Jeremiah 1:18

NET Bible® (New English Translation)

I, the LORD, hereby promise to make you as strong as a fortified city, an iron pillar, and a bronze wall. You will be able to stand up against all who live in the land, including the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests and all the people of the land.

Additional Resources

Referenced Verses

  • Isa 50:7 : 7 But the Sovereign LORD helps me, so I am not humiliated. For that reason I am steadfastly resolved; I know I will not be put to shame.
  • Jer 6:27 : 27 The LORD said to me,“I have made you like a metal assayer to test my people like ore. You are to observe them and evaluate how they behave.”
  • Jer 15:20 : 20 I will make you as strong as a wall to these people, a fortified wall of bronze. They will attack you, but they will not be able to overcome you. For I will be with you to rescue you and deliver you,” says the LORD.
  • Ezek 3:8-9 : 8 “I have made your face adamant to match their faces, and your forehead hard to match their foreheads. 9 I have made your forehead harder than flint– like diamond! Do not fear them or be terrified of the looks they give you, for they are a rebellious house.”
  • Mic 3:8-9 : 8 But I am full of the courage that the LORD’s Spirit gives, and have a strong commitment to justice. This enables me to confront Jacob with its rebellion, and Israel with its sin. 9 Listen to this, you leaders of the family of Jacob, you rulers of the nation of Israel! You hate justice and pervert all that is right.
  • Jer 42:22 : 22 So now be very sure of this: You will die from war, starvation, or disease in the place where you want to go and live.”
  • Jer 21:4-22:30 : 4 that the LORD, the God of Israel, says,‘The forces at your disposal are now outside the walls fighting against King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and the Babylonians who have you under siege. I will gather those forces back inside the city. 5 In anger, in fury, and in wrath I myself will fight against you with my mighty power and great strength! 6 I will kill everything living in Jerusalem, people and animals alike! They will die from terrible diseases. 7 Then I, the LORD, promise that I will hand over King Zedekiah of Judah, his officials, and any of the people who survive the war, starvation, and disease. I will hand them over to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and to their enemies who want to kill them. He will slaughter them with the sword. He will not show them any mercy, compassion, or pity.’ 8 “But tell the people of Jerusalem that the LORD says,‘I will give you a choice between two courses of action. One will result in life; the other will result in death. 9 Those who stay in this city will die in battle or of starvation or disease. Those who leave the city and surrender to the Babylonians who are besieging it will live. They will escape with their lives. 10 For I, the LORD, say that I am determined not to deliver this city but to bring disaster on it. It will be handed over to the king of Babylon and he will destroy it with fire.’” 11 Warnings to the Royal Court The LORD told me to say to the royal court of Judah,“Listen to the LORD’s message, 12 O royal family descended from David. The LORD says:‘See to it that people each day are judged fairly. Deliver those who have been robbed from those who oppress them. Otherwise, my wrath will blaze out against you. It will burn like a fire that cannot be put out because of the evil that you have done. 13 Listen, you who sit enthroned above the valley on a rocky plateau. I am opposed to you,’ says the LORD.‘You boast,“No one can swoop down on us. No one can penetrate into our places of refuge.” 14 But I will punish you as your deeds deserve,’ says the LORD.‘I will set fire to your palace; it will burn up everything around it.’” 1 The LORD told me,“Go down to the palace of the king of Judah. Give him a message from me there. 2 Say:‘Listen, O king of Judah who follows in David’s succession. You, your officials, and your subjects who pass through the gates of this palace must listen to the LORD’s message. 3 The LORD says,“Do what is just and right. Deliver those who have been robbed from those who oppress them. Do not exploit or mistreat resident foreigners who live in your land, children who have no fathers, or widows. Do not kill innocent people in this land. 4 If you are careful to obey these commands, then the kings who follow in David’s succession and ride in chariots or on horses will continue to come through the gates of this palace, as will their officials and their subjects. 5 But, if you do not obey these commands, I solemnly swear that this palace will become a pile of rubble. I, the LORD, affirm it!” 6 “‘For the LORD says concerning the palace of the king of Judah,“This place looks like a veritable forest of Gilead to me. It is like the wooded heights of Lebanon in my eyes. But I swear that I will make it like a wilderness whose towns have all been deserted. 7 I will send men against it to destroy it with their axes and hatchets. They will hack up its fine cedar panels and columns and throw them into the fire. 8 “‘People from other nations will pass by this city. They will ask one another,“Why has the LORD done such a thing to this great city?” 9 The answer will come back,“It is because they broke their covenant with the LORD their God and worshiped and served other gods.” 10 Judgment on Jehoahaz“‘Do not weep for the king who was killed. Do not grieve for him. But weep mournfully for the king who has gone into exile. For he will never return to see his native land again. 11 “‘For the LORD has spoken about Shallum son of Josiah, who succeeded his father as king of Judah but was carried off into exile. He has said,“He will never return to this land. 12 For he will die in the country where they took him as a captive. He will never see this land again.” 13 Judgment on Jehoiakim“‘Sure to be judged is the king who builds his palace using injustice and treats people unfairly while adding its upper rooms. He makes his countrymen work for him for nothing. He does not pay them for their labor. 14 He says,“I will build myself a large palace with spacious upper rooms.” He cuts windows in its walls, panels it with cedar, and paints its rooms red. 15 Does it make you any more of a king that you outstrip everyone else in building with cedar? Just think about your father. He was content that he had food and drink. He did what was just and right. So things went well with him. 16 He upheld the cause of the poor and needy. So things went well for Judah.’ The LORD says,‘That is a good example of what it means to know me.’ 17 But you are always thinking and looking for ways to increase your wealth by dishonest means. Your eyes and your heart are set on killing some innocent person and committing fraud and oppression. 18 So the LORD has this to say about Josiah’s son, King Jehoiakim of Judah: People will not mourn for him, saying,“This makes me sad, my brother! This makes me sad, my sister!” They will not mourn for him, saying,“Poor, poor lord! Poor, poor majesty!” 19 He will be left unburied just like a dead donkey. His body will be dragged off and thrown outside the gates of Jerusalem.’” 20 Warning to Jerusalem People of Jerusalem, go up to Lebanon and cry out in mourning. Go to the land of Bashan and cry out loudly. Cry out in mourning from the mountains of Moab. For your allies have all been defeated. 21 While you were feeling secure I gave you warning. But you said,“I refuse to listen to you.” That is the way you have acted from your earliest history onward. Indeed, you have never paid attention to me. 22 My judgment will carry off all your leaders like a storm wind! Your allies will go into captivity. Then you will certainly be disgraced and put to shame because of all the wickedness you have done. 23 You may feel as secure as a bird nesting in the cedars of Lebanon. But oh how you will groan when the pains of judgment come on you. They will be like those of a woman giving birth to a baby. 24 Jeconiah Will Be Permanently Exiled The LORD says,“As surely as I am the living God, you, Jeconiah, king of Judah, son of Jehoiakim, will not be the earthly representative of my authority. Indeed, I will take that right away from you. 25 I will hand you over to those who want to take your life and of whom you are afraid. I will hand you over to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and his Babylonian soldiers. 26 I will force you and your mother who gave you birth into exile. You will be exiled to a country where neither of you were born, and you will both die there. 27 You will never come back to this land to which you will long to return!” 28 This man, Jeconiah, will be like a broken pot someone threw away. He will be like a clay vessel that no one wants. Why will he and his children be forced into exile? Why will they be thrown out into a country they know nothing about? 29 O land of Judah, land of Judah, land of Judah! Listen to the LORD’s message! 30 The LORD says,“Enroll this man in the register as though he were childless. Enroll him as a man who will not enjoy success during his lifetime. For none of his sons will succeed in occupying the throne of David or ever succeed in ruling over Judah.”
  • Jer 26:12-15 : 12 Then Jeremiah made his defense before all the officials and all the people.“The LORD sent me to prophesy everything you have heard me say against this temple and against this city. 13 But correct the way you have been living and do what is right. Obey the LORD your God. If you do, the LORD will forgo destroying you as he threatened he would. 14 As to my case, I am in your power. Do to me what you deem fair and proper. 15 But you should take careful note of this: If you put me to death, you will bring on yourselves and this city and those who live in it the guilt of murdering an innocent man. For the LORD has sent me to speak all this where you can hear it. That is the truth!”
  • Jer 34:3 : 3 You yourself will not escape his clutches, but will certainly be captured and handed over to him. You must confront the king of Babylon face to face and answer to him personally. Then you must go to Babylon.”’”
  • Jer 34:20-22 : 20 I will hand them over to their enemies who want to kill them. Their dead bodies will become food for the birds and the wild animals. 21 I will also hand King Zedekiah of Judah and his officials over to their enemies who want to kill them. I will hand them over to the army of the king of Babylon, even though they have temporarily withdrawn from attacking you. 22 For I, the LORD, affirm that I will soon give the order and bring them back to this city. They will fight against it and capture it and burn it down. I will also make the towns of Judah desolate so that there will be no one living in them.”’”
  • Jer 36:27-32 : 27 Baruch and Jeremiah Write Another Scroll The LORD’s message came to Jeremiah after the king had burned the scroll with the words Baruch had written down at Jeremiah’s dictation. 28 “Get another scroll and write on it everything that was written on the original scroll that King Jehoiakim of Judah burned. 29 Tell King Jehoiakim of Judah,‘The LORD says,“You burned the scroll. You asked Jeremiah,‘How dare you write in this scroll that the king of Babylon will certainly come and destroy this land and wipe out all the people and animals on it?’” 30 So the LORD says concerning King Jehoiakim of Judah,“None of his line will occupy the throne of David. His dead body will be thrown out to be exposed to scorching heat by day and frost by night. 31 I will punish him and his descendants and the officials who serve him for the wicked things they have done. I will bring on them, the citizens of Jerusalem, and the people of Judah all the disaster that I threatened to do to them. I will punish them because I threatened them but they still paid no heed.”’” 32 Then Jeremiah got another scroll and gave it to the scribe Baruch son of Neriah. As Jeremiah dictated, Baruch wrote on this scroll everything that had been on the scroll that King Jehoiakim of Judah burned in the fire. They also added on this scroll several other messages of the same kind.
  • Jer 37:7 : 7 “This is what the LORD God of Israel has said,‘This is what you must say to the king of Judah who sent you to seek my help.“Beware, Pharaoh’s army that was on its way to help you is about to go back home to Egypt.
  • Jer 38:2 : 2 “The LORD says,‘Those who stay in this city will die in battle or of starvation or disease. Those who leave the city and surrender to the Babylonians will live. They will escape with their lives.’”
  • Jer 38:18 : 18 But if you do not surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, this city will be handed over to the Babylonians and they will burn it down. You yourself will not escape from them.’”
  • John 1:42 : 42 Andrew brought Simon to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said,“You are Simon, the son of John. You will be called Cephas”(which is translated Peter).

Similar Verses (AI)

These verses are found using AI-powered semantic similarity based on meaning and context. Results may occasionally include unexpected connections.

  • 20I will make you as strong as a wall to these people, a fortified wall of bronze. They will attack you, but they will not be able to overcome you. For I will be with you to rescue you and deliver you,” says the LORD.

  • 19They will attack you but they will not be able to overcome you, for I will be with you to rescue you,” says the LORD.

  • Jer 1:15-17
    3 verses
    80%

    15For I will soon summon all the peoples of the kingdoms of the north,” says the LORD.“They will come and their kings will set up their thrones near the entrances of the gates of Jerusalem. They will attack all the walls surrounding it, and all the towns in Judah.

    16In this way I will pass sentence on the people of Jerusalem and Judah because of all their wickedness. For they rejected me and offered sacrifices to other gods, worshiping what they made with their own hands.”

    17“But you, Jeremiah, get yourself ready! Go and tell these people everything I instruct you to say. Do not be terrified of them, or I will give you good reason to be terrified of them.

  • 27The LORD said to me,“I have made you like a metal assayer to test my people like ore. You are to observe them and evaluate how they behave.”

  • Ezek 3:8-9
    2 verses
    76%

    8“I have made your face adamant to match their faces, and your forehead hard to match their foreheads.

    9I have made your forehead harder than flint– like diamond! Do not fear them or be terrified of the looks they give you, for they are a rebellious house.”

  • Zech 2:4-5
    2 verses
    76%

    4and said to him,“Hurry, speak to this young man as follows:‘Jerusalem will no longer be enclosed by walls because of the multitude of people and animals there.

    5But I(the LORD says) will be a wall of fire surrounding Jerusalem and the source of glory in her midst.’”

  • 1Judah Will Celebrate At that time this song will be sung in the land of Judah:“We have a strong city! The LORD’s deliverance, like walls and a rampart, makes it secure.

  • 1Proclamation of the Destruction of Nineveh(2:2)“An enemy who will scatter you, Nineveh, has advanced against you!”“Guard the rampart! Watch the road! Prepare yourselves for battle! Muster your mighty strength!”

  • 4For I, the LORD God of Israel, have something more to say about the houses in this city and the royal buildings of Judah which have been torn down for defenses against the siege ramps and military incursions of the Babylonians:

  • Jer 17:19-20
    2 verses
    75%

    19Observance of the Sabbath Day Is a Key to the Future The LORD told me,“Go and stand in the People’s Gate through which the kings of Judah enter and leave the city. Then go and stand in all the other gates of the city of Jerusalem.

    20And then announce to them,‘Listen to the LORD’s message, you kings of Judah, and everyone from Judah, and all you citizens of Jerusalem, those who pass through these gates.

  • 14Draw yourselves water for a siege! Strengthen your fortifications! Trample the mud and tread the clay! Make mud bricks to strengthen your walls!

  • 2“I am about to make Jerusalem a cup that brings dizziness to all the surrounding nations; indeed, Judah will also be included when Jerusalem is besieged.

  • 16a day of trumpet blasts and battle cries. Judgment will fall on the fortified cities and the high corner towers.

  • 17Instead of bronze, I will bring you gold, instead of iron, I will bring you silver, instead of wood, I will bring you bronze, instead of stones, I will bring you iron. I will make prosperity your overseer, and vindication your sovereign ruler.

  • Ezek 4:2-3
    2 verses
    74%

    2Lay siege to it! Build siege works against it. Erect a siege ramp against it! Post soldiers outside it and station battering rams around it.

    3Then for your part take an iron frying pan and set it up as an iron wall between you and the city. Set your face toward it. It is to be under siege; you are to besiege it. This is a sign for the house of Israel.

  • 10Know for certain that I hereby give you the authority to announce to nations and kingdoms that they will be uprooted and torn down, destroyed and demolished, rebuilt and firmly planted.”

  • 38Jerusalem Will Be Enlarged“Indeed a time is coming,” says the LORD,“when the city of Jerusalem will be rebuilt as my special city. It will be built from the Tower of Hananel westward to the Corner Gate.

  • 19For the LORD of Heaven’s Armies has already spoken about the two bronze pillars, the large bronze basin called‘The Sea,’ and the movable bronze stands. He has already spoken about the rest of the valuable articles that are left in this city.

  • 10For I, the LORD, say that I am determined not to deliver this city but to bring disaster on it. It will be handed over to the king of Babylon and he will destroy it with fire.’”

  • 22For I, the LORD, affirm that I will soon give the order and bring them back to this city. They will fight against it and capture it and burn it down. I will also make the towns of Judah desolate so that there will be no one living in them.”’”

  • 15You were once abandoned and despised, with no one passing through, but I will make you a permanent source of pride and joy to coming generations.

  • Isa 25:2-3
    2 verses
    72%

    2Indeed, you have made the city into a heap of rubble, the fortified town into a heap of ruins; the fortress of foreigners is no longer a city, it will never be rebuilt.

    3So a strong nation will extol you; the towns of powerful nations will fear you.

  • 11It will be a day for rebuilding your walls; in that day your boundary will be extended.

  • 25I will attack you; I will purify your metal with flux. I will remove all your slag.

  • 9“I, the LORD, say:‘This shows how I will ruin the highly exalted position in which Judah and Jerusalem take pride.

  • 5The commander orders his officers; they stumble as they advance; they rush to the city wall and they set up the covered siege tower.

  • 20Mark out the routes for the sword to take:“Rabbah of the Ammonites” and“Judah with Jerusalem in it.”

  • 15“The LORD of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel says,‘I will soon bring on this city and all the towns surrounding it all the disaster I threatened to do to it. I will do so because they have stubbornly refused to pay any attention to what I have said!’”

  • 26No one will use any of your stones as a cornerstone. No one will use any of them in the foundation of his house. For you will lie desolate forever,” says the LORD.

  • 25Certainly you must have heard! Long ago I worked it out. In ancient times I planned it; and now I am bringing it to pass. The plan is this: Fortified cities will crash into heaps of ruins.

  • 16Zion’s Time to Celebrate I commission you as my spokesman; I cover you with the palm of my hand, to establish the sky and to found the earth, to say to Zion,‘You are my people.’”

  • Zech 12:5-6
    2 verses
    72%

    5Then the leaders of Judah will say to themselves,‘The inhabitants of Jerusalem are a means of strength to us through their God, the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.’

    6On that day I will make the leaders of Judah like an igniter among sticks and a burning torch among sheaves, and they will burn up all the surrounding nations right and left. Then the people of Jerusalem will settle once more in their place, the city of Jerusalem.

  • 17But I will rescue you when it happens. I, the LORD, affirm it! You will not be handed over to those whom you fear.

  • 10You counted the houses in Jerusalem, and demolished houses so you could have material to reinforce the wall.

  • 6I post watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; they should keep praying all day and all night. You who pray to the LORD, don’t be silent!

  • 16They are saying,‘Announce to the surrounding nations,“The enemy is coming!” Proclaim this message to Jerusalem:“Those who besiege cities are coming from a distant land. They are ready to raise the battle cry against the towns in Judah.”’

  • 9All the nations will hear about all the good things which I will do to them. This city will bring me fame, honor, and praise before them for the joy that I bring it. The nations will tremble in awe at all the peace and prosperity that I will provide for it.’

  • 4For the LORD says,‘I will make both you and your friends terrified of what will happen to you. You will see all of them die by the swords of their enemies. I will hand all the people of Judah over to the king of Babylon. He will carry some of them away into exile in Babylon and he will kill others of them with the sword.

  • 17Jeremiah Laments for and Prays for the Soon-to-be-Judged People Gather your belongings together and prepare to leave the land, you people of Jerusalem who are being besieged.

  • 6“‘For the LORD says concerning the palace of the king of Judah,“This place looks like a veritable forest of Gilead to me. It is like the wooded heights of Lebanon in my eyes. But I swear that I will make it like a wilderness whose towns have all been deserted.

  • 3I said to them,“The gates of Jerusalem must not be opened in the early morning, until those who are standing guard close the doors and lock them. Position residents of Jerusalem as guards, some at their guard stations and some near their homes.”

  • 15for every high tower, for every fortified wall,