1Words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, of the priests who [are] in Anathoth, in the land of Benjamin, 2to whom the word of YHWH has been in the days of Josiah son of Amon, king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign, 3and it is in the days of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the completion of the eleventh year of Zedekiah son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the expulsion of Jerusalem in the fifth month.

4And there is a word of YHWH to me, saying,

5“Before I form you in the belly, I have known you; and before you come forth from the womb I have separated you; I have made you a prophet to the nations.”

6And I say, “Aah! Lord YHWH! Behold, I have not known—to speak, for I [am] a youth.”

7And YHWH says to me, “Do not say, I [am] a youth, for to all to whom I send you—go, and all that I command you—speak.

8Do not be afraid of their faces, for I [am] with you to deliver you,” a declaration of YHWH.

9And YHWH puts forth His hand, and strikes against my mouth, and YHWH says to me, “Behold, I have put My words in your mouth.

10See, I have charged you this day concerning the nations, and concerning the kingdoms, to pluck up, and to break down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.”

11And there is a word of YHWH to me, saying, “What are you seeing, Jeremiah?” And I say, “I am seeing a rod of an almond tree.” 12And YHWH says to me, “You have seen well: for I am watching over My word to do it.”

13And there is a word of YHWH to me a second time, saying, “What are you seeing?” And I say, “I am seeing a blown pot, and its face [is] from the north.” 14And YHWH says to me, “From the north the evil is loosed against all inhabitants of the land. 15For behold, I am calling for all families of the kingdoms of the north,” a declaration of YHWH, “And they have come, and each put his throne at the opening of the gates of Jerusalem, and by its walls all around, and by all cities of Judah. 16And I have spoken My judgments with them concerning all their evil, in that they have forsaken Me, and make incense to other gods, and bow themselves to the works of their own hands. 17And you, you gird up your loins, and have arisen, and spoken to them all that I command you: do not be frightened because of them, lest I frighten you before them. 18And I, behold, have given you this day for a fortified city, and for an iron pillar, and for bronze walls over all the land, to the kings of Judah, to its heads, to its priests, and to the people of the land; 19and they have fought against you, and they do not prevail against you; for I [am] with you,” a declaration of YHWH, “to deliver you.”