Jeremiah 1:4–10

Every witness, in order

1. late 7th–6th century BC (by section; debated)

   The words as first spoken or written

   – No copy survives

   No original survives, and Jeremiah circulated in at least two ancient Hebrew editions: a shorter one behind the Old Greek and the longer one preserved as the Masoretic Text. The oldest copies are six fragmentary Qumran manuscripts (2QJer, 4QJer-a to 4QJer-e), from about 200 BC to the 1st century AD.

2. 1st century AD; edition 2010s

   Galatians 1:15 (Greek New Testament; library: Statistical Restoration text)

   ✓ Contains this passageUncertain relationship to the verse (which wording it followed is the question)

   How the site knows this: Read in the site's library text: the Greek New Testament editions in the library (Textus Receptus, Byzantine Textform, Statistical Restoration).

   Ὅτε δὲ εὐδόκησεν ὁ, ἀφορίσας με ἐκ κοιλίας μητρός μου, καὶ καλέσας διὰ τῆς χάριτος αὐτοῦ,

   But when God, who set me apart from my mother's womb and called me through his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son in me…

   Paul's account of his call. Allusion, not a quotation. KJV: "But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by his grace,"

3. Jerome c. AD 400, from Hebrew; edition 1592

   Latin Vulgate (Clementine)

   ✓ Contains this passageTranslated from the Hebrew text Jerome used

   How the site knows this: Read in the site's library text: Clementine Vulgate (1592 edition).

   Et factum est verbum Domini ad me, dicens: Priusquam te formarem in utero, novi te, et antequam exires de vulva, sanctificavi te, et prophetam in gentibus dedi te. Et dixi: A, a, a, Domine Deus, ecce nescio loqui, quia puer ego sum. Et dixit Dominus ad me: Noli dicere: Puer sum: quoniam ad omnia quæ mittam te ibis, et universa quæcumque mandavero tibi loqueris. Ne timeas a facie eorum, quia tecum ego sum ut eruam te, dicit Dominus. Et misit Dominus manum suam, et tetigit os meum, et dixit Dominus ad me: Ecce dedi verba mea in ore tuo: ecce constitui te hodie super gentes et super regna, ut evellas, et destruas, et disperdas, et dissipes, et ædifices, et plantes.

   Latin numbering: Jeremiah 1:4–10. Jerome translated Jeremiah from Hebrew (c. AD 400).

4. AD 1008

   Masoretic Text (Leningrad Codex)

   ✓ Contains this passageDescends, through lost copies, from The words as first spoken or written

   How the site knows this: Read in the site's library text: Westminster Leningrad Codex, a digital transcription of the Leningrad Codex.

   וַיְהִ֥י דְבַר־יְהוָ֖ה אֵלַ֥י לֵאמֹֽר׃ בְּטֶ֨רֶם אצורך אֶצָּרְךָ֤ בַבֶּ֙טֶן֙ יְדַעְתִּ֔יךָ וּבְטֶ֛רֶם תֵּצֵ֥א מֵרֶ֖חֶם הִקְדַּשְׁתִּ֑יךָ נָבִ֥יא לַגּוֹיִ֖ם נְתַתִּֽיךָ׃ וָאֹמַ֗ר אֲהָהּ֙ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהֹוִ֔ה הִנֵּ֥ה לֹא־יָדַ֖עְתִּי דַּבֵּ֑ר כִּי־נַ֖עַר אָנֹֽכִי׃ וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהוָה֙ אֵלַ֔י אַל־תֹּאמַ֖ר נַ֣עַר אָנֹ֑כִי כִּ֠י עַֽל־כָּל־אֲשֶׁ֤ר אֽ͏ֶשְׁלָחֲךָ֙ תֵּלֵ֔ךְ וְאֵ֛ת כָּל־אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֲצַוְּךָ֖ תְּדַבֵּֽר׃ אַל־תִּירָ֖א מִפְּנֵיהֶ֑ם כִּֽי־אִתְּךָ֥ אֲנִ֛י לְהַצִּלֶ֖ךָ נְאֻם־יְהוָֽה׃ וַיִּשְׁלַ֤ח יְהוָה֙ אֶת־יָד֔וֹ וַיַּגַּ֖ע עַל־פִּ֑י וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהוָה֙ אֵלַ֔י הִנֵּ֛ה נָתַ֥תִּי דְבָרַ֖י בְּפִֽיךָ׃ רְאֵ֞ה הִפְקַדְתִּ֣יךָ ׀ הַיּ֣וֹם הַזֶּ֗ה עַל־הַגּוֹיִם֙ וְעַל־הַמַּמְלָכ֔וֹת לִנְת֥וֹשׁ וְלִנְת֖וֹץ וּלְהַאֲבִ֣יד וְלַהֲר֑וֹס לִבְנ֖וֹת וְלִנְטֽוֹעַ׃

   Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you came out of the womb I set you apart; I appointed you a prophet to the nations… Ah, Lord GOD! I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth (vv. 5–6)

   Hebrew numbering: Jeremiah 1:4–10.

5. 1611

   King James Bible

   ✓ Contains this passageTranslated from printed Masoretic Hebrew

   How the site knows this: Read in the site's library text: King James Version (1769 text).

   Then the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. Then said I, Ah, Lord God! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child. But the Lord said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak. Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the Lord. Then the Lord put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the Lord said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth. See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.

6. Greek translation c. 2nd century BC; French 1872

   Greek Jeremiah (library: Giguet's French)

   ✓ Contains this passageTranslated from the Old Greek Jeremiah (a shorter edition)

   How the site knows this: Known here only through a translation.

   Et la parole du Seigneur vint à lui: Avant de te former en des entrailles, je te connaissais, et avant que tu sortisses du sein de ta mère, je t’avais sanctifié; et je t’ai fait prophète pour les nations. Et je répondis: O vous qui êtes, Seigneur Dieu, voilà que je ne sais parler; car je ne suis qu’un enfant. Et le Seigneur me répondit: Ne dis pas, Je suis un enfant; car vers tous ceux à qui je t’enverrai, tu iras; et tout ce que je t’aurai commandé, tu le leur diras. Ne crains pas en leur présence, parce que je suis avec toi pour te sauver, dit le Seigneur. Et le Seigneur étendit la main et il me toucha la bouche, et le Seigneur me dit: Voilà que j’ai mis mes paroles en ta bouche. Voilà que je t’ai aujourd’hui institué sur les nations et sur les royaumes, pour déraciner, détruire, perdre, dissiper, réédifier et planter.

   Greek (digital file) numbering: Jeremiah 1:4–10. Giguet's 1872 French of a printed Greek text (D check only), in the Greek book's own order and verse numbering; a C check needs Ziegler's Göttingen Jeremiah or Rahlfs–Hanhart.