Online Bible

Jeremiah’s Call and Commission

The words of ^aJeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the priests who were in ^bAnathoth in the land of Benjamin, 2 to whom the word of the LORD came in the days of ^aJosiah the son of ^bAmon, king of Judah, in the ^cthirteenth year of his reign. 3 It came also in the days of ^aJehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the end of the eleventh year of ^bZedekiah the son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the exile of Jerusalem in the fifth month.

4 Now the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

5 “Before I ^aformed you in the womb I knew you,And ^bbefore you were born I consecrated you;I have ^cappointed you as a prophet to the nations.”6 Then ^aI said, “Oh, Lord ¹GOD!Behold, I do not know how to speak,Because ^bI am a youth.”7 But the LORD said to me,“Do not say, ‘I am a youth,’^aBecause everywhere I send you, you shall go,And ^ball that I command you, you shall speak.8 “^aDo not be afraid of them,For ^bI am with you to save you,” declares the LORD.

9 Then the LORD stretched out His hand and ^atouched my mouth, and the LORD said to me,“Behold, I have ^bput My words in your mouth.

10 “See, ^aI have appointed you this day over the nations and over the kingdoms,^bTo root out and to tear down,To destroy and to overthrow,^cTo build and to plant.”

The Almond Branch and Boiling Pot

11 And the word of the LORD came to me, saying, “What do you see, ^aJeremiah?” And I said, “I see a branch of an ¹almond tree.” 12 Then the LORD said to me, “You have seen well, for ^aI am ¹watching over My word to perform it.”

13 And the word of the LORD came to me a second time, saying, “^aWhat do you see?” And I said, “I see a boiling ^bpot, facing away from the north.” 14 Then the LORD said to me, “^aOut of the north the evil ¹will be unleashed on all the inhabitants of the land. 15 For, behold, I am calling ^aall the families of the kingdoms of the north,” declares the LORD; “and they will come and ^bplace, each one of them, his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, and against all its walls around, and against all the ^ccities of Judah. 16 And I will ¹pronounce My judgments against them concerning all their wickedness, since they have ^aabandoned Me and have ²^boffered sacrifices to other gods, and worshiped the ^cworks of their own hands. 17 Now, ^abelt your garment around your waist and arise, and speak to them all that I command you. ^bDo not be dismayed before them, or I will make you dismayed before them. 18 Now behold, I have made you today like a fortified city and like a pillar of iron and walls of bronze against the whole land, to the kings of Judah, to its leaders, to its priests, and to the people of the land. 19 And they will fight against you but they will not overcome you, for ^aI am with you to save you,” declares the LORD.