Bible Gateway passage: Jeremiah 1 - New International Version (2024)

1The words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, one of the priests at Anathoth^(A) in the territory of Benjamin. ²The word of the Lord came^(B) to him in the thirteenth year of the reign of Josiah^(C) son of Amon king of Judah, ³and through the reign of Jehoiakim^(D) son of Josiah king of Judah, down to the fifth month of the eleventh year of Zedekiah^(E) son of Josiah king of Judah, when the people of Jerusalem went into exile.^(F)

The Call of Jeremiah

⁴The word of the Lord came to me, saying,

⁵“Before I formed you in the womb^(G) I knew^[a](H) you,
before you were born^(I) I set you apart;^(J)
I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.^(K)”

⁶“Alas, Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I do not know how to speak;^(L) I am too young.”^(M)

⁷But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. ⁸Do not be afraid^(N) of them, for I am with you^(O) and will rescue^(P) you,” declares the Lord.^(Q)

⁹Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched^(R) my mouth and said to me, “I have put my words in your mouth.^{(S) 10}See, today I appoint you over nations^(T) and kingdoms to uproot^(U) and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.”^(V)

¹¹The word of the Lord came to me: “What do you see, Jeremiah?”^(W)

“I see the branch of an almond tree,” I replied.

¹²The Lord said to me, “You have seen correctly, for I am watching^[b](X) to see that my word is fulfilled.”

¹³The word of the Lord came to me again: “What do you see?”^(Y)

“I see a pot that is boiling,” I answered. “It is tilting toward us from the north.”

¹⁴The Lord said to me, “From the north^(Z) disaster will be poured out on all who live in the land. ¹⁵I am about to summon all the peoples of the northern kingdoms,” declares the Lord.

“Their kings will come and set up their thrones
in the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem;
they will come against all her surrounding walls
and against all the towns of Judah.^(AA)
16I will pronounce my judgments^(AB) on my people
because of their wickedness^(AC) in forsaking me,^(AD)
in burning incense to other gods^(AE)
and in worshiping^(AF) what their hands have made.^(AG)

¹⁷“Get yourself ready! Stand up and say^(AH) to them whatever I command you. Do not be terrified^(AI) by them, or I will terrify you before them. ¹⁸Today I have made you^(AJ) a fortified city, an iron pillar and a bronze wall to stand against the whole land—against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests and the people of the land. ¹⁹They will fight against you but will not overcome^(AK) you, for I am with you^(AL) and will rescue^(AM) you,” declares the Lord.

Footnotes

1. Jeremiah 1:5 Or chose
2. Jeremiah 1:12 The Hebrew for watching sounds like the Hebrew for almond tree.

Cross references

1. Jeremiah 1:1 : S Jos 21:18
2. Jeremiah 1:2 : Eze 1:3; Hos 1:1; Joel 1:1
3. Jeremiah 1:2 : S 2Ki 22:1
4. Jeremiah 1:3 : S 2Ki 23:34
5. Jeremiah 1:3 : S 2Ki 24:17
6. Jeremiah 1:3 : Ezr 5:12; Jer 52:15
7. Jeremiah 1:5 : S Ps 139:13
8. Jeremiah 1:5 : Ps 139:16
9. Jeremiah 1:5 : S Isa 49:1
10. Jeremiah 1:5 : Jn 10:36
11. Jeremiah 1:5 : ver 10; Jer 25:15-26
12. Jeremiah 1:6 : S Ex 3:11; S 6:12
13. Jeremiah 1:6 : 1Ki 3:7
14. Jeremiah 1:8 : S Ge 15:1; S Jos 8:1
15. Jeremiah 1:8 : S Ge 26:3; S Jos 1:5; Jer 15:20
16. Jeremiah 1:8 : ver 19; Jer 15:21; 26:24; 36:26; 42:11
17. Jeremiah 1:8 : Jer 20:11
18. Jeremiah 1:9 : S Isa 6:7
19. Jeremiah 1:9 : S Ex 4:12
20. Jeremiah 1:10 : Jer 25:17; 46:1
21. Jeremiah 1:10 : Jer 12:17
22. Jeremiah 1:10 : Jer 18:7-10; 24:6; 31:4, 28
23. Jeremiah 1:11 : Jer 24:3; Am 7:8
24. Jeremiah 1:12 : S Job 29:2; Jer 44:27
25. Jeremiah 1:13 : Jer 24:3; Zec 4:2; 5:2
26. Jeremiah 1:14 : S Isa 14:31
27. Jeremiah 1:15 : Jer 4:16; 9:11; 10:22
28. Jeremiah 1:16 : Jer 4:12
29. Jeremiah 1:16 : S Ge 6:5; Jer 44:5
30. Jeremiah 1:16 : Jer 2:13; 17:13
31. Jeremiah 1:16 : S Ex 20:3; Jer 7:9; 19:4; 44:3
32. Jeremiah 1:16 : S Nu 25:3
33. Jeremiah 1:16 : Ps 115:4-8; S 135:15
34. Jeremiah 1:17 : ver 7; Jer 7:27; 26:2, 15; 42:4
35. Jeremiah 1:17 : S Dt 31:6; S 2Ki 1:15
36. Jeremiah 1:18 : S Isa 50:7
37. Jeremiah 1:19 : S Ps 129:2
38. Jeremiah 1:19 : S Ge 26:3; Isa 43:2; Jer 20:11
39. Jeremiah 1:19 : S ver 8; S Pr 20:22; Ac 26:17