1希勒迦的兒子耶利米是便雅憫境內亞拿突城的一位祭司，以下是他的話。 2猶大王亞們的兒子約西亞執政第十三年，耶和華的話傳給了耶利米。 3從猶大王約西亞的兒子約雅敬開始執政，一直到約西亞的另一個兒子西底迦做猶大王的第十一年五月，就是耶路撒冷的居民被擄之日，耶和華的話常常傳給耶利米。
耶利米蒙召
4耶和華對我說：
5「我還沒有使你在母腹中成形，就認識你；
你還未出生，我已使你聖潔，
立你做萬國的先知。」
6我回答說：「主耶和華啊，我太年輕，不懂得怎樣說話。」 7耶和華卻說：
「不要說你太年輕，
我派你去誰那裡，
你就去誰那裡；
我吩咐你說什麼，
你就說什麼。
8誰也不要怕，
因為我與你同在，
我必拯救你。
這是耶和華說的。」
9然後，耶和華伸手摸我的口，對我說：「看啊，我已把我的話放在你口中。 10今日，我派你到列邦列國去拔掉、拆除、毀滅、推翻、建造和栽植。」
兩個異象
11耶和華又對我說：「耶利米，你看見什麼？」我說：「我看見一根杏樹枝。」 12耶和華說：「不錯。我必實現我說過的話。」
13耶和華又對我說：「你看見什麼？」我回答說：「我看見一鍋煮沸的水，從北方傾倒下來。」 14耶和華說：「不錯。因為有災禍要從北方降臨到這地方的一切居民。 15我要召來北方各國，他們要在耶路撒冷的城門自立王位，攻打耶路撒冷周圍的城牆和猶大各城邑。這是耶和華說的。 16我要審判他們，因為他們犯罪作惡，背棄我，給別的神明燒香，又跪拜自己製造的神像。 17現在，你要做好準備，去把我吩咐你的話告訴他們。不要懼怕他們，不然我將使你在他們面前充滿恐懼。 18看啊，今天我已使你成為堅城、鐵柱、銅牆，來對抗整個猶大，對抗猶大的君王、首領、祭司和境內的眾民。 19他們必攻擊你，但絕不能勝過你，因為我與你同在，我必拯救你。這是耶和華說的。」
1These are the words Jeremiah received from the Lord. Jeremiah was the son of Hilkiah. Jeremiah was one of the priests at Anathoth. That’s a town in the territory of Benjamin. 2A message from the Lord came to Jeremiah. It came in the 13th year that Josiah was king over Judah. Josiah was the son of Amon. 3After Josiah, his son Jehoiakim was king over Judah. The Lord’s message also came to Jeremiah during the whole time Jehoiakim ruled. The Lord continued to speak to Jeremiah while Zedekiah was king over Judah. He did this until the fifth month of the 11th year of Zedekiah’s rule. That’s when the people of Jerusalem were forced to leave their country. Zedekiah was the son of Josiah. Here is what Jeremiah said.
The Lord Appoints Jeremiah to Speak for Him
4A message from the Lord came to me. The Lord said,
5“Before I formed you in your mother’s body I chose you.
Before you were born I set you apart to serve me.
I appointed you to be a prophet to the nations.”
6“You are my Lord and King,” I said. “I don’t know how to speak. I’m too young.”
7But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I’m too young.’ You must go to everyone I send you to. You must say everything I command you to say. 8Do not be afraid of the people I send you to. I am with you. I will save you,” announces the Lord.
9Then the Lord reached out his hand. He touched my mouth and spoke to me. He said, “I have put my words in your mouth. 10Today I am appointing you to speak to nations and kingdoms. I give you authority to pull them up by the roots and tear them down. I give you authority to destroy them and crush them. I give you authority to build them up and plant them.”
11A message from the Lord came to me. The Lord asked me, “What do you see, Jeremiah?”
“The branch of an almond tree,” I replied.
12The Lord said to me, “You have seen correctly. I am watching to see that my word comes true.”
13Another message from the Lord came to me. The Lord asked me, “What do you see?”
“A pot that has boiling water in it,” I answered. “It’s leaning toward us from the north.”
14The Lord said to me, “Something very bad will be poured out on everyone who lives in this land. It will come from the north. 15I am about to send for all the armies in the northern kingdoms,” announces the Lord.
“Their kings will come to Jerusalem.
They will set up their thrones at the very gates of the city.
They will attack all the walls that surround the city.
They will go to war against all the towns of Judah.
16I will judge my people.
They have done many evil things.
They have deserted me.
They have burned incense to other gods.
They have worshiped the gods
their own hands have made.
17“So get ready! Stand up! Tell them everything I command you to. Do not let them terrify you. If you do, I will terrify you in front of them. 18Today I have made you like a city that has a high wall around it. I have made you like an iron pillar and a bronze wall. Now you can stand up against the whole land. You can stand against the kings and officials of Judah. You can stand against its priests and its people. 19They will fight against you. But they will not win the battle over you. I am with you. I will save you,” announces the Lord.
