Les prophètes

Jeremiah's Call

God calls Jeremiah to be a prophet from his mother's womb and promises to be with him. Despite Jeremiah objecting that he is too young, God puts His words in his mouth and shows him visions of an almond branch and a boiling pot from the north, warning of coming judgment on Judah.

Jérémie 1,1-19

1The words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, one of the priests at Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin.
דִּבְרֵ֥י יִרְמְיָ֖הוּ בֶּן־חִלְקִיָּ֑הוּ מִן־הַכֹּֽהֲנִים֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בַּעֲנָת֔וֹת בְּאֶ֖רֶץ בִּנְיָמִֽן׃ ‬
2The word of the LORD came to him in the thirteenth year of the reign of Josiah son of Amon, king of Judah,
אֲשֶׁ֨ר הָיָ֤ה דְבַר־יְהוָה֙ אֵלָ֔יו בִּימֵ֛י יֹאשִׁיָּ֥הוּ בֶן־אָמ֖וֹן מֶ֣לֶךְ יְהוּדָ֑ה בִּשְׁלֹשׁ־עֶשְׂרֵ֥ה שָׁנָ֖ה לְמָלְכֽוֹ׃ ‬
3and it continued to come throughout the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah son of Josiah, king of Judah, when Jerusalem was carried into exile in the fifth month.
וַיְהִ֗י בִּימֵ֨י יְהוֹיָקִ֤ים בֶּן־יֹאשִׁיָּ֙הוּ֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ יְהוּדָ֔ה עַד־תֹּם֙ עַשְׁתֵּ֣י עֶשְׂרֵ֣ה שָׁנָ֔ה לְצִדְקִיָּ֥הוּ בֶן־יֹאשִׁיָּ֖הוּ מֶ֣לֶךְ יְהוּדָ֑ה עַד־גְּל֥וֹת יְרוּשָׁלַ֖͏ִם בַּחֹ֥דֶשׁ הַחֲמִישִֽׁי׃ ס ‬
4The word of the LORD came to me:
וַיְהִ֥י דְבַר־יְהוָ֖ה אֵלַ֥י לֵאמֹֽר׃ ‬
5"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I set you apart. I appointed you a prophet to the nations."
בְּטֶ֨רֶם *אצורך **אֶצָּרְךָ֤ בַבֶּ֙טֶן֙ יְדַעְתִּ֔יךָ וּבְטֶ֛רֶם תֵּצֵ֥א מֵרֶ֖חֶם הִקְדַּשְׁתִּ֑יךָ נָבִ֥יא לַגּוֹיִ֖ם נְתַתִּֽיךָ׃ ‬
6Then I said, "Ah, Lord GOD! I do not know how to speak—I am only a boy."
וָאֹמַ֗ר אֲהָהּ֙ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהֹוִ֔ה הִנֵּ֥ה לֹא־יָדַ֖עְתִּי דַּבֵּ֑ר כִּי־נַ֖עַר אָנֹֽכִי׃ פ ‬
7But the LORD said to me, "Do not say, 'I am only a boy.' You will go wherever I send you, and you will speak whatever I command you.
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהוָה֙ אֵלַ֔י אַל־תֹּאמַ֖ר נַ֣עַר אָנֹ֑כִי כִּ֠י עַֽל־כָּל־אֲשֶׁ֤ר אֽ͏ֶשְׁלָחֲךָ֙ תֵּלֵ֔ךְ וְאֵ֛ת כָּל־אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֲצַוְּךָ֖ תְּדַבֵּֽר׃ ‬
8Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, declares the LORD."
אַל־תִּירָ֖א מִפְּנֵיהֶ֑ם כִּֽי־אִתְּךָ֥ אֲנִ֛י לְהַצִּלֶ֖ךָ נְאֻם־יְהוָֽה׃ ‬
9Then the LORD reached out his hand and touched my mouth, and the LORD said to me, "See, I have put my words in your mouth.
וַיִּשְׁלַ֤ח יְהוָה֙ אֶת־יָד֔וֹ וַיַּגַּ֖ע עַל־פִּ֑י וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהוָה֙ אֵלַ֔י הִנֵּ֛ה נָתַ֥תִּי דְבָרַ֖י בְּפִֽיךָ׃ ‬
10See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms: to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.
רְאֵ֞ה הִפְקַדְתִּ֣יךָ ׀ הַיּ֣וֹם הַזֶּ֗ה עַל־הַגּוֹיִם֙ וְעַל־הַמַּמְלָכ֔וֹת לִנְת֥וֹשׁ וְלִנְת֖וֹץ וּלְהַאֲבִ֣יד וְלַהֲר֑וֹס לִבְנ֖וֹת וְלִנְטֽוֹעַ׃ פ ‬
11The word of the LORD came to me: "What do you see, Jeremiah?" "I see a branch of an almond tree," I answered.[^1] [^1]: The Hebrew word for "almond tree" (shaqed) sounds like the word for "watching" (shoqed) in the next verse.
וַיְהִ֤י דְבַר־יְהוָה֙ אֵלַ֣י לֵאמֹ֔ר מָה־אַתָּ֥ה רֹאֶ֖ה יִרְמְיָ֑הוּ וָאֹמַ֕ר מַקֵּ֥ל שָׁקֵ֖ד אֲנִ֥י רֹאֶֽה׃ ‬
12Then the LORD said to me, "You have seen well, for I am watching over my word to carry it out."
וַיֹּ֧אמֶר יְהוָ֛ה אֵלַ֖י הֵיטַ֣בְתָּ לִרְא֑וֹת כִּֽי־שֹׁקֵ֥ד אֲנִ֛י עַל־דְּבָרִ֖י לַעֲשֹׂתֽוֹ׃ פ ‬
13Again the word of the LORD came to me: "What do you see?" "I see a boiling pot," I answered, "tilted away from the north."
וַיְהִ֨י דְבַר־יְהוָ֤ה ׀ אֵלַי֙ שֵׁנִ֣ית לֵאמֹ֔ר מָ֥ה אַתָּ֖ה רֹאֶ֑ה וָאֹמַ֗ר סִ֤יר נָפ֙וּחַ֙ אֲנִ֣י רֹאֶ֔ה וּפָנָ֖יו מִפְּנֵ֥י צָפֽוֹנָה׃ ‬
14Then the LORD said to me: "Out of the north disaster will break loose on all who live in the land.
וַיֹּ֥אמֶר יְהוָ֖ה אֵלָ֑י מִצָּפוֹן֙ תִּפָּתַ֣ח הָרָעָ֔ה עַ֥ל כָּל־יֹשְׁבֵ֖י הָאָֽרֶץ׃ ‬
15For I am summoning all the tribes of the kingdoms of the north, declares the LORD. They will come, and each will set up his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, against all her surrounding walls and against all the cities of Judah.
כִּ֣י ׀ הִנְנִ֣י קֹרֵ֗א לְכָֽל־מִשְׁפְּח֛וֹת מַמְלְכ֥וֹת צָפ֖וֹנָה נְאֻם־יְהוָ֑ה וּבָ֡אוּ וְֽנָתְנוּ֩ אִ֨ישׁ כִּסְא֜וֹ פֶּ֣תַח ׀ שַׁעֲרֵ֣י יְרוּשָׁלִַ֗ם וְעַ֤ל כָּל־חוֹמֹתֶ֙יהָ֙ סָבִ֔יב וְעַ֖ל כָּל־עָרֵ֥י יְהוּדָֽה׃ ‬
16I will pronounce my judgments against them for all their wickedness in forsaking me, in burning incense to other gods, and in worshiping the works of their own hands.
וְדִבַּרְתִּ֤י מִשְׁפָּטַי֙ אוֹתָ֔ם עַ֖ל כָּל־רָעָתָ֑ם אֲשֶׁ֣ר עֲזָב֗וּנִי וַֽיְקַטְּרוּ֙ לֵאלֹהִ֣ים אֲחֵרִ֔ים וַיִּֽשְׁתַּחֲו֖וּ לְמַעֲשֵׂ֥י יְדֵיהֶֽם׃ ‬
17Now brace yourself, stand up and tell them everything I command you. Do not be terrified of them, or I will terrify you before them.
וְאַתָּה֙ תֶּאְזֹ֣ר מָתְנֶ֔יךָ וְקַמְתָּ֙ וְדִבַּרְתָּ֣ אֲלֵיהֶ֔ם אֵ֛ת כָּל־אֲשֶׁ֥ר אָנֹכִ֖י אֲצַוֶּ֑ךָּ אַל־תֵּחַת֙ מִפְּנֵיהֶ֔ם פֶּֽן־אֲחִתְּךָ֖ לִפְנֵיהֶֽם׃ ‬
18Today I have made you a fortified city, an iron pillar, and bronze walls against the whole land—against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests, and the people of the land.
וַאֲנִ֞י הִנֵּ֧ה נְתַתִּ֣יךָ הַיּ֗וֹם לְעִ֨יר מִבְצָ֜ר וּלְעַמּ֥וּד בַּרְזֶ֛ל וּלְחֹמ֥וֹת נְחֹ֖שֶׁת עַל־כָּל־הָאָ֑רֶץ לְמַלְכֵ֤י יְהוּדָה֙ לְשָׂרֶ֔יהָ לְכֹהֲנֶ֖יהָ וּלְעַ֥ם הָאָֽרֶץ׃ ‬
19They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you to deliver you, declares the LORD."
וְנִלְחֲמ֥וּ אֵלֶ֖יךָ וְלֹא־י֣וּכְלוּ לָ֑ךְ כִּֽי־אִתְּךָ֥ אֲנִ֛י נְאֻם־יְהוָ֖ה לְהַצִּילֶֽךָ׃ פ ‬