YIRMEYAHU 1

1 The words of Yirmeyahu the son of Ḥilqiyahu, of the kohenim who were in Anathoth in the land of Binyamin,

2 to whom the word of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 came in the days of Yoshiyahu son of Amon, sovereign of Yahuḏah, in the thirteenth year of his reign.

3 And it came in the days of Yahoyaqim, son of Yoshiyahu, sovereign of Yahuḏah, until the end of the eleventh year of Tsiḏqiyahu, son of Yoshiyahu, sovereign of Yahuḏah, until the exile of Yerushalayim in the fifth month.

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

5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you came out of the womb I qadosh you – I appointed you a naḇi to nations.”

6 And I said, “Ah, Aḏonai 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄! See, I do not know how to speak, for I am a youth.”

7 And 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am a youth,’ but go to all to whom I send you, and speak whatever I command you.

8 “Do not fear their faces, for I am with you to deliver you,” declares 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄.

9 Then 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 put forth His hand and touched my mouth, and 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 said to me, “See, I have put My words in your mouth.

10 “See, I have this day appointed you over the nations and over the reigns, to root out and to pull down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.”

11 And the word of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 came to me, saying, “What do see, Yirmeyahu?” And I said, “I see a branch of an almond tree.”

12 And 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 said to me, “You have seen well, for I am watching over My word to do it.”

13 And the word of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 came to me a second time, saying, “What do you see?” And I said, “I see a boiling pot, and it is facing from the north.”

14 And 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 said to me, “Out of the north evil is let loose on all the inhabitants of the land.

15 “For look, I am calling all the clans of the reigns of the north,” declares 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄. “And they shall come and each one put his throne at the entrance of the gates of Yerushalayim, against all its walls all around, and against all the cities of Yahuḏah.

16 “And I shall pronounce My judgments against them concerning all their evil, because they have forsaken Me, burned incense to other mighty ones, and bowed themselves to the works of their own hands.

17 “Now, gird up your loins and arise, and speak to them all that I command you. Do not break down before their faces, lest I break you before them.

18 “For look, I have made you this day a walled city and an iron column, and bronze walls against all the land, against the sovereigns of Yahuḏah, against her heads, against her kohenim, and against the people of the land.

19 “And they shall fight against you, but not prevail against you. For I am with you,” declares 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄,  “to deliver you.”