Jeremiah
Chapter 1
Jeremiah is introduced as a priest's son from Anathoth, and the years of his work are listed, from King Josiah until Jerusalem's people were taken away. God tells Jeremiah that He chose him before he was born to speak to the nations, and Jeremiah says he is too young. God touches his mouth, gives him words, and shows him two pictures: an almond branch and a boiling pot facing from the north. God warns that armies from the north will come against Judah, and promises Jeremiah that his enemies will not defeat him.
Plain reading written for preteens. Clear and complete, at about a fifth grade reading level.
The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the priests that were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin:
1These are the words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah. He was one of the priests who lived in Anathoth, in the land of Benjamin.
2To 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 reign.
2The LORD spoke his word to Jeremiah while Josiah son of Amon was king of Judah. It came in Josiah's thirteenth year as king.
3It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the carrying away of Jerusalem captive in the fifth month.
3The LORD kept speaking to him while Jehoiakim son of Josiah was king of Judah. It went on until the fifth month of the eleventh year of Zedekiah son of Josiah, king of Judah. That was when the people of Jerusalem were taken away as prisoners.
4Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
4The LORD spoke his word to me. He said:
5Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.
5"Before I made you inside your mother, I knew you. Before you were born, I set you apart. I chose you to be a prophet to the nations."
6Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child.
6I said, "Oh, Lord GOD! I don't know how to speak. I am only a child."
7But the LORD said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak.
7But the LORD said to me, "Do not say, 'I am only a child.' You must go to everyone I send you to. You must say everything I command you.
8Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the LORD.
8Do not be afraid of them. I am with you, and I will keep you safe," says the LORD.
9Then the LORD put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth.
9Then the LORD reached out his hand and touched my mouth. The LORD said to me, "Look, I have put my words in your mouth.
10See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.
10Today I put you in charge over nations and kingdoms. You will pull up and tear down. You will destroy and knock over. You will also build and plant."
11Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Jeremiah, what seest thou? And I said, I see a rod of an almond tree.
11The LORD spoke his word to me again. He asked, "Jeremiah, what do you see?" I said, "I see a branch from an almond tree."
12Then said the LORD unto me, Thou hast well seen: for I will hasten my word to perform it.
12Then the LORD said to me, "You have seen correctly. I am watching over my word to make sure it happens."
In Hebrew, the word for "almond tree" sounds almost the same as the word for "watching." The picture Jeremiah sees is a play on words.
13And the word of the LORD came unto me the second time, saying, What seest thou? And I said, I see a seething pot; and the face thereof is toward the north.
13The LORD spoke his word to me a second time. He asked, "What do you see?" I said, "I see a pot boiling, and it is tipping toward us from the north."
14Then the LORD said unto me, Out of the north an evil shall break forth upon all the inhabitants of the land.
14Then the LORD said to me, "Trouble will pour out from the north onto everyone who lives in this land.
15For, lo, I will call all the families of the kingdoms of the north, saith the LORD; and they shall come, and they shall set every one his throne at the entering of the gates of Jerusalem, and against all the walls thereof round about, and against all the cities of Judah.
15I am about to call all the families and kingdoms of the north," says the LORD. "They will come, and each king will set his throne at the gates of Jerusalem. They will attack the walls all around the city and every town in Judah.
16And I will utter my judgments against them touching all their wickedness, who have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, and worshipped the works of their own hands.
16I will say what I have decided about my people, because of all the evil they have done. They left me. They burned incense to other gods and worshiped things they made with their own hands.
17Thou therefore gird up thy loins, and arise, and speak unto them all that I command thee: be not dismayed at their faces, lest I confound thee before them.
17So get ready. Stand up and tell them everything I command you. Do not be scared of them, or I will make you afraid in front of them.
18For, behold, I have made thee this day a defenced city, and an iron pillar, and brasen walls against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against the princes thereof, against the priests thereof, and against the people of the land.
18Today I have made you like a walled city, an iron pillar, and bronze walls. You can stand against the whole land: the kings of Judah, its leaders, its priests, and its people.
19And they shall fight against thee; but they shall not prevail against thee; for I am with thee, saith the LORD, to deliver thee.
19They will fight against you, but they will not win, because I am with you and will keep you safe," says the LORD.
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