1 1 The words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, one of the priests in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin. 2 The word of our Father came to him in the days of Josiah son of Amon, king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign. 3 It came also in the days of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the exile of Jerusalem in the fifth month. 4 The word of our Father came to me, saying:
5 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.
6 Then I said, "Ah, Sovereign Father! I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth."
7 But our Father said to me, "Do not say, 'I am only a youth'; for you will go wherever I send you, and you will speak whatever I command you." 8 "Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, declares the Father.
9 Then our Father reached out his hand and touched my mouth, and our Father said to me, "Look, I have put my words in your mouth." 10 "See, I have set you this day over the nations and over the kingdoms, to uproot and to tear down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.
11 And the word of our Father came to me: "Jeremiah, what do you see?" And I said, "I see a branch of an almond tree." a a v11 In the original language, 'almond tree' and 'watching' sound nearly identical — making this vision a deliberate sign.
12 Then our Father said to me, "You have seen well, for I am watching over my word to carry it out." b b v12 "Almond tree" and "watching" sound almost exactly alike in the prophet's tongue — a play on words showing that our Father is wide awake over his word to bring it about.
13 The word of our Father came to me a second time: "What do you see?" And I said, "I see a boiling pot, tilting away from the north."
14 And our Father said to me, "Out of the north disaster will be poured out on all who live in the land." 15 "For I am about to summon all the clans of the kingdoms of the north, declares the Father; and they will come, and each will set his throne at the gates of Jerusalem, against all its surrounding walls and against all the cities of Judah." 16 "And I will pronounce my judgments against them for all their evil in forsaking me, in burning offerings to other gods and bowing down to idols they made with their own hands.
17 "But you, get yourself ready; stand up and speak to them everything I command you. Do not be dismayed before them, or I will fill you with dismay before them." 18 "Look, I have made you this day a fortified city, an iron pillar, and bronze walls against the whole land — against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests, and the people of the land." 19 "They will fight against you, but they will not overcome you, for I am with you to deliver you, declares the Father."