32:1 In the tenth year that Zedekiah was ruling over Judah the Lord spoke to Jeremiah. 1 That was the same as the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar.
1:6 I answered, “Oh, Lord God, 2 I really 3 do not know how to speak well enough for that, 4 for I am too young.” 5 1:7 The Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ But go 6 to whomever I send you and say whatever I tell you.
1 tn Heb “The word which came to Jeremiah from the
2 tn Heb “Lord Yahweh.”
3 tn Heb “Behold, I do not know how to speak.” The particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, commonly rendered “behold”) often introduces a speech and calls special attention to a specific word or the statement as a whole (see IBHS 675-78 §40.2.1).
4 tn The words “well enough for that” are implicit and are supplied in the translation for clarity. Jeremiah is not claiming an absolute inability to speak.
5 tn Heb “I am a boy/youth.” The Hebrew word can refer to an infant (Exod 2:6), a young boy (1 Sam 2:11), a teenager (Gen 21:12), or a young man (2 Sam 18:5). The translation is deliberately ambiguous since it is unclear how old Jeremiah was when he was called to begin prophesying.
3 tn Or “For you must go and say.” The Hebrew particle כִּי (ki) is likely adversative here after a negative statement (cf. BDB 474 s.v. כִּי 3.e). The