Commentary on Jeremiah and Lamentations - Volume 1

1The words of Jeremiah, the son of Hilkiah, oneof the priests who were in Anathoth, in the land of Benjamin:

2Even the word of Jehovah came to him in the days of Josiah, the son of Amon, The king of Judah, in the tenth year of his reign;

3 And it came in the days of Jehoiakim, the son of Josiah, the king of Judah, to the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah, the son of Josiah, the king of Judah, to the transmigration of Jerusalem in the fifth month.

4And the word of Jehovah came to me, saying, —

5Before I formed thee in the womb, I knew thee; Before thou camest forth from the womb, I sanctified thee; A prophet to the nations have I made thee.

6And I said, — Ah! Lord Jehovah, Behold, I know not how to speak, for I am a child.

7And Jehovah said to me, — Say not, I am a child; For wheresoever I send thee, thou shalt go; And whatsoever I command thee, thou shalt say:

8Fear not their face, for I am with thee, To deliver thee, saith Jehovah.

9And Jehovah extended his hand and touched my mouth; and Jehovah said to me, — Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth;

10See, I have set thee today Over nations and over kingdoms, To pull down and to destroy, To root up and to demolish, To build and to plant. (1:47)

11Then the word of Jehovah came to me saying, What seest thou, Jeremiah? And I said, The rod of a watcher is whatI see.

12Then Jehovah said to me, Thou hast rightly seen, for I watch over my word to do it.

13And the word of Jehovah came to me again, saying, What seest thou? And I said, A pot boiling is whatI see; its face is towards the north.

14And Jehovah said to me, — From the north shall break forth an evil On all the inhabitants of the land:

15For behold, I am calling all the families Of the kingdoms of the north, saith Jehovah; And they shall come, andset shall each his throne, At the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, And on all its walls around, And on all the cities of Judah:

16And I will execute my judgments on them For all their wickedness; Because they have forsaken me, And have burnt incense to strange gods, And bowed down to the works of their own hands. (1:58)

17Thou then, gird thy loins and arise, And speak to them whatsoever I command thee; Fear not their face, Lest I dismay thee before them.

18And I, behold I have made thee this day A fortified city, an iron pillar, And a brazen wall, as to the whole land, Against the kings of Judah, Against his princes, against his priests, Against the people of the land:

19And they shall fight with thee, But shall not prevail over thee, For with thee am I, saith Jehovah, to deliver thee.