Jeremiah 1:1-9

The Call of Jeremiah

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.

  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.
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.