1The words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, one of the priests at Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin. 2The word of the Lord came to him in the thirteenth year of the reign of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah, 3and through the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, down to the fifth month of the eleventh year of Zedekiah son of Josiah king of Judah, when the people of Jerusalem went into exile.
The Call of Jeremiah
4The word of the Lord came to me, saying,
5“Before I formed you in the womb I knew1:5 Or chose you,
before you were born I set you apart;
I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”
6“Alas, Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I do not know how to speak; I am too young.”
7But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. 8Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord.
9Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, “I have put my words in your mouth. 10See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.”
11The word of the Lord came to me: “What do you see, Jeremiah?”
“I see the branch of an almond tree,” I replied.
12The Lord said to me, “You have seen correctly, for I am watching1:12 The Hebrew for watching sounds like the Hebrew for almond tree. to see that my word is fulfilled.”
13The word of the Lord came to me again: “What do you see?”
“I see a pot that is boiling,” I answered. “It is tilting toward us from the north.”
14The Lord said to me, “From the north disaster will be poured out on all who live in the land. 15I am about to summon all the peoples of the northern kingdoms,” declares the Lord.
“Their kings will come and set up their thrones
in the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem;
they will come against all her surrounding walls
and against all the towns of Judah.
16I will pronounce my judgments on my people
because of their wickedness in forsaking me,
in burning incense to other gods
and in worshiping what their hands have made.
17“Get yourself ready! Stand up and say to them whatever I command you. Do not be terrified by them, or I will terrify you before them. 18Today I have made you a fortified city, an iron pillar and a bronze wall to stand against the whole land—against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests and the people of the land. 19They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord.
1Mawu a Yeremiya mwana wa Hilikiya, mmodzi mwa ansembe a ku Anatoti, mʼdziko la Benjamini. 2Mawuwa Yehova anayankhula naye mʼchaka cha 13 cha ulamuliro wa Yosiya mwana wa Amoni mfumu ya Yuda. 3Yehova anayankhulanso naye pa nthawi yonse ya ulamuliro wa Yehoyakimu mwana wa Yosiya mfumu ya Yuda, mpaka mwezi wachisanu wa chaka cha 11 cha ufumu wa Zedekiya mwana wa Yosiya mfumu ya Yuda, pamene anthu a ku Yerusalemu anapita ku ukapolo.
Kuyitanidwa kwa Yeremiya
4Yehova anayankhula nane kuti,
5“Ndisanakuwumbe mʼmimba mwa amayi ako ndinali nditakudziwa kale,
iwe usanabadwe ndinali nditakupatula kale;
ndinakuyika kuti ukhale mneneri kwa anthu a mitundu yonse.”
6Ine ndinati, “Haa! Ambuye Yehova, ine sinditha kuyankhula; popeza ndikanali wamngʼono.”
7Koma Yehova anandiwuza kuti, “Usanene kuti, ‘Ndikanali wamngʼono’ popeza udzapita kwa munthu aliyense kumene ndidzakutuma ndi kunena chilichonse chimene ndidzakulamulira. 8Usawaope, pakuti Ine ndili nawe, ndipo ndidzakupulumutsa,” akutero Yehova.
9Pamenepo Yehova anatambalitsa dzanja lake nakhudza pakamwa panga, nandiwuza kuti, “Taona, tsopano ndayika mawu anga mʼkamwa mwako. 10Lero ndakusankha kuti ukhale ndi ulamuliro pa mitundu ya anthu ndi pa maufumu awo kuti uzule ndi kugwetsa, uwononge ndi kugumula, kuti uwamange ndi kudzala.”
11Yehova anandifunsa kuti, “Yeremiya, kodi ukuona chiyani?”
Ine ndinayankha kuti, “Ndikuona nthambi ya mtengo wa mtowo.”
12Yehova anandiwuza kuti, “Waona bwino, chifukwa Ine ndikuonetsetsa kuti mawu angawa akwaniritsidwe.”
13Yehova anandifunsanso kachiwiri kuti, “Kodi ukuona chiyani?”
Ine ndinayankha kuti, “Ndikuona mʼphika wa madzi owira, ndipo wagudukira kuno kummwera.”
14Yehova anandiwuza kuti, “Mavuto a anthu onse okhala mʼdziko lino adzachokera kumpoto. 15Ine ndikuyitana anthu onse a ku maufumu a kumpoto,” akutero Yehova.
“Mafumu awo adzabwera ndipo aliyense adzakhazika mpando wake waufumu
polowera pa zipata za Yerusalemu;
iwo adzabwera ndi kuzungulira makoma ake
ndiponso midzi yonse ya dziko la Yuda.
16Ndidzatulutsa mlandu wanga ndi iwo
chifukwa cha zoyipa zimene anachita pondisiya Ine.
Iwo anakafukiza lubani kwa milungu ina,
ndi kupembedza zimene anapanga ndi manja awo.
17“Koma iwe Yeremiya konzeka! Nyamuka ndipo ukawawuze zonse zimene ndakulamulira. Usachite nawo mantha, kuopa kuti Ine ndingakuchititse mantha iwo akuona. 18Taona, lero ndakupanga kukhala ngati mzinda wotetezedwa, ngati mzati wachitsulo ndiponso ngati makoma a mkuwa kuti usaopsedwe ndi munthu aliyense wa mʼdzikomo; kaya ndi mafumu a Yuda, akuluakulu ake, ansembe ake, kapena munthu wamba wa mʼdzikomo. 19Iwo adzalimbana nawe koma sadzakugonjetsa, popeza Ine ndili nawe ndipo ndidzakupulumutsa,” akutero Yehova.
