The Call of Jeremiah

Jeremiah 1

1 The words of Jeremiah, the son of Hilkiah, one a of the priests who were in b Anathoth in the land of Benjamin, 2 to whom the word of the Lord came in the days of c Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, in d the thirteenth year of his reign. 3 It came also in the days of e Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, and f until the end of the eleventh year of g Zedekiah, the son of Josiah, king of Judah, h until the captivity of Jerusalem in the fifth month.

4 Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying,

5 i "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
and before you were born j I consecrated you;
I appointed you a prophet k to the nations."

6 Then I said, "Ah, Lord God! Behold, l I do not know how to speak, m for I am only a youth."

7 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 n whatever I command you, you shall speak.
 8 o Do not be afraid of them,
p for I am with you to deliver you,
declares the Lord."

9 q Then the Lord put out his hand and r touched my mouth. And the Lord said to me,
"Behold, I have put s my words in your mouth.
 10 See, I have set you this day k over nations and over kingdoms,
t to pluck up and to break down,
to destroy and to overthrow,
to build and to plant."

11 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, u "Jeremiah, what do you see?" And I said, "I see an almond 1 branch." 12 Then the Lord said to me, "You have seen well, for I am watching over my word to perform it."

13 The word of the Lord came to me a second time, saying, "What do you see?" And I said, "I see v a boiling pot, facing away w from the north." 14 Then the Lord said to me, w "Out of the north disaster 2 shall be let loose upon all the inhabitants of the land. 15 For behold, x I am calling all the tribes of the kingdoms of the north, declares the Lord, y and 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. 16 And z I will declare my judgments against them, for all their evil a in forsaking me. b They have made offerings to other gods and c worshiped the works of their own hands. 17 But you, d dress yourself for work; 3 arise, and e say to them everything that I command you. f Do not be dismayed by them, lest I dismay you before them. 18 And I, behold, I make you this day g a fortified city, h an iron pillar, and i bronze walls, against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests, and the people of the land. 19 i They will fight against you, but they shall not prevail against you, for j I am with you, declares the Lord, to deliver you."

  1. Cross References
    Ezekiel 1:3
    The word of the Lord came to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the Chebar canal, and the hand of the Lord was upon him there.
  2. Cross References
    Jeremiah 29:27
    Now why have you not rebuked Jeremiah of Anathoth who is prophesying to you?
    Jeremiah 32:7
    Behold, Hanamel the son of Shallum your uncle will come to you and say, 'Buy my field that is at Anathoth, for the right of redemption by purchase is yours.
    Joshua 21:18
    Anathoth with its pasturelands, and Almon with its pasturelands - four cities.
  3. Cross References
    2 Kings 22:1
    Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jedidah the daughter of Adaiah of Bozkath.
    2 Kings 23:1 - 30
    Then the king sent, and all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem were gathered to him.
  4. Cross References
    Jeremiah 25:3
    For twenty-three years, from the thirteenth year of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, to this day, the word of the Lord has come to me, and I have spoken persistently to you, but you have not listened.
    Jeremiah 36:2
    Take a scroll and write on it all the words that I have spoken to you against Israel and Judah and all the nations, from the day I spoke to you, from the days of Josiah until today.
  5. Cross References
    Jeremiah 25:1
    The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah (that was the first year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon).
    Jeremiah 36:1
    In the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the Lord :
    2 Kings 23:34 - 24:6
    And Pharaoh Neco made Eliakim the son of Josiah king in the place of Josiah his father, and changed his name to Jehoiakim. But he took Jehoahaz away, and he came to Egypt and died there.
  6. Cross References
    Jeremiah 39:2
    In the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month, on the ninth day of the month, a breach was made in the city.
  7. Cross References
    2 Kings 24:17 - 25:7
    And the king of Babylon made Mattaniah, Jehoiachin's uncle, king in his place, and changed his name to Zedekiah.
  8. Cross References
    2 Kings 25:8 - 11
    In the fifth month, on the seventh day of the month - that was the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon - Nebuzaradan, the captain of the bodyguard, a servant of the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem.
  9. Cross References
    Isaiah 44:2
    Thus says the Lord who made you, who formed you from the womb and will help you: Fear not, O Jacob my servant, Jeshurun whom I have chosen.
  10. Cross References
    John 10:36
    Do you say of him whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world, 'You are blaspheming,' because I said, 'I am the Son of God'?
  11. Cross References
    Isaiah 49:6
    He says: "It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel; I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.
    Jeremiah 25:15 - 29
    Thus the Lord, the God of Israel, said to me: "Take from my hand this cup of the wine of wrath, and make all the nations to whom I send you drink it.
    Jeremiah 46:1 - 51:1
    The word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the nations.
  12. Cross References
    Exodus 4:10
    But Moses said to the Lord, "Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue.
  13. Cross References
    1 Kings 3:7
    And now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of David my father, although I am but a little child. I do not know how to go out or come in.
  14. Cross References
    Jeremiah 1:17
    But you, dress yourself for work; arise, and say to them everything that I command you. Do not be dismayed by them, lest I dismay you before them.
    Ezekiel 2:7
    And you shall speak my words to them, whether they hear or refuse to hear, for they are a rebellious house.
  15. Cross References
    Ezekiel 2:6
    And you, son of man, be not afraid of them, nor be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns are with you and you sit on scorpions. Be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, for they are a rebellious house.
    Ezekiel 3:9
    Like emery harder than flint have I made your forehead. Fear them not, nor be dismayed at their looks, for they are a rebellious house.
  16. Cross References
    Jeremiah 15:20
    And I will make you to this people a fortified wall of bronze; they will fight against you, but they shall not prevail over you, for I am with you to save you and deliver you, declares the Lord.
    Exodus 3:12
    He said, "But I will be with you, and this shall be the sign for you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.
  17. Cross References
    Ezekiel 2:9
    And when I looked, behold, a hand was stretched out to me, and behold, a scroll of a book was in it.
  18. Cross References
    Isaiah 6:7
    And he touched my mouth and said: "Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.
  19. Cross References
    Jeremiah 5:14
    Therefore thus says the Lord, the God of hosts: "Because you have spoken this word, behold, I am making my words in your mouth a fire, and this people wood, and the fire shall consume them.
  20. Cross References
    Jeremiah 1:5
    "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations."
  21. Cross References
    Jeremiah 18:7
    If at any time I declare concerning a nation or a kingdom, that I will pluck up and break down and destroy it.
    Jeremiah 31:28
    And it shall come to pass that as I have watched over them to pluck up and break down, to overthrow, destroy, and bring harm, so I will watch over them to build and to plant, declares the Lord.
    Jeremiah 45:4
    Thus shall you say to him, Thus says the Lord : Behold, what I have built I am breaking down, and what I have planted I am plucking up - that is, the whole land.
    2 Corinthians 10:4 - 5
    For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.
  22. Cross References
    Amos 7:8
    And the Lord said to me, "Amos, what do you see?" And I said, "A plumb line." Then the Lord said, "Behold, I am setting a plumb line in the midst of my people Israel; I will never again pass by them.
  23. Cross References
    Ezekiel 24:3
    And utter a parable to the rebellious house and say to them, Thus says the Lord God : "Set on the pot, set it on; pour in water also.
    Ezekiel 22:21
    I will gather you and blow on you with the fire of my wrath, and you shall be melted in the midst of it.
  24. Cross References
    Jeremiah 4:6
    Raise a standard toward Zion, flee for safety, stay not, for I bring disaster from the north, and great destruction.
    Jeremiah 6:1
    Flee for safety, O people of Benjamin, from the midst of Jerusalem! Blow the trumpet in Tekoa, and raise a signal on Beth-haccherem, for disaster looms out of the north, and great destruction.
    Jeremiah 10:22
    A voice, a rumor! Behold, it comes! - a great commotion out of the north country to make the cities of Judah a desolation, a lair of jackals.
  25. Cross References
    Jeremiah 1:13
    The word of the Lord came to me a second time, saying, "What do you see?" And I said, "I see a boiling pot, facing away from the north.
  26. Cross References
    Jeremiah 25:9
    Behold, I will send for all the tribes of the north, declares the Lord, and for Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and I will bring them against this land and its inhabitants, and against all these surrounding nations. I will devote them to destruction, and make them a horror, a hissing, and an everlasting desolation.
  27. Cross References
    Jeremiah 39:3
    Then all the officials of the king of Babylon came and sat in the middle gate: Nergal-sar-ezer, Samgar-nebu, Sar-sekim the Rab-saris, Nergal-sar-ezer the Rab-mag, with all the rest of the officers of the king of Babylon.
    Jeremiah 43:10
    And say to them, 'Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will send and take Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and I will set his throne above these stones that I have hidden, and he will spread his royal canopy over them.
  28. Cross References
    Jeremiah 4:12
    A wind too full for this comes for me. Now it is I who speak in judgment upon them.
  29. Cross References
    Jeremiah 19:4
    Because the people have forsaken me and have profaned this place by making offerings in it to other gods whom neither they nor their fathers nor the kings of Judah have known; and because they have filled this place with the blood of innocents.
    Jeremiah 22:9
    And they will answer, "Because they have forsaken the covenant of the Lord their God and worshiped other gods and served them."'
  30. Cross References
    Jeremiah 7:9
    Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, make offerings to Baal, and go after other gods that you have not known.
    Jeremiah 44:3
    Because of the evil that they committed, provoking me to anger, in that they went to make offerings and serve other gods that they knew not, neither they, nor you, nor your fathers.
  31. Cross References
    Jeremiah 25:6 - 7
    Do not go after other gods to serve and worship them, or provoke me to anger with the work of your hands. Then I will do you no harm.
    Isaiah 2:8
    Their land is filled with idols; they bow down to the work of their hands, to what their own fingers have made.
    Acts 7:41
    And they made a calf in those days, and offered a sacrifice to the idol and were rejoicing in the works of their hands.
  32. Cross References
    1 Kings 18:46
    And the hand of the Lord was on Elijah, and he gathered up his garment and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.
    1 Peter 1:13
    Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
  33. Cross References
    Jeremiah 1:7
    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 whatever I command you, you shall speak.
  34. Cross References
    Jeremiah 1:8
    Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, declares the Lord.
    Ezekiel 3:9
    Like emery harder than flint have I made your forehead. Fear them not, nor be dismayed at their looks, for they are a rebellious house.
  35. Cross References
    Isaiah 50:7
    But the Lord God helps me; therefore I have not been disgraced; therefore I have set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be put to shame.
  36. Cross References
    Revelation 3:12
    The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name.
  37. Cross References
    Jeremiah 15:20
    And I will make you to this people a fortified wall of bronze; they will fight against you, but they shall not prevail over you, for I am with you to save you and deliver you, declares the Lord.
    Jeremiah 6:27
    I have made you a tester of metals among my people, that you may know and test their ways.
  38. Cross References
    Jeremiah 1:18
    And I, behold, I make you this day a fortified city, an iron pillar, and bronze walls, against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests, and the people of the land.
  39. Cross References
    Jeremiah 1:8
    Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, declares the Lord.
    Acts 18:9 - 10
    And the Lord said to Paul one night in a vision, "Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent.
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.
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