JEREMIAH. 1 2 3 CHAP. I. THE WORDS OF JEREMIAH THE SON OF HILKIah, one OF THE PRIESTS WHO DWELT AT ANATHOTH IN THE INTO CAPTIVITY IN THE FIFTH MONTH. 4 EVEN the word of JEHOVAH came unto me, say5 ing Before I formed thee in the womb, I knew thee; and before thou camest forth from the birth, I separated thee; a prophet unto the nations have 6 I constituted thee. Then said I, Alas! O Lord JEHOVAH, behold, I know not how to speak; for 7 I am a child. And JEHOVAH said unto me, Say not, I am a child: but unto whomsoever I shall send thee, thou shalt go; and whatsoever I shall 8 give thee in charge, thou shalt speak. Be not thou afraid because of them; for I will be with 9 thee to protect thee, said JEHOVAH. And JEHO VAH put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And JEHOVAH said unto me, Behold, I have put 10 my words in thy mouth. See, I have given thee power this day over nations and over kingdoms, D 11 15 to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to overthrow; and to build, and to plant. And the word of JEHOVAH came unto me, saying, What seest thou, Jeremiah? And I said, I see a rod of an almond tree. And JEHOVAH said unto me, Thou hast rightly seen: for I am intent 13 upon my word to perform it. And the word of JEHOVAH came unto me a second time, saying, What seest thou? And I said, I see a pot that sendeth forth steam; and the face thereof is turn14 ed from the north. And JEHOVAH said unto me, From the north shall the evil issue forth upon all 15 the inhabitants of the land. For behold I will call for all the families of the kingdoms of the north, said JEHOVAH; and they shall come, and shall set every one his throne at the entering in of the gates of Jerusalem, and upon all the walls thereof round about, and over all the cities of Ju16 dah. And I will pronounce my judgments against them for all their wickedness; in that they have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, and worshipped the work of their own hands. 17 And as for thee, thou shalt gird up thy loins, and shalt arise, and shalt speak unto them all that I shall command thee; be not thou afraid of them, lest I should suffer thee to be crushed before them. 18 For I, behold, I have made thee this day like a fortified city, and like a pillar of iron, and like a wall of brass, against all this land, against the kings of Judah, against the princes thereof, against the priests thereof, and against the people of the 19 land and they shall make war against thee, but they shall not prevail against thee: for I will be with thee, said JEHOVAH, to protect thee. 1 2 CHAP. II. THE word of JEHOVAH came also unto me, saying; Go and cry in the ears of Jerusalem, saying; THUS saith JEHOVAH, I have called to mind. in thy behalf The kindness shewn thee in thy youth, the love of thy espousals, When thou wentest under my conduct through the wilderness, Through a land that was not cultivated. 3 Israel is a hallowed thing unto JEHOVAH, The first-fruits of his increase; 4 All that devour him shall be guilty of a trespass, Hear ye the word of JEHOVAH, O house of Jacob, 5 Thus saith JEHOVAH; What wrongdealing did your fathers find in me, And walked after vanity, and became vain? 6 And they said not, Where is JEHOVAH, Who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, Through a land of wide waste, and a pit, Through a land which no man passed through, 7 I brought you also unto a land of fruitful field, To eat the fruit thereof, and the good thereof; But when ye were come in, ye defiled my land, And mine heritage ye made an abomination, 8 The priests said not, Where is JEHOVAH? And they that were versed in the law knew me not; And the prophets prophesied in the name of Baal, And walked after things that could not profit. 9 Therefore I will yet plead with you, saith JEHOVAH, And with your childrens children will I plead. 10 For pass over unto the countries of Chittim, and see; And send ye to Kedar, and inform yourselves well; And take notice, if there hath been such a thing as this. 11 Hath a nation changed Gods, even those that were no Gods? But my people hath changed their glory for that which cannot profit. 12 The heavens are astonished at this, and horribly afraid, They are shocked exceedingly, saith JEHOVAH. 13 For my people have done two wicked things: 14 Me they have forsaken, a fountain of living waters; And they have hewed out for themselves broken cisterns, Which will not hold water. Is Israel a slave? Or if a child of the household, Wherefore is he exposed to spoil? 15 Against him lions shall roar; They have lifted up the voice, And have made his land a desolation; His cities are burned so as to be without an inhabitant. 16 The sons also of Noph and Tahpanhes shall bruise the crown of thy head. 17 Shall not this be done unto thee, Because thou hast forsaken JEHOVAH thy God, |