1 The word of God which came to Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the priests, who lived in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin: 2 accordingly as the word of God came to him in the days of Josiah son of Amos king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign. 3 And it was in the days of Jehoiakim, son of Josiah king of Judah, until the eleventh year of Zedekiah son of Josiah king of Judah, even until the captivity of Jerusalem in the fifth month. 4 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 5 Before I formed you in the belly, I knew you; and before you came forth from the womb, I sanctified you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations. 6 And I said, Lord, you that are supreme Lord, look, I do not know how to speak, for I am a child. 7 And the Lord said to me, Do not say, I am a child: for you shall go to all to whom I shall send you, and according to all the words that I shall command you, you shall speak. 8 Do not be afraid before them: for I am with you to deliver you,⁠a says the Lord. 9 And the Lord stretched forth his hand to me, and touched my mouth: and the Lord said to me, Look, I have put my words into your mouth. 10 Look, I have appointed you this day over nations and over kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to rebuild, and to plant. 11 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, What do you see, Jeremiah? And I said, A rod of an almond tree. 12 And the Lord said to me, You have well seen: for I have watched over my words to perform them. 13 And the word of the Lord came to me a second time, saying, What do you see? And I said, A cauldron on the fire; and the face of it is toward the north. 14 And the Lord said to me, From the north shall flame forth evils upon all the inhabitants of the land. 15 For, look, I call together all the kingdoms of the earth from the north, says the Lord; and they shall come, and shall set each one his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, and against all the walls all around her, and against all the cities of Judah. 16 And I will speak to them in judgment, concerning all their iniquity, since they have forsaken me, and sacrificed to strange gods, and worshiped the works of their own hands. 17 And you, secure your clothing at your waist, and stand up, and speak to them all the words that I shall command you: do not be afraid of their face, neither be alarmed before them; for I am with you to deliver you, says the Lord. 18 Look, I have made you this day as a strong city, and as a brass wall, strong against all the kings of Judah, and its princes, and the people of the land. 19 And they shall fight against you; but they shall by no means prevail against you; because I am with you, to deliver you, says the Lord.