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 towards 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 worshipping 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 Josh 21:18Maya nĩmo maũndũ marĩa maaririo nĩ Jeremia, mũrũ wa Hilikia, ũmwe wa athĩnjĩri-Ngai arĩa maatũũraga itũũra rĩa Anathothu kũu bũrũri wa Benjamini.1:1 Anathothu rĩarĩ itũũra rĩmwe rĩa matũũra mana ma Alawii marĩa maarĩ bũrũri wa Benjamini (Josh 21:17-18). 2Ndũmĩrĩri ya Jehova nĩyamũkinyĩrĩire mwaka-inĩ wa ikũmi na ĩtatũ wa wathani wa Josia, mũrũ wa Amoni, mũthamaki wa Juda, 31:3 2Ath 23:34; Ezar 5:12o na ningĩ matukũ-inĩ ma wathani wa Jehoiakimu mũrũ wa Josia, mũthamaki wa Juda, o nginya mweri wa gatano, mwaka-inĩ wa ikũmi na ũmwe wa wathani wa Zedekia mũrũ wa Josia, mũthamaki wa Juda, rĩrĩa andũ a Jerusalemu maatahirwo.
Gwĩtwo kwa Jeremia
4Ndũmĩrĩri ya Jehova nĩyanginyĩrire, ngĩĩrwo atĩrĩ,
51:5 Isa 49:1; Joh 10:36“Mbere ya gũkũũmba nda-inĩ ya maitũguo-rĩ, no ndaakũũĩ,
o na ũtanaciarwo-rĩ, nĩndakwamũrĩte;
nĩndagũtuire mũnabii wa kũrathagĩra ndũrĩrĩ.”
61:6 Thaam 3:11Na niĩ ngĩmũcookeria, ngiuga atĩrĩ: “Hĩ, Mwathani Jehova! Niĩ ndiũĩ kwaria; niĩ ndĩ o mwana.”
7Nowe Jehova akĩnjĩĩra atĩrĩ: “Tiga kuuga atĩrĩ, ‘Niĩ ndĩ o mwana.’ No nginya ũthiĩ kũrĩ mũndũ o wothe ngũgũtũma kũrĩ we na ũmwĩre ũrĩa wothe ngũgwatha. 81:8 Kĩam 15:1; Jer 15:20Ndũkanametigĩre, nĩgũkorwo ndĩ hamwe nawe, na nĩngakũhonokia,” ũguo nĩguo Jehova ekuuga.
91:9 Isa 6:7Hĩndĩ ĩyo Jehova agĩtambũrũkia guoko, akĩĩhutia kanua, akĩnjĩĩra atĩrĩ, “Rĩu nĩndekĩra ndũmĩrĩri yakwa kanua gaku. 10One, ũmũthĩ nĩndagũtua mũnene wa ndũrĩrĩ o na wa mothamaki, nĩgeetha ũmunyage na ũmomorage, wanangage na ũngʼaũranagie, na wakage na ũhaandage.”
111:11 Jer 24:3; Amos 7:8Ndũmĩrĩri ya Jehova nĩyanginyĩrire, ngĩũrio atĩrĩ: “Jeremia, nĩ kĩĩ ũroona?”
Na niĩ ngĩcookia atĩrĩ, “Ndĩrona rũhonge rwa mũtĩ wa mũrothi.”
121:12 Ayub 29:2Jehova akĩnjĩĩra atĩrĩ, “Ĩĩ, nĩguo nĩwona wega, tondũ njũthĩrĩirie nyone atĩ ndũmĩrĩri yakwa nĩyahingio.”
131:13 Jer 24:3; Zek 4:2Ningĩ ndũmĩrĩri ya Jehova nĩyanginyĩrire o rĩngĩ ngĩũrio atĩrĩ: “Nĩ kĩĩ kĩngĩ ũrona?”
Na niĩ ngĩcookia atĩrĩ, “Ndĩrona nyũngũ ĩgũtherũka, ĩinamĩte kuuma mwena wa gathigathini.”
14Nake Jehova akĩnjĩĩra atĩrĩ, “Mwanangĩko uumĩte na mwena wa gathigathini, nĩũgaitĩrĩrio andũ othe arĩa matũũraga bũrũri ũyũ. 151:15 Jer 4:16Ndĩ hakuhĩ gwĩta andũ othe a mothamaki ma gathigathini,” ũguo nĩguo Jehova ekuuga.
“Athamaki ao nĩmagooka mahaande itĩ ciao cia ũthamaki
matoonyero-inĩ ma ihingo cia Jerusalemu;
nĩmagooka mathiũrũrũkĩrie thingo ciothe cia Jerusalemu,
na mokĩrĩre matũũra mothe ma Juda.
161:16 Kĩam 6:5; Jer 17:13; Ndar 25:3Nĩngatuĩra andũ akwa matuĩro ma ciira,
tondũ wa waganu wao wa kũndirika,
na wa gũcinĩra ngai ingĩ ũbumba,
na kũhooya indo iria methondekeire na moko mao.
17“Ũkĩra wĩhaarĩrie! Rũgama na ũmeere ũndũ o wothe ũrĩa ngũgwatha. Ndũkamakio nĩo, kana na niĩ ngũmakie ũrĩ mbere yao. 18Ũmũthĩ-rĩ, nĩndagũtua ta itũũra rĩirige na hinya, na ta gĩtugĩ gĩa kĩgera, na ta rũthingo rwa gĩcango, nĩgeetha wĩyũmie ũũkĩrĩre bũrũri wothe: ũũkĩrĩre athamaki a Juda, na anene, na athĩnjĩri-Ngai akuo, o na andũ othe a bũrũri ũyũ. 191:19 Thab 129:2; Kĩam 26:3Nĩmakarũa nawe no matigaakũhoota, nĩgũkorwo ndĩ hamwe nawe na nĩndĩrĩkũhonokagia,” ũguo nĩguo Jehova ekuuga.
