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2002 11 11
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The Prophetic Books
- Jeremiah
  - Chapter 1

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Chapter 1

The words of Jeremiah, son of Hilkiah, of a priestly family in Anathoth, ^¹ in the land of Benjamin.

The word of the LORD first came to him in the days of Josiah, son of Amon, king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign,

^² and continued through the reign of Jehoiakim, son of Josiah, king of Judah, and until the downfall and exile of Jerusalem in the fifth month of the eleventh year of Zedekiah, son of Josiah, king of Judah.

The word of the LORD came to me thus:

^³ Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I dedicated you, a prophet to the nations I appointed you.

^⁴ "Ah, Lord GOD!" I said, "I know not how to speak; I am too young."

But the LORD answered me, Say not, "I am too young." To whomever I send you, you shall go; whatever I command you, you shall speak.

Have no fear before them, because I am with you to deliver you, says the LORD.

Then the LORD extended his hand and touched my mouth, saying, See, I place my words in your mouth!

This day I set you over nations and over kingdoms, To root up and to tear down, to destroy and to demolish, to build and to plant.

^⁵ The word of the LORD came to me with the question: What do you see, Jeremiah? "I see a branch of the watching-tree," I replied.

Then the LORD said to me: Well have you seen, for I am watching to fulfill my word.

^⁶ A second time the word of the LORD came to me with the question: What do you see? "I see a boiling cauldron," I replied, "that appears from the north."

And from the north, said the LORD to me, evil will boil over upon all who dwell in the land.

Lo, I am summoning all the kingdoms of the north, says the LORD; Each king shall come and set up his throne at the gateways of Jerusalem, Opposite her walls all around and opposite all the cities of Judah.

I will pronounce my sentence against them for all their wickedness in forsaking me, And in burning incense to strange gods and adoring their own handiwork.

But do you gird your loins; stand up and tell them all that I command you. Be not crushed on their account, as though I would leave you crushed before them;

For it is I this day who have made you a fortified city, A pillar of iron, a wall of brass, against the whole land: Against Judah's kings and princes, against its priests and people.

They will fight against you, but not prevail over you, for I am with you to deliver you, says the LORD.

1 [1] Anathoth: a village about three miles northeast of Jerusalem, where Solomon exiled Abiathar (⇒ 1 Kings 2:26-27); it is probable that Jeremiah belonged to the priestly family of Abiathar.

2 [3] Until the downfall: these words were originally prefixed as a title to a collection of Jeremiah's prophecies which lacked Jer 40-44. The new title in ⇒ Jeremiah 40:1 and the oracles that follow clearly show that Jeremiah continued to prophesy after the destruction of Jerusalem in 587 B.C.

3 [5] Jeremiah was destined to the office of prophet before his birth; cf ⇒ Isaiah 49:1, 5; ⇒ Luke 1:15; ⇒ Gal 1:15, ⇒ 16. I knew you: I loved you and chose you. I dedicated you: I set you apart to be a prophet. Some Fathers and later theologians understand this to mean that Jeremiah was freed from original sin before his birth. The context does not justify this conclusion. The nations: the pagan neighbors of Judah, besides the great world powers-Assyria, Babylonia, Egypt-intimately associated with Judah's destiny.

4 [6] I am too young: Jeremiah's youth (he was less than thirty years old) must not be an obstacle to the responsibilities of the prophetic office; God will supply for his human defects (cf ⇒ Jeremiah 1:7, 8).

5 [11] The watching-tree: the almond tree, which is the first to blossom in the springtime as though it had not slept. The Hebrew name contains a play on words with "I am watching."

6 [13] Boiling cauldron . . . the north: symbol of an invasion from the north; cf ⇒ Jeremiah 1:14-15.

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