1 *The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, aof the priests that were in bAnathoth in the land of Benjamin: 2 To whom the word of the Lord came in the days of cJosiah the son of Amon king of Judah, din the thirteenth year of his reign. 3 It came also in the days of eJehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, funto the end of the eleventh year of gZedekiah the son of Josiah king of Judah, hunto the carrying away of Jerusalem captive hiin the fifth month.

4 Then the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, 5 Before I jformed thee in the belly kI knew thee; and lbefore thou camest forth out of the womb I msanctified thee, and I †ordained thee a prophet nunto the nations. 6 Then said I, oAh, Lord God! behold, I cannot speak: for pI am a child. 7 But the Lord said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and qwhatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak. 8 rsBe not afraid of their faces: for stuI am with thee tto deliver thee, saith the Lord. 9 Then vthe Lord put forth his hand, and wtouched my mouth. And the Lord said unto me, Behold, xI have put my words in thy mouth. 10 See, I have this day set thee nover the nations and over the kingdoms, yto root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.

11 Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Jeremiah, what seest thou? And I said, I see za rod of an almond tree. 12 Then said the Lord unto me, Thou hast well seen: for aI will hasten my word to perform it. 13 And the word of the Lord came unto me the second time, saying, What seest thou? And I said, I see ba seething cpot; and the face thereof is †toward dthe north. 14 Then the Lord said unto me, dOut of the north an evil †shall break forth upon all the inhabitants of the land. 15 For, lo, I will call eall the families of the kingdoms dof the north, saith the Lord; and they shall come, and fthey shall set every one his throne at the entering of the gates of Jerusalem, and against all the walls thereof round about, and against all the cities of Judah. 16 And gI will utter my judgments against them touching all their wickedness, hiwho have forsaken me, hand jhave burned incense unto other gods, and kworshipped the works of their own hands. 17 Thou therefore lgird up thy loins, and arise, and mspeak unto them all that I command thee: nbe not dismayed at their faces, lest I ||confound thee before them. 18 For, behold, I have omade thee this day pra defenced city, and qan iron pillar, and rbrasen walls against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against the princes thereof, against the priests thereof, and against the people of the land. 19 rAnd they shall fight against thee; but they shall not prevail against thee; rsfor I am with thee, saith the Lord, to deliver thee.