The Call of Jeremiah

1These are the sermons of Ieremie the sonne of Helkiah the priest, one of them that dwelt at Anathoth in the lande of Beniamin, 2When the Lorde had first spoken with hym in the tyme of Iosiah the sonne of Amon kyng of Iuda, in the 13 yere of his raigne: 3And so duryng vnto the tyme of Iehoakim the sonne of Iosiah king of Iuda, and vntyll the 11 yere of Zedekiah the sonne of Iosiah kyng of Iuda were ended, when Hierusalem was taken, euen in the fifth moneth.

4The worde of the Lorde spake thus vnto me.

5Before I fashioned thee in thy mothers wombe, I dyd knowe thee: and or euer thou wast borne, I sanctified thee, and ordeyned thee to be a prophete vnto the people.

6Then sayde I: O Lorde God, I can not speake, for I am yet but young.

7And the Lorde aunswered me thus: Say not so, I am to young: for thou shalt go to all that I shall sende thee vnto, and whatsoeuer I commaunde thee, that shalt thou speake.

8Be not afrayde of their faces: for I am with thee to deliuer thee, saith the Lorde.

9And with that the Lorde stretched out his hande and touched my mouth: and the same Lorde sayde vnto me, Beholde, I put my wordes in thy mouth.

10And beholde, this day do I set thee ouer the people and kyngdomes, that thou mayest roote out, breake of, destroy, and make waste, and that thou mayest builde vp and plant.

11After this the Lorde spake vnto me, saying: Ieremie, what seest thou? And I sayd, I see a rod of an Almond tree. 12Then sayde the Lorde vnto me: thou hast seene ryght, for I wyll make haste speedyly vpon my worde to performe it.

13It happened afterwarde that the Lorde spake to me agayne, and sayde: what seest thou? and I sayde: I do see a seethyng pot, lokyng from out of the north. 14Then sayde the Lorde vnto me: Out of the north shall come a plague vpon all the dwellers of the lande. 15For lo, I wyll call all the kinredes of the kingdomes of the north, saith the Lorde: and they shall come, and euery one shall set his seate in the gates of Hierusalem, and in all their walles rounde about, and in all cities of Iuda. 16And through them shall I declare my iudgement, vpo all the wickednesse of those men that haue forsaken me, that haue burnt incense vnto straunge gods, and worshipped the workes of their owne handes. 17And therfore girde vp thy loynes, arise, and tell them all that I geue thee in commaundement: Feare them not, lest I destroy thee before them. 18For beholde, this day do I make thee a strong fensed towne, an iron pyller, and a brasen wall, agaynst the whole lande, agaynst the kinges and mightie men of Iuda, agaynst the priestes and people of the lande. 19They shall fight agaynst thee, but they shall not be able to ouercome thee: for I am with thee to deliuer thee, saith the Lorde.