The words of Armiya1 son of Hilkiah, of the priests who were in Anathoth in the land of Binyamin2: 2to whom the Word of YAHWEH3 came in the days of Josiah4 son of Amon,5 king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign. 3It came also in the days of Jehoiakim6 son of Josiah, king of Judah, to the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah7 son of Josiah, king of Judah, to the carrying away of Jerusalem captive in the fifth month.
4Now the Word of YAHWEH came to me, saying, 5“Before I formed you in the belly I knew you, and before you came forth out of the womb I sanctified you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.”
6Then I said, “Ah, Lord YAHWEH! Behold, I do not know how to speak; for I am a child.”
7But YAHWEH said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am a child;’ for to whomever I send you, you must go, and whatever I command you, you must speak. 8Do not be afraid of them; for I am with you to rescue you,” says YAHWEH.
9Then YAHWEH put forth his hand, and touched my mouth; and YAHWEH said to me, “Behold, I have put my words in your mouth: 10behold, today I have set you over the nations and over the kingdoms, to uproot and to tear down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.”
11Moreover the Word of YAHWEH came to me, saying, “Armiya, what do you see?”
I said, “I see a branch of an almond tree.”
12Then YAHWEH said to me, “You have seen well; for I watch over my Word to perform it.”
13The Word of YAHWEH came to me the second time, saying, “What do you see?”
I said, “I see a boiling cauldron; and it is tipping away from the north.”
14Then YAHWEH said to me, “Out of the north evil will break forth on all the inhabitants of the land. 15For, behold, I will call all the families of the kingdoms of the north,” says YAHWEH; “and they will come, and every one of them will set his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, and against its walls all around, and against all the cities of Judah. 16I will utter my judgments against them concerning all their wickedness, in that they have forsaken me, and have burned incense to other gods, and worshiped the works of their own hands. 17You therefore brace yourself and arise, and speak to them all that I command you: do not be dismayed at them, lest I dismay you before them. 18For, behold, I have made you this day a fortified city, and an iron pillar, and bronze walls, against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against its princes, against its priests, and against the people of the land. 19They will fight against you; but they will not prevail against you: for I am with you,” says YAHWEH, “to rescue you.”
- 1:1 Armiya, or Jeremiah, from the Hebrew name Yirmeyah, which means “YAHWEH will exalt.” ↩︎
- 1:1 Binyamin, or Benjamin, derived from the Hebrew name Benyamin, meaning “Son of the right hand.” ↩︎
- 1:2 YAHWEH, the name God revealed to Prophet Musa in the Taurat, Exodus 3:15 – God said moreover to Musa, “You shall tell Bani-Israel this, ‘YAHWEH, the God of your fathers, the God of Ibrahim, the God of Ishaq, and the God of Yaqub, has sent me to you.’ This is my Name forever, and this is how I am to be remembered to all generations.” ↩︎
- 1:2 Josiah, a Hebrew name which means “YAHWEH has healed” or “YAHWEH has supported.” ↩︎
- 1:2 Amon, a Hebrew name which means “faithful.” ↩︎
- 1:3 Jehoiakim, a Hebrew name which means “YAHWEH raises up.” ↩︎
- 1:3 Zedekiah, a Hebrew name which means “YAHWEH is righteousness.” ↩︎