book of the prophet Jeremiah. Chapter 1 The words of Jeremiah, the son of Hilkiah, the priests that were in Anathoth, in the land of Benjamin, to whom the word of the Lord came in the days of Josiah the son of Ammon. King of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign. He came also in the days of Jehoiakim, the son of Josiah, King of Judah, unto the end of the eleventh year of Zadokiah, the son of Josiah, King of Judah, unto the carrying away of Jerusalem captive in the fifth month. And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Before 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. Then said I, O Lord God, behold, I cannot speak, for I am a child. But 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. Be not afraid of their faces, for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the Lord. Then 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. See, 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. Moreover, the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Jeremiah, what seest thou? And I said, I see a rod of an almond tree. Then said the Lord unto me, Thou hast well seen, for I will hasten my word to perform it. And 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 towards the north. And the Lord said unto me, Out of the north an evil shall break forth upon all the inhabitants of the land below. I will call all the families of the kingdoms of the north, saith the Lord. And they shall come, and they shall set everyone 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. And I will utter my judgments against them, touching all their wickedness, who have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods. and worship the works of their own hands. Thou 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. For behold, I have made thee this day a defense city, and an iron pillar, and brazen 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. And they shall fight against thee, but they shall not prevail against thee. For I am with thee, saith the Lord, to deliver thee. Jeremiah chapter 2 Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying, Go and cry in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, Thus saith the Lord. I remember thee, the kindness of thy youth, the love of thine espousals, when thou wentest after me in the wilderness, in a land that was not sown. Israel, with holiness unto the Lord, and the firstfruits of its increase, all that devour him shall offend, evil shall come upon them, saith the Lord. Hear ye the word of the Lord, O house of Jacob, and all the families of the house of Israel. Thus saith the Lord, What iniquity of your fathers found in me that they are gone far from me, and have walked after vanity, and are become vain? Neither said they, Where is the Lord that brought us up out of the land of Egypt? to let us through the wilderness, through a land of deserts and of pits, through a land of drought and of the shadow of death, through a land that no man passed through and where no man dwelt, and have brought you into a plentiful country to eat the fruit thereof and the goodness thereof. But when ye entered, ye defiled my land, and made mine heritage an abomination. The priests said not, Where is the Lord? and they that handled the law knew me not. The pastors also transgressed against me, and the prophets prophesied by Baal, and walked after things that do not profit. Wherefore, I will yet plead with you, saith the Lord, and with your children's children will I plead. For pass over the Isles of Shittim, and see, and send unto Kadar, and consider diligently, and see if there be such a thing. Hath the nation changed their gods, which are yet no gods, but my people have changed their glory for that which doth not profit. Be astonished, O ye heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid. Be very desolate, saith the Lord, for my people have committed two evils. Do you have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water? Is Israel a servant? Is he a home-born slave? Why is he spoiled? The young lions roared upon him and yelled, and he made his land waste. His cities are burned without inhabitant. Also the children of Naphth and Tehappanaz have broken the crown of thy head. Has thou not procured this unto thyself, and that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God, when he led thee by the way? And now, what hast thou to do in the way of Egypt, to drink the waters of Sihur? Or what hast thou to do in the way of Assyria, to drink the waters of the river? Thine own wickedness shall correct thee, and thy backsliding shall reprove thee. Know therefore and see that it is an evil thing and bitter that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God, and that my fear is not in thee, saith the Lord God of hosts. For of old time have I broken thy yoke, And birthed thy bands, and thou say'st, I will not transgress, When upon every high hill and under every green tree Thou wander'st, playing the harlot. Yet, I had planted thee a noble vine wholly a right seed. How then art thou turned into the degenerate plant of a strange vine unto me? For thou hast washed thee with niter, and take thee much soap. Yet, thine iniquity is marred before me, saith the Lord God. How canst thou say I am not polluted? I have not gone after Balaam. See thy way in the valley. Know what thou hast done. Thou art a swift dromedary traversing her ways, a wild ass used to the wilderness that snuffeth up the wind in her pleasure, in her occasion, who can turn her away. All they that seek her will not weary themselves in her month they shall find her. Withhold thy foot from being unshod, and thy throat from thirst, for thou sayest there is no hope. No, for I have loved strangers, and after them will I go. As a thief is ashamed when he is found, so is the house of Israel ashamed. They, their kings, their princes, and their priests, and their prophets, say unto a stock, Thou art my father, and to a stone, Thou hast brought me forth, for they have turned their back unto me, and not their face. But in the time of their trouble they will say, Arise and save us. But where are thy gods that thou hast made thee? Let them arise, if they can save thee in the time of thy trouble. For according to the number of thy cities are thy gods, O Judah. Wherefore will you plead with me? Ye have all transgressed against me, saith the Lord. In vain have I smitten your children. They receive no correction. Your own sword has devoured your prophets like a destroying lion. O generation, see ye the word of the Lord. Have I been a wilderness unto Israel, a land of darkness? Wherefore say my people, we are lords. We will come no more unto thee. Can a maid forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire? Yet my people have forgotten me days without number. Why trimmest thou thy way to seek love? Therefore hast thou also taught the wicked ones thy ways. Also in thy skirts is found the blood of the souls of the poor innocents. I have not founded by secret search, but upon all these. Yet thou sayest, Because I am innocent, surely his anger shall turn from me. Behold, I will plead with thee, because thou sayest, I have not sinned. Why gaddest thou about so much to change thy way? Thou also shalt be ashamed of Egypt, as thou wast ashamed of Assyria. Yea, thou shalt go forth from him with thy hands upon thine head, for the Lord hath rejected thy confidences, and thou shalt not prosper in them.