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.
11:1 Yos 21:18; 1By 6:60; Yer 32:7-9Ebigambo ebyayogerwa Yeremiya, mutabani wa Kirukiya, ow’oku bakabona abaali mu Anasosi mu nsi ya Benyamini. 2Mukama Katonda yayogera naye mu mirembe gya Yosiya, kabaka wa Yuda, mutabani wa Amoni, nga yakafugira emyaka kkumi n’esatu, 31:3 a 2Bk 23:34 b 2Bk 24:17; Yer 39:2 c Yer 52:15ne mu biro bya Yekoyakimu mutabani wa Yosiya kabaka wa Yuda, okutuusa mu mwezi ogwokutaano, ogw’omwaka ogw’ekkumi n’ogumu ogw’obufuzi bwa Zeddekiya mutabani wa Yosiya kabaka wa Yuda, abantu b’e Yerusaalemi lwe baatwalibwa mu buwaŋŋanguse.
Okuyitibwa kwa Yeremiya
4Ekigambo kya Mukama Katonda ne kinzijira, ng’agamba nti,
51:5 a Zab 139:16 b Is 49:1 c nny 10; Yer 25:15-26“Nakumanya bwe nnali sinnakubumba mu lubuto lwa maama wo;
nga tonnava mu lubuto n’akutukuza.
Nakulonda okubeera nnabbi eri amawanga.”
61:6 a Kuv 4:10; 6:12 b 1Bk 3:7Ne ndyoka ŋŋamba nti, “Laba nno, Mukama Katonda! Simanyi kwogera mu bantu, ndi mwana muto.” 7Naye Mukama Katonda n’aŋŋamba nti, “Toyogera nti, ‘Ndi mwana bwana;’ kubanga yonna gye nnaakutumanga gy’onoogendanga, era byonna bye nnaakulagiranga by’onooyogeranga. 81:8 a Ez 2:6 b Yos 1:5; Yer 15:20Tobatyanga, kubanga nze ndi naawe okukuwonya,” bw’ayogera Mukama Katonda.
91:9 a Is 6:7 b Kuv 4:12Awo Mukama Katonda n’agolola omukono gwe, n’akwata ku mimwa gyange, n’aŋŋamba, nti, “Wuliriza. Nkuwa ebigambo by’onooyogeranga. 101:10 Yer 18:7-10; 24:6; 31:4, 28Leero nkutaddewo okuba n’obuyinza ku mawanga era ne ku bwakabaka. Okusimbula n’okumenya, okuzikiriza n’okuwamba; okuzimba n’okusimba.” 111:11 Yer 24:3; Am 7:8Ekigambo kya Mukama Katonda ate ne kinzijira nga kigamba nti, “Yeremiya kiki ekyo ky’olaba?”
Ne ŋŋamba nti, “Ndaba ettabi ly’omuti ogw’omulozi.”
12Awo Mukama Katonda n’aŋŋamba nti, “Olabye bulungi, kubanga neetegereza ndabe ng’ekigambo kyange kituukirira.”
131:13 Zek 4:2Ekigambo kya Mukama Katonda ne kinzijjira nate nti, “Kiki ky’olaba, kaakano?”
Ne ŋŋamba nti, “Ndaba ensuwa ey’amazzi ageesera, ng’etunudde waggulu mu bukiikakkono.”
14Awo Mukama Katonda n’aŋŋamba nti, “Okuzikirira kujja kubaawo nga kutandikira mu bukiikakkono kutuuke ku bantu bonna abali mu ggwanga. 151:15 Yer 4:16; 9:11Kubanga laba nnaatera okuyita abantu bonna ab’omu bwakabaka obuli mu bukiikakkono,” bw’ayogera Mukama Katonda.
Bakabaka baabwe balyoke bajje bateeke entebe zaabwe ez’obwakabaka
mu miryango egiyingira ekibuga Yerusaalemi,
balizinda bbugwe waakyo yenna
era bazinde n’ebibuga byonna ebya Yuda.
161:16 a Ma 28:20 b Yer 17:13 c Yer 7:9; 19:4Era ndibonereza abantu bange olw’ebibi byabwe byonna,
kubanga banvaako ne booteeza obubaane eri bakatonda abalala,
era ne basinza ebibajje bye beekolera
n’emikono gyabwe.
171:17 Ez 2:6“Naye ggwe weetegeke! Yimirira obabuulire byonna bye nkulagira. Tobatya kubanga bw’onoobatya nzija kubakutiisa. 181:18 Is 50:7Kubanga leero nze nkufudde ekibuga ekiriko enkomera ez’amaanyi, era empagi ey’ekyuma, era bbugwe ow’ekikomo eri ensi yonna, eri bakabaka ba Yuda, eri abakungu baayo, ne bakabona n’abantu ab’omu nsi. 191:19 a Yer 20:11 b nny 8Balirwana naawe naye tebalikuwangula; kubanga nze ndi wamu naawe okukununula,” bw’ayogera Mukama Katonda.
