 9:2; Matt 2:17; 16:14; 27:9 Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the priests who were in b Jer 1:1: Josh 21:18; 1 Kin 2:26; 1 Chr 6:60; Is 10:30; Jer 11:21; 32:7 Anathoth in the land of Benjamin, 2 to whom the word of the Lord came in the days of a Jer 1:2: 1 Kin 13:2; 2 Kin 21:24; 22:3; 2 Chr 34:1; Jer 3:6; 36:2 Josiah the son of b Jer 1:2: 2 Kin 21:18, 24 Amon, king of Judah, in the c Jer 1:2: Jer 25:3 thirteenth year of his reign. 3 It came also in the days of a Jer 1:3: 2 Kin 23:34; 1 Chr 3:15; 2 Chr 36:5-8; Jer 25:1 Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the end of the eleventh year of b Jer 1:3: 2 Kin 24:17; 1 Chr 3:15; 2 Chr 36:11-13; Jer 39:2 Zedekiah the son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the exile of Jerusalem in the fifth month.
4 Now the word of the Lord came to me saying,
5 “Before I a Jer 1:5: Ps 139:15, 16 formed you in the womb I knew you, And b Jer 1:5: Is 49:1, 5; Luke 1:15 before you were born I consecrated you; I have c Jer 1:5: Jer 1:10; 25:15-26 appointed you a prophet to the nations.” 6 Then a Jer 1:6: Ex 4:10 I said, “Alas, Lord 1Jer 1:6: Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak, Because b Jer 1:6: 1 Kin 3:7 I am a youth.” 7 But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am a youth,’ a Jer 1:7: Ezek 2:3, 4 Because everywhere I send you, you shall go, And b Jer 1:7: Num 22:20; Jer 1:17 all that I command you, you shall speak. 8 “a Jer 1:8: Ex 3:12; Deut 31:6; Josh 1:5; Jer 15:20 Do not be afraid of them, For b Jer 1:8: Ezek 2:6 I am with you to deliver you,” declares the Lord.
9 Then the Lord stretched out His hand and a Jer 1:9: Is 6:7; Mark 7:33-35 touched my mouth, and the Lord said to me,
“Behold, I have b Jer 1:9: Ex 4:11-16; Deut 18:18; Is 51:16 put My words in your mouth. 10 “See, a Jer 1:10: Rev 11:3-6 I have appointed you this day over the nations and over the kingdoms, b Jer 1:10: Jer 18:7-10; Ezek 32:18; 2 Cor 10:4 To pluck up and to break down, To destroy and to overthrow, c Jer 1:10: Is 44:26-28; Jer 24:6; 31:28, 40 To build and to plant.”
The Almond Rod and Boiling Pot
11 The word of the Lord came to me saying, “What do you see, a Jer 1:11: Jer 24:3; Amos 7:8 Jeremiah?” And I said, “I see a rod of an 1Jer 1:11: Heb shaqed almond tree.” 12 Then the Lord said to me, “You have seen well, for a Jer 1:12: Jer 31:28 I am 1Jer 1:12: Heb shoqed watching over My word to perform it.”
13 The word of the Lord came to me a second time saying, “a Jer 1:13: Zech 4:2 What do you see?” And I said, “I see a boiling b Jer 1:13: Ezek 11:3, 7 pot, facing away from the north.” 14 Then the Lord said to me, “a Jer 1:14: Is 41:25; Jer 4:6; 10:22 Out of the north the evil 1Jer 1:14: Lit will be opened will break forth on all the inhabitants of the land. 15 For, behold, I am calling a Jer 1:15: Jer 25:9 all the families of the kingdoms of the north,” declares the Lord; “and they will come and they will b Jer 1:15: Is 22:7; Jer 39:3 set each one his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, and against all its walls round about and against all the c Jer 1:15: Jer 4:16; 9:11 cities of Judah. 16 I will 1Jer 1:16: Lit speak pronounce My judgments on them concerning all their wickedness, whereby they have a Jer 1:16: Deut 28:20 forsaken Me and have 2Jer 1:16: Or burned incense b Jer 1:16: Jer 7:9; 19:4; 44:17 offered sacrifices to other gods, and worshiped the c Jer 1:16: Is 2:8; 37:19; Jer 10:3-5 works of their own hands. 17 Now, a Jer 1:17: 1 Kin 18:46; Job 38:3 gird up your loins and arise, and speak to them all which I command you. b Jer 1:17: Ezek 2:6; 3:16-18 Do not be dismayed before them, or I will dismay you before them. 18 Now behold, I have made you today as a fortified city and as a pillar of iron and as walls of bronze against the whole land, to the kings of Judah, to its princes, to its priests and to the people of the land. 19 They will fight against you, but they will not overcome you, for a Jer 1:19: Num 14:9; Jer 1:8; 20:11 I am with you to deliver you,” declares the Lord.