1-4. The Message of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah of the family of priests who lived in Anathoth in the country of Benjamin. God’s Message began to come to him during the thirteenth year that Josiah son of Amos reigned over Judah. It continued to come to him during the time Jehoiakim son of Josiah reigned over Judah. And it continued to come to him clear down to the fifth month of the eleventh year of the reign of Zedekiah son of Josiah over Judah, the year that Jerusalem was taken into exile. This is what God said:
11-12. God’s Message came to me: “What do you see, Jeremiah?”I said, “A walking stick—that’s all.”And God said, “Good eyes! I’m sticking with you.I’ll make every word I give you come true.”
13-15. God’s Message came again: “So what do you see now?”I said, “I see a boiling pot, tipped down toward us.”Then God told me, “Disaster will pour out of the northon everyone living in this land.Watch for this: I’m calling all the kings out of the north.”God’s Decree.
15-16. “They’ll come and set up headquartersfacing Jerusalem’s gates,Facing all the city walls,facing all the villages of Judah.I’ll pronounce my judgment on the people of Judahfor walking out on me—what a terrible thing to do!—And courting other gods with their offerings,worshiping as gods sticks they’d carved, stones they’d painted.