¶ The words¹ of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the priests² that were in Anathoth³ in the land of Benjamin:

To whom the word⁴ of the LORD came in the days⁵ of Josiah the son of Amon king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign.

It came also⁶ in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the end⁷ of the eleventh year of Zedekiah the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the carrying away of Jerusalem captive in the fifth⁸ month.

¶ Then the word⁹ of the LORD came unto me, saying,

Before I¹⁰ formed thee in the belly I knew¹¹ thee; and before¹² thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained¹³ thee a prophet unto the nations.

Then said I, Ah, Lord¹⁴ GOD! behold, I cannot¹⁵ speak: for I am¹⁶ a child.

But the LORD said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt¹⁷ go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak.

Be not afraid¹⁸ of their faces: for I am¹⁹ with thee to deliver thee, saith the LORD.

Then the LORD put forth his hand, and touched²⁰ my mouth. And the LORD said unto me, Behold,²¹ I have put my words in thy mouth.

¶ See, I have²² this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out²³, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build²⁴, and to plant.

¶ Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Jeremiah, what seest thou?²⁵ And I said, I see a rod²⁶ of an almond tree.

Then said the LORD unto me, Thou hast²⁷ well seen: for I will²⁸ hasten my word to perform it.

And the word of the LORD came unto me the second time²⁹, saying, What seest thou? And I said, I see³⁰ a seething pot; and the face thereof is toward the north³¹.

Then the LORD said unto me, Out of³² the north an evil shall break forth³³ upon all the inhabitants of the land.

For, lo, I will call³⁴ all the families of the kingdoms of the north, saith the LORD; and they³⁵ shall come, and they shall set every one his throne at the entering of the gates of Jerusalem, and against³⁶ all the walls thereof round about, and against all the cities of Judah.

And I³⁷ will utter my judgments against them touching all their wickedness, who have³⁸ forsaken me, and have³⁹ burned incense unto other gods, and worshipped⁴⁰ the works of their own hands.

Thou therefore gird up⁴¹ thy loins, and arise, and speak⁴² unto them all that I command thee: be not⁴³ dismayed at their faces, lest I confound thee⁴⁴ before them.

For, behold, I have⁴⁵ made thee this day a defenced city, and an iron pillar, and brasen walls against⁴⁶ the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against the princes thereof, against the priests thereof, and against the people of the land.

And they⁴⁷ shall fight against thee; but they shall not prevail against thee; for I am⁴⁸ with thee, saith the LORD, to deliver thee.