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.
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.
