1 ARST This is the message of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, who wrote this. He was a priest, from the town of Anathoth in the area where the tribe of Benjamin lives. BSB BSB: These are the words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, one of the priests in Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin.
2 ARST Yahweh started to give him these messages when Josiah had been ruling Judah for almost thirteen years. BSB BSB: The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah in the thirteenth year of the reign of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah,
3 ARST Yahweh continued to give him messages when Josiah’ s son Jehoiakim was the king, and he continued to do that until Zedekiah had been the king of Judah for almost eleven years. It was in the fifth month of that year that the people of Jerusalem were exiled to Babylonia. BSB BSB: and through the days of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, until the fifth month of the eleventh year of Zedekiah son of Josiah king of Judah, when the people of Jerusalem went into exile.
4 ARST One day Yahweh gave me this message, BSB BSB: The word of the LORD came to me, saying:
5 ARST “I knew you before I finished forming you in your mother’ s womb. I set you apart for my honor before you were born, and I appointed you to be my prophet for all the nations.” BSB BSB: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”
6 ARST I replied,“O, Yahweh my God, do you not see that I am not qualified to speak for you? I am very young!” BSB BSB: “Ah, Lord GOD,” I said, “I surely do not know how to speak, for I am only a child!”
7 ARST Yahweh replied,“Do not say that you are too young, because you must go to everyone to whom I will send you, and you must tell them everything that I tell you to say. BSB BSB: But the LORD told me: “Do not say, ‘I am only a child.’ For to everyone I send you, you must go, and all that I command you, you must speak.
8 ARST And you must not be afraid of the people to whom you will speak, because I will protect you from being harmed by them. This will surely happen because I, Yahweh, have said it!” BSB BSB: Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you,” declares the LORD.
9 ARST Then it was as though Yahweh touched my mouth and said,“Listen to me! I have put my message into your mouth. BSB BSB: Then the LORD reached out His hand, touched my mouth, and said to me: “Behold, I have put My words in your mouth.
10 ARST Today I am appointing you to warn nations and kingdoms. You will tell them that I will completely destroy and get rid of some of them and that I will establish others and cause them to be prosperous.” BSB BSB: See, I have appointed you today over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and plant.”
11 ARST Then Yahweh showed something to me, and said,“Jeremiah, what do you see?” I replied,“I see a branch from an almond tree.” BSB BSB: And the word of the LORD came to me, asking, “Jeremiah, what do you see?” “I see a branch of an almond tree,” I replied.
12 ARST Yahweh said,“That is correct. And because the word for‘almond’ resembles the word for‘watching’, it means that I am watching what will happen, and I will make certain that what I have said to you about destroying nations will happen.” BSB BSB: “You have observed correctly,” said the LORD, “for I am watching over My word to accomplish it.”
13 ARST Then Yahweh spoke to me again and said,“What do you see now?” I replied,“I see a pot full of boiling water. It is in the north, tipping toward me.” BSB BSB: Again the word of the LORD came to me, asking, “What do you see?” “I see a boiling pot,” I replied, “and it is tilting toward us from the north.”
14 ARST Yahweh replied,“Yes! It means that from the north great trouble will spread over this land, like boiling water pouring from a pot. BSB BSB: Then the LORD said to me, “Disaster from the north will be poured out on all who live in the land.
15 ARST Listen to what I say: I am summoning the armies of the kingdoms that are north of Judah to come to Jerusalem. Their kings will set up their thrones at the gates of this city to indicate that they are now the kings of Judah. Their armies will attack and break down the walls of this city, and they will do the same thing to all the other towns in Judah. BSB BSB: For I am about to summon all the clans and kingdoms of the north,” declares the LORD. “Their kings will come and set up their thrones at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem. They will attack all her surrounding walls and all the other cities of Judah.
16 ARST I will punish my people because of all the evil things that they have done; they have abandoned me and they offer offerings of worship to false gods. They worship idols that they have made with their own hands! BSB BSB: I will pronounce My judgments against them for all their wickedness, because they have forsaken Me, and they have burned incense to other gods and worshiped the works of their own hands.
17 ARST So, get up and put on your clothes to get ready for action! Then go to the people of Judah and tell them everything that I tell you to say. Do not be afraid of them, because if you are afraid of them, I will punish you as an example right in front of them! BSB BSB: Get yourself ready. Stand up and tell them everything that I command you. Do not be intimidated by them, or I will terrify you before them.
18 ARST But listen! I will cause you to be strong, like a city that has strong walls around it. You will be as strong as an iron pillar or a bronze wall. Even the royal officials, the priests, and the general populace will not be able to defeat you. BSB BSB: Now behold, this day I have made you like a fortified city, an iron pillar, and bronze walls against the whole land—against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests, and the people of the land.
19 ARST They will oppose you, but they will not be able to defeat you, because I will be with you and will protect you. That will surely happen because I, Yahweh, have said it!” BSB BSB: They will fight against you but will never overcome you, since I am with you to deliver you,” declares the LORD.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.