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; Yer 32:7-9Maneno ya Yeremia mwana wa Hilkia, mmoja wa makuhani katika mji wa Anathothi, katika nchi ya Benyamini. 2Neno la Bwana lilimjia katika mwaka wa kumi na tatu wa utawala wa Yosia mwana wa Amoni mfalme wa Yuda, 31:3 2Fal 24:17; Yer 29:2; 52:15; Ezr 5:12; 2Fal 23:34na pia wakati wa utawala wa Yehoyakimu mwana wa Yosia mfalme wa Yuda, mpaka mwezi wa tano wa mwaka wa kumi na moja wa utawala wa Sedekia mwana wa Yosia mfalme wa Yuda, wakati watu wa Yerusalemu walipopelekwa uhamishoni.
Wito Wa Yeremia
4Neno la Bwana lilinijia, kusema,
51:5 Yer 25:15-26; Za 139:13-16; Yn 10:36“Kabla sijakuumba ndani ya tumbo la mama yako, nilikujua;
kabla hujazaliwa nilikutenga kwa kazi maalum;
nilikuweka uwe nabii kwa mataifa.”
61:6 Kut 3:11; 4:10; 6:12; 1Fal 3:7Nami nikasema, “Aa, Bwana Mwenyezi, sijui kusema, kwani mimi ni mtoto mdogo tu.”
7Lakini Bwana akaniambia, “Usiseme, ‘Mimi ni mtoto mdogo tu.’ Utaenda popote nitakapokutuma na kunena lolote nitakalokuagiza. 81:8 Mwa 8:1; Kut 3:12; Eze 2:6; Yer 15:20; Hes 22:20; Mwa 26:3; Yer 26:24Usiwaogope, kwa maana niko pamoja nawe nikuokoe,” asema Bwana.
91:9 Isa 6:7; Kut 4:12Kisha Bwana akaunyoosha mkono wake na kugusa kinywa changu, akaniambia, “Sasa nimeyaweka maneno yangu kinywani mwako. 101:10 Yer 25:15; 18:7-10; 31:4, 28; 12:17; 24:6Tazama, leo nimekuweka juu ya mataifa na falme ili kungʼoa na kubomoa, kuharibu na kuangamiza, kujenga na kupanda.”
111:11 Yer 24:3; Amo 7:8-9Neno la Bwana likanijia kusema, “Je, Yeremia unaona nini?”
Nami nikajibu, “Naona tawi la mti wa mlozi.”
121:12 Ay 29:2; Yer 44:27Bwana akaniambia, “Umeona vyema kwa maana ninaliangalia neno langu ili kuona kwamba limetimizwa.”
131:13 Zek 4:2; 5:2; Yer 24:3Neno la Bwana likanijia tena, “Unaona nini?”
Nikajibu, “Naona chungu kinachochemka, kikiwa kimeinama kutoka kaskazini.”
141:14 Isa 14:31Bwana akaniambia, “Kutoka kaskazini maafa yatamwagwa kwa wote waishio katika nchi. 151:15 Yer 9:11; 10:22; 39:3; 4:16Nitawaita watu wote wa falme za kaskazini,” asema Bwana.
“Wafalme wao watakuja na kuweka viti vyao vya enzi
katika maingilio ya malango ya Yerusalemu,
watakuja dhidi ya kuta zake zote zinazouzunguka,
na dhidi ya miji yote ya Yuda.
161:16 Mwa 6:5; Yer 4:12; Kum 28:20; Yer 17:13; Kut 20:3; Yer 44:3-4; 19:4; Hes 25:3Nitatoa hukumu zangu kwa watu wangu
kwa sababu ya uovu wao wa kuniacha mimi,
kwa kufukiza uvumba kwa miungu mingine
na kuabudu kile ambacho mikono yao imekitengeneza.
171:17 Kum 31:6; 1Fal 18:46; Eze 2:6; Yer 7:27; 42:4“Jiandae! Simama useme chochote nitakachokuamuru. Usiwaogope, la sivyo nitakufanya uwaogope wao. 181:18 Isa 50:7Leo nimekufanya mji wenye ngome, nguzo ya chuma, na ukuta wa shaba ili kusimama dhidi ya nchi yote: dhidi ya wafalme wa Yuda, maafisa wake, makuhani wake na watu wa nchi hiyo. 191:19 Mwa 26:3; Isa 43:2; Mit 20:22; Hes 14:9; Mdo 26:17; Za 129:2Watapigana nawe lakini hawatakushinda, kwa kuwa niko pamoja nawe, nami nitakuokoa,” asema Bwana.
