4 And the word of Yahweh came to me, ⌊saying⌋,a

5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,

and before you came out from the womb I consecrated you;

I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”

6 Then I said, “Ah, Lord Yahweh! Look, I do not know how to speak, for I am a youth.”b 7 But Yahweh said to me, “You must not say, ‘I am a youth,’c for to ⌊whomever⌋d I send you, you will go, and ⌊whatever⌋e I command you, you will speak. 8 ⌊Do not be afraid of them⌋,f for I am with you to deliver you,” ⌊declares⌋g Yahweh. 9 Then Yahweh stretched out his hand and he touched my mouth, and Yahweh said to me,

“Look, I have put my words in your mouth.

10 See, I appoint you this day over the nations

and over the kingdoms,

to pluck up and to pull down,

and to destroy and to tear down,

to build and to plant.”

Yahweh Confirms Jeremiah’s Call

11 And the word of Yahweh came to me, ⌊saying⌋,h “What are you seeing, Jeremiah?” And I said, “I am seeing a branch of an almond tree.” 12 Then Yahweh said to me, “You did well to see, for I am watching over my word to perform it.” 13 And the word of Yahweh came to me a second time, ⌊saying⌋,i “What are you seeing?” And I said, “I am seeing a ⌊boiling⌋j pot, and its face is from the face of the north.” 14 Then Yahweh said to me, “From the north disaster will be unleashedk on all the inhabitants of the land. 15 For, look, I am calling to all the clansl of the kingdoms of the north,” ⌊declares⌋m Yahweh, “and they will come and set each one his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, and against all its surrounding walls, and against all the cities of Judah. 16 And I will passn my judgments on them because of all their wickedness in that they have forsaken me, and they made sacrifices to other gods, and they bowed in worship to the works of their hands. 17 But you, you must gird your loins, and stand, and speak to them all that I command you. ⌊Do not be afraid of them⌋,o or I will shatter you ⌊before⌋p them. 18 Now look, I have made you ⌊today⌋q as a fortified city and as an iron pillar and a bronze wallr against all the land, against the kings of Judah, against its princes, against its priests, and against the people of the land. 19 And they will fight against you but they will not prevail against you, for I am with you,” ⌊declares⌋s Yahweh, “to deliver you.”

Yahweh Remembers Israel’s Faithfulness

2 And the word of Yahweh came to me, ⌊saying⌋,a 2 “Go and proclaim in the ears of Jerusalem, ⌊saying⌋,b ‘Thus says Yahweh,

“I remember concerning you the loyal love of your childhood,c

the love of your betrothal-time,

your goingd after me in the desert,e

in the land not sown.

3 Israel was holy to Yahweh,

the first fruit of his produce.

All those who ate it were held guilty;

disaster came to them,” ⌊declares⌋f Yahweh.’ ”

The Unfaithfulness of Israel’s Ancestors

4 Hear the word of Yahweh, O house of Jacob, and all the clansg of the house of Israel. 5 Thus says Yahweh:

“What injustice did your ancestorsh find in me

that they were far from me,

and they went after the vanity,

and they became vain?

6 And they did not say,

‘Where is Yahweh,

the one who brought us up from the land of Egypt,

the one who led us in the desert,i

in a land of desert plains and gorges,j

in a land of dryness and deep darkness,

in a land ⌊that no one passes through⌋,k

and no human lives there?’

7 And I brought you to the land of the orchard,

to eat its fruit, and its good things.l

But you entered and defiled my land,

and my inheritance you made a detestable thing.m

8 The priests did not say, ‘Where is Yahweh?’

and those who handle the law did not know me,

and the shepherds have ⌊rebelled against me⌋,n

and the prophets prophesied by Baal,

and they went after things which do not profit.

The Unfaithfulness of Contemporary Israel

9 ⌊Therefore⌋o I again bring a lawsuit against you,” ⌊declares⌋p Yahweh,

“and with ⌊your children⌋q I bring a lawsuit.

10 For go over to the coasts of Cyprus and look,

and send to Kedar and consider very closely,

and see if there has been a thing like this:

11 Has a nation exchanged gods? And they are not gods!

But my people have exchanged their glory for that which does not profit.

12 Be appalled, O heavens, at this, and shudder;

be utterly desolate,” ⌊declares⌋r Yahweh.

13 “For my people have committed two evils:

they have forsaken me, the sources of living water,

to hew out for themselves cisterns, cracked cisterns that can hold no water.