The Lord shows Jeremiah two visions
11 The Lord asked me, ‘What do you see, Jeremiah?’
I replied, ‘I see the branch of an almond tree.’
12 The Lord said, ‘Yes, that is correct. I am watching carefully to make sure that what I say will happen really happens.’
1:12The Hebrew words for ‘almond’ and ‘watching’ sound nearly the same. The almond tree is the first tree to have flowers, in the spring. God was telling Jeremiah what would happen. All the things that he had said would soon happen.
13 The Lord asked me again. ‘What do you see?’
I replied, ‘I see in the north a pot with boiling water in it. It will pour its water in this direction.’
The Lord said, 14 ‘Yes, trouble like boiling water will come from the north. It will destroy all the people who live in this land. 15 I will call all the nations that are in the north to come here. Their kings will come and they will sit on their thrones at the city gates of Jerusalem. Their armies will be all around the walls of Jerusalem and the other cities of Judah. 16 I will punish my people for the wicked things that they have done. They have turned away from me. They have offered sacrifices to false gods. They have worshipped idols that they have made with their own hands.
17 You must be ready to move, Jeremiah! Go and say to the people whatever I tell you. Do not be afraid of them. If you are afraid of them now, when you are among them, I will cause you to be very frightened! 18 I, the Lord, promise that I will make you as strong as a city with strong walls around it. You will be as strong as an iron pillar, or a wall that is made of bronze. You will speak a message against the whole nation of Judah. You will speak against its kings, its officers, its priests and all its people. 19 They will attack you. But they will not win against you, because I will be with you. I will keep you safe.
That is what the Lord says.’
