The Complete Jewish Bible CJB
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 These are the words of Yirmeyahu the son of Hilkiyahu, one of the cohanim living in 'Anatot, in the territory of Binyamin.
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The words of Jeremiah, the son of Hilkiah, of the priests who were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin:
2 The word of ADONAI came to him during the days of Yoshiyahu the son of Amon, king of Y'hudah, in the thirteenth year of his reign.
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To whom the word of the Lord came in the days of Josiah, the son of Amon, king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his rule.
3 It also came during the days of Y'hoyakim the son of Yoshiyahu, king of Y'hudah, continuing until the eleventh year of Tzidkiyahu the son of Yoshiyahu, king of Y'hudah, right up until the time Yerushalayim was carried away captive, in the fifth month.
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And it came again in the days of Jehoiakim, the son of Josiah, king of Judah, up to the eleventh year of Zedekiah, the son of Josiah, king of Judah; till Jerusalem was taken away in the fifth month.
4 Here is the word of ADONAI that came to me:
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Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
5 "Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you; before you were born, I separated you for myself. I have appointed you to be a prophet to the nations."
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Before you were formed in the body of your mother I had knowledge of you, and before your birth I made you holy; I have given you the work of being a prophet to the nations.
6 I said, "Oh, Adonai ELOHIM, I don't even know how to speak! I'm just a child!"
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Then said I, O Lord God! see, I have no power of words, for I am a child.
7 But ADONAI said to me, "Don't say, 'I'm just a child.' "For you will go to whomever I send you, and you will speak whatever I order you.
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But the Lord said to me, Do not say, I am a child: for wherever I send you, you are to go, and whatever I give you orders to say, you are to say.
8 Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you, says ADONAI, to rescue you."
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Have no fear because of them: for I am with you, to keep you safe, says the Lord.
9 Then ADONAI put out his hand and touched my mouth, and ADONAI said to me, "There! I have put my words in your mouth.
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Then the Lord put out his hand, touching my mouth; and the Lord said to me, See, I have put my words in your mouth:
10 Today I have placed you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and to tear down, to destroy and to demolish, to build and to plant."
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See, this day I have put you over the nations and over the kingdoms, for uprooting and smashing down, for destruction and overturning, for building up and planting.
11 The word of ADONAI came to me, asking, "Yirmeyahu, what do you see?" I answered, "I see a branch from an almond tree [Hebrew: shaked].
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Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying, Jeremiah, what do you see? And I said, I see a branch of an almond-tree.
12 Then ADONAI said to me, "You have seen well, because I am watching [Hebrew: shoked] to fulfill my word."
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Then the Lord said to me, You have seen well: for I keep watch over my word to give effect to it.
13 A second time the word of ADONAI came to me, asking, "What do you see?" I answered, "I see a caldron tilted away from the north, over a fire fanned by the wind."
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And the word of the Lord came to me a second time, saying, What do you see? And I said, I see a boiling pot, and its face is from the north.
14 Then ADONAI said to me, "From the north calamity will boil over onto everyone living in the land,
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Then the Lord said to me, Out of the north evil will come, bursting out on all the people of the land.
15 because I will summon all the families in the kingdoms of the north," says ADONAI, "and they will come and sit, each one, on his throne at the entrance to the gates of Yerushalayim, opposite its walls, all the way around, and opposite all the cities of Y'hudah.
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For see, I will send for all the families of the kingdoms of the north, says the Lord; and they will come, everyone placing his high seat at the way into Jerusalem, and against its walls on every side, and against all the towns of Judah.
16 I will pronounce my judgments against them for all their wickedness in abandoning me, offering incense to other gods and worshipping what their own hands made.
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And I will give my decision against them on account of all their evil-doing; because they have given me up, burning perfumes to other gods and worshipping the works of their hands.
17 "But you, dress for action; stand up and tell them everything I order you to say. When you confront them, don't break down; or I will break you down in front of them!
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So make yourself ready, and go and say to them everything I give you orders to say: do not be overcome by fear of them, or I will send fear on you before them.
18 For today, you see, I have made you into a fortified city, a pillar of iron, a wall of bronze against the whole land - against the kings of Y'hudah, against its princes, against its cohanim and the people of the land.
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For see, this day have I made you a walled town, and an iron pillar, and walls of brass, against all the land, against the kings of Judah, against its captains, against its priests, and against the people of the land.
19 They will fight against you, but they will not overcome you, for I am with you," says ADONAI, "to rescue you."
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They will be fighting against you, but they will not overcome you: for I am with you, says the Lord, to give you salvation.
Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.