Jeremiah 1
1The word of God which came to Jeremias the son of Chelkias, one of the priests who dwelt at Anathoth in the land of Benjamin:
2as the word of God came to him in the days of Josias son of Amos king of Juda, in the thirteenth year of his reign
3and came to him in the days of Joakim son of Josias king of Juda even to the eleventh year of Zedekias son of Josias king of Juda, even to the capture of Jerusalem, in the fifth month.
4This word of the Lord came to him:
5Before I formed thee in the womb, I knew thee, and before thou wast born I hallowed thee. I have appointed thee a prophet for nations.
6Thereupon I said, O Self-existent Sovereign, Lord! behold I know not how to speak, for I am a child.
7And the Lord said to me: Say not, For I am a child. For thou shalt go to all, to whomsoever I send thee; and according to all that I command thee thou shalt speak.
8Be not afraid of them; for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the Lord.
9Then the Lord stretched forth His hand towards me and touched my mouth; and the Lord said to me, Behold I have put My words in thy mouth.
10Behold I have this day set thee over nations and over kingdoms to root out and demolish and destroy; and to rebuild and plant.
11Then a word of the Lord came to me saying, What dost thou see. Whereupon I said, I see a rod of an almond-tree.
12And the Lord said to me, Thou hast seen well: for I have watched over My words to perform them.
13Again a word of the Lord came to me a second time saying: What dost thou see? And I said, A kettle; its bottom glowing hot; and its mouth from the north.
14Then the Lord said to me, From the north shall blaze out the evils against all the inhabitants of this land.
15For behold I am calling together all the kingdoms of the earth from the north, saith the Lord; and they shall come and set, every one his throne against the vestibules of the gates of Jerusalem and against all the walls thereof round about, and against all the cities of Juda:
16and I will speak to them with a judicial process touching all their wickedness. As they have forsaken Me and sacrificed to strange Gods, and worshipped the works of their hands,
17therefore gird thou up thy loins and stand up and speak all that I command thee. Be not afraid of them, nor terrified at their presence; for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the Lord.
18Behold I have made thee this day, like a fortified city and like a wall of brass, too strong for all the kings of Juda and the chiefs thereof and the people of the land.
19Though they fight against thee they cannot prevail over thee; for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the Lord.