The Hebrew Prophets

Words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, of the priests who are in Anathoth, in the land of Benjamin,

unto 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,

and 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.

And there is a word of Jehovah unto me, saying,

`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.'

And I say, `Ah, Lord Jehovah! lo, I have not known--to speak, for I am a youth.'

And 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.

Be not afraid of their faces, for with thee am I to deliver thee, --an affirmation of Jehovah.'

And Jehovah putteth forth His hand, and striketh against my mouth, and Jehovah saith unto me, `Lo, I have put my words in thy mouth.

See, 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.'

And 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.'

And Jehovah saith unto me, `Thou hast well seen: for I am watching over My word to do it.'

And there is a word of Jehovah unto me a second time, saying, `What art thou seeing?' And I say, `A blown pot I am seeing, and its face is from the north.'

And Jehovah saith unto me, `From the north is the evil loosed against all inhabitants of the land.

For, lo, I am calling for all families of the kingdoms of the north, --an affirmation of Jehovah--and they have come, and put each his throne at the opening of the gates of Jerusalem, and by its walls round about, and by all cities of Judah.

And I have spoken My judgments with them concerning all their evil, in that they have forsaken Me, and make perfume to other gods, and bow themselves to the works of their own hands.

`And thou, thou dost gird up thy loins, and hast arisen, and spoken unto them all that I command thee: be not affrighted because of them, lest I affright thee before them.

And I, lo, I have given thee this day for a fenced city, and for an iron pillar, and for brazen walls over all the land, to the kings of Judah, to its heads, to its priests, and to the people of the land;

and they have fought against thee, and they prevail not against thee; for with thee am I, --an affirmation of Jehovah--to deliver thee.

And there is a word of Jehovah unto me, saying,

`Go, and thou hast called in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, Thus said Jehovah: I have remembered for thee The kindness of thy youth, the love of thine espousals, Thy going after Me in a wilderness, in a land not sown.

Holy is Israel to Jehovah, The first-fruit of His increase, All consuming him are guilty, Evil cometh in unto them, an affirmation of Jehovah.

Hear a word of Jehovah, O house of Jacob, And all ye families of the house of Israel.

Thus said Jehovah: What--have your fathers found in Me perversity, That they have gone far off from Me, And go after the vanity, and become vain,

And have not said, Where is Jehovah, Who bringeth us up out of the land of Egypt, Who leadeth us in a wilderness, In a land of deserts and pits, In a dry land, and of death-shade, In a land--none hath passed through it, Nor dwelt hath man there?'