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.
1希勒迦的儿子耶利米是便雅悯境内亚拿突城的一位祭司，以下是他的话。 2犹大王亚们的儿子约西亚执政第十三年，耶和华的话传给了耶利米。 3从犹大王约西亚的儿子约雅敬开始执政，一直到约西亚的另一个儿子西底迦做犹大王的第十一年五月，就是耶路撒冷的居民被掳之日，耶和华的话常常传给耶利米。
耶利米蒙召
4耶和华对我说：
5“我还没有使你在母腹中成形，就认识你；
你还未出生，我已使你圣洁，
立你做万国的先知。”
6我回答说：“主耶和华啊，我太年轻，不懂得怎样说话。” 7耶和华却说：
“不要说你太年轻，
我派你去谁那里，
你就去谁那里；
我吩咐你说什么，
你就说什么。
8谁也不要怕，
因为我与你同在，
我必拯救你。
这是耶和华说的。”
9然后，耶和华伸手摸我的口，对我说：“看啊，我已把我的话放在你口中。 10今日，我派你到列邦列国去拔掉、拆除、毁灭、推翻、建造和栽植。”
两个异象
11耶和华又对我说：“耶利米，你看见什么？”我说：“我看见一根杏树枝。” 12耶和华说：“不错。我必实现我说过的话。”
13耶和华又对我说：“你看见什么？”我回答说：“我看见一锅煮沸的水，从北方倾倒下来。” 14耶和华说：“不错。因为有灾祸要从北方降临到这地方的一切居民。 15我要召来北方各国，他们要在耶路撒冷的城门自立王位，攻打耶路撒冷周围的城墙和犹大各城邑。这是耶和华说的。 16我要审判他们，因为他们犯罪作恶，背弃我，给别的神明烧香，又跪拜自己制造的神像。 17现在，你要做好准备，去把我吩咐你的话告诉他们。不要惧怕他们，不然我将使你在他们面前充满恐惧。 18看啊，今天我已使你成为坚城、铁柱、铜墙，来对抗整个犹大，对抗犹大的君王、首领、祭司和境内的众民。 19他们必攻击你，但绝不能胜过你，因为我与你同在，我必拯救你。这是耶和华说的。”
