| Holman Christian Standard Bible | International Standard Version |
| 1The words of Jeremiah, the son of Hilkiah, one of the priests living in Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin. | 1The words of Hilkiah's son Jeremiah, who was 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. | 2This message from the LORD came to him during the thirteenth year of the reign of Ammon's son Josiah, the king of Judah, |
| 3It also came throughout the days of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the fifth month of the eleventh year of Zedekiah son of Josiah, king of Judah, when the people of Jerusalem went into exile. | 3and during the reign of Josiah's son Jehoiakim, the king of Judah, and continued until the exile of Jerusalem in the fifth month, at the end of the eleventh year of the reign of Josiah's son Zedekiah, the king of Judah. |
| 4The word of the LORD came to me: | 4This message from the LORD came to me: |
| 5I chose you before I formed you in the womb; I set you apart before you were born. I appointed you a prophet to the nations. | 5"I knew you before I formed you in the womb; I set you apart for me before you were born; I appointed you to be a prophet to the nations." |
| 6But I protested, "Oh no, Lord GOD! Look, I don't know how to speak since I am only a youth." | 6I replied, "Ah, LORD God! Look, I don't know how to speak, because I'm only a young man." |
| 7Then the LORD said to me: Do not say, "I am only a youth," for you will go to everyone I send you to and speak whatever I tell you. | 7Then the LORD told me, "Don't say, 'I'm only a young man,' for you will go everywhere I send you, and you will speak everything I command you. |
| 8Do not be afraid of anyone, for I will be with you to deliver you. This is the LORD's declaration. | 8Don't be afraid of them, because I am with you to deliver you," declares the LORD. |
| 9Then the LORD reached out His hand, touched my mouth, and told me: I have now filled your mouth with My words. | 9The LORD stretched out his hand, touched my mouth, and then told me, "Look, I've put my words in your mouth. |
| 10See, I have appointed you today over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and demolish, to build and plant. | 10See, today I've appointed you to prophesy about nations and kingdoms, to pull up and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant." |
| 11Then the word of the LORD came to me, asking, "What do you see, Jeremiah?" I replied, "I see a branch of an almond tree." | 11This message from the LORD came to me, asking, "What do you see, Jeremiah?" I replied, "I see an almond branch." |
| 12The LORD said to me, "You have seen correctly, for I watch over My word to accomplish it." | 12The LORD told me, "You have observed well, because I'm watching over my message, to make sure it comes about." |
| 13Again the word of the LORD came to me inquiring, "What do you see?" And I replied, "I see a boiling pot, its lip tilted from the north to the south." | 13This message from the LORD came to me a second time: "What do you see?" I replied, "I see a boiling pot, and its mouth is tilted away from the north." |
| 14Then the LORD said to me, "Disaster will be poured out from the north on all who live in the land. | 14Then the LORD told me, "From the north disaster will pour out on all who live in the land, |
| 15Indeed, I am about to summon all the clans and kingdoms of the north." This is the LORD's declaration. They will come, and each king will set up his throne at the entrance to Jerusalem's gates. They will attack all her surrounding walls and all the other cities of Judah. | 15because I'm about to summon all the families and kingdoms from the north," declares the LORD. "They'll come and each one will set up his seat at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, against all of its surrounding walls, and against all of the towns of Judah. |
| 16"I will pronounce My judgments against them for all the evil they did when they abandoned Me to burn incense to other gods and to worship the works of their own hands. | 16"I'll pronounce my judgments against them because of all their wickedness. They have forsaken me, they have burned incense to other gods, and they have bowed down in worship to the works of their own hands." |
| 17"Now, get ready. Stand up and tell them everything that I command you. Do not be intimidated by them or I will cause you to cower before them. | 17"As for you, get ready! Stand up and tell them everything that I've commanded you. Don't be frightened as you face them, or I'll frighten you right in front of them. |
| 18Today, I am the One who has made you a fortified city, an iron pillar, and bronze walls against the whole land--against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests, and the population. | 18"As for me, today I'm making you a fortified city, an iron pillar, and a bronze wall 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 never prevail over you, since I am with you to rescue you." This is the LORD's declaration. | 19They'll fight against you, but they won't prevail against you, because I am with you," declares the LORD, "to deliver you." |
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