¹The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkijah, of the priests that were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin:

¹Mashoko aJeremiya, mwanakomana waHirikia, waiva worudzi rwavapristi vaiva paAnatoti panyika yaBhenjamini.

²to whom the word of Jehovah came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign;

²Shoko raJehovha rakauya kwaari pamazuva aJosiya, mwanakomana waAmoni, mambo waJudha, negore regumi namatatu rokubata kwake ushe.

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.

³Rikauyawo pamazuva aJehoiakimu, mwanakomana waJosiya, mambo waJudha, kusvikira pakupera kwegore regumi nerimwe raZedhekia, mwanakomana waJosiya, mambo waJudha, kusvikira pakutapwa kwaveJerusaremu nomwedzi wechishanu.

⁴And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying,

⁴Zvino shoko raJehovha rakauya kwandiri, richiti,

⁵Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I hallowed thee, I appointed thee a prophet unto the nations.

⁵Ndakakuziva ndisati ndakuumba mudumbu ramai, ndakakuita mutsvene usati wabuda muchizvaro chamai, ndakakugadza kuti uve muporofita wamarudzi avanhu.

⁶And I said, Alas, Lord Jehovah! behold, I cannot speak; for I am a child.

⁶Ipapo ndakati, Haiwa, Ishe Mwari, tarirai, handigoni kutaura, nekuti ndiri mwanana hangu.

⁷But Jehovah said unto me, Say not, I am a child; for thou shalt go to whomsoever I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak.

⁷Asi Jehovha akati kwandiri, Usati ndiri mwanana; nekuti kuna ani naani wandinenge ndichikutuma, unofanira kuenda, nechinhu chipi nechipi chandinenge ndichikuraira, unofanira kuchitaura.

⁸Be not afraid of them; for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith Jehovah.

⁸Usatya nokuda kwavo, nekuti zvanzi naJehovha, ndinewe, kuti ndikurwire.

⁹And Jehovah put forth his hand and touched my mouth; and Jehovah said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth.

⁹Ipapo Jehovha akatambanudza ruoko rwake, akabata muromo wangu; Jehovha akati kwandiri, Tarira, ndaisa mashoko angu mumuromo mako.

¹⁰See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to pluck up, and to break down, and to destroy, and to overthrow, to build and to plant.

¹⁰Tarira, ndakugadza zuva ranhasi uve nesimba pamusoro pamarudzi nopoushe, kuti udzure nokukoromora, kuparadza nokuwisira pasi, kuvaka nokurima.

¹¹And the word of Jehovah came to me, saying, Jeremiah, what seest thou? And I said, I see a rod of an almond-tree.

¹¹Ipapo shoko raJehovha rakauyazve kwandiri, richiti, Jeremiya, unoonei? Ndikati, Ndinoona davi romuamanda.

¹²And Jehovah said unto me, Thou hast well seen; for I am watchful over my word to perform it.

¹²Ipapo Jehovha akati kwandiri,Waona zvakanaka; nekuti ndinosvinurira shoko rangu, kuti ndiriite.

¹³And the word of Jehovah came to me the second time, saying, What seest thou? And I said, I see a seething-pot, and its face is from the north.

¹³Zvino shoko raJehovha rakauya kwandiri rwechipiri, richiti, Unoonei? Ndikati, Ndinoona gate rinovira, muromo waro unotarira kuno uri kurutivi rwokumusoro.

¹⁴And Jehovah said unto me, Out of the north shall evil break forth upon all the inhabitants of the land.

¹⁴Ipapo Jehovha akati kwandiri, Kurutivi rwokumusoro ndiko kuchabuda zvakaipa zvichawira vanhu vose vagere panyika ino.

¹⁵For behold, I am calling all the families of the kingdoms of the north, saith Jehovah, 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:

¹⁵nekuti zvanzi naJehovha, Tarirai, ndinodana marudzi ose oushe ari kurutivi rwokumusoro; achauya, rumwe norumwe ruchaisa chigaro charwo choushe pavanopinda pamasuwo eJerusaremu, namasvingo aro kumativi ose napamaguta ose aJudha, kuzorwa nawo.

¹⁶and I will pronounce my judgments against them for all their wickedness, in that they have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, and worshipped the works of their own hands.

¹⁶Ndichareva zvandakavatongera pamusoro pezvakaipa zvavo zvose, zvavakandirasha, vakapisira vamwe vamwari zvinonhuhwira, vakanamata mabasa amaoko avo.

¹⁷Thou, therefore, gird up thy loins, and arise, and speak unto them all that I shall command thee: be not dismayed at them, lest I cause thee to be dismayed before them.

¹⁷Zvino iwe, chizvisunga chiuno, usimuke, uvaparidzire zvose zvandakakuraira; usavhunduka zviso zvavo, kuti ndirege kukuvhundusa pamberi pavo.

¹⁸And I, behold, I appoint thee this day as a strong city, and an iron pillar, and brazen walls, against the whole land; against the kings of Judah, against its princes, against its priests, and against the people of the land.

¹⁸nekuti tarira, ndakakuita zuva ranhasi guta rakakomberedzwa, nembiru yedare, namasvingo endarira, urwe nenyika yose, namadzimambo aJudha, namachinda avo, navapristi vavo, navanhu venyika.

¹⁹And they shall fight against thee, but they shall not prevail against thee: for I am with thee, saith Jehovah, to deliver thee.

¹⁹Vacharwa newe, asi havangakukundi, nekuti ini ndinewe, kuti ndikurwire ndizvo zvinotaura Jehovha.