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The words of Jeremiah, the son of Hilkiah, one 1of the priests who were in 2Anathoth in the land of Benjamin,
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to whom the word of the LORD came in the days of 3Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, in 4the thirteenth year of his reign.
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It came also in the days of 5Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, and 6until the end of the eleventh year of 7Zedekiah, the son of Josiah, king of Judah, 8until the captivity of Jerusalem in the fifth month.
The Call of Jeremiah
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Now the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
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9"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born 10I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet 11to the nations."
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But the LORD said to me, "Do not say, 'I am only a youth'; for to all to whom I send you, you shall go, and 14whatever I command you, you shall speak.
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17Then the LORD put out his hand and 18touched my mouth. And the LORD said to me, "Behold, I have put 19my words in your mouth.
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See, I have set you this day 20over nations and over kingdoms, 21to pluck up and to break down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant."
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And the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 22"Jeremiah, what do you see?" And I said, "I see an almonda branch."
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Then the LORD said to me, "You have seen well, for I am watching over my word to perform it."
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The word of the LORD came to me a second time, saying, "What do you see?" And I said, "I see 23a boiling pot, facing away 24from the north."
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Then the LORD said to me, 25"Out of the north disasterb shall be let loose upon all the inhabitants of the land.
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For behold, 26I am calling all the tribes of the kingdoms of the north, declares the LORD, 27and they shall come, and every one shall set his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, against all its walls all around and against all the cities of Judah.
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And 28I will declare my judgments against them, for all their evil 29in forsaking me. 30They have made offerings to other gods and 31worshiped the works of their own hands.
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But you, 32dress yourself for work;c arise, and 33say to them everything that I command you. 34Do not be dismayed by them, lest I dismay you before them.
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.
(English Standard Version - The Holy Bible Online)