Jeremiah 1:1–12

¹Words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, of the priests who are in Anathoth, in the land of Benjamin, ²unto whom the word of Jehovah hath 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, till the completion of the eleventh year of Zedekiah son of Josiah, king of Judah, till the removal of Jerusalem in the fifth month.

⁴And there is a word of Jehovah unto me, saying, ⁵‘Before I form thee in the belly, I have known thee; and before thou comest forth from the womb I have separated thee, a prophet to nations I have made thee.’ ⁶And I say, ‘Ah, Lord Jehovah! lo, I have not known—to speak, for I am a youth.’ ⁷And Jehovah saith unto me, ‘Do not say, I am a youth, for to all to whom I send thee thou goest, and all that I command thee thou speakest. ⁸Be not afraid of their faces, for with thee am I to deliver thee,—an affirmation of Jehovah.’ ⁹And Jehovah putteth forth His hand, and striketh against my mouth, and Jehovah saith unto me, ‘Lo, I have put my words in thy mouth. ¹⁰See, I have charged thee 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 Jehovah unto me, saying, ‘What art thou seeing, Jeremiah?’ And I say, ‘A rod of an almond tree I am seeing.’ ¹²And Jehovah saith unto me, ‘Thou hast well seen: for I am watching over My word to do it.’