Jeremiah 1:1 bbe — The words of Jeremiah, the son of Hilkiah, of the priests who were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin:

Jeremiah 1:1 in the Bible in Basic English reads: “The words of Jeremiah, the son of Hilkiah, of the priests who were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin:”

Jeremiah 1:1 is found in the Old Testament, in the book of Jeremiah, chapter 1, verse 1.

Jeremiah is traditionally attributed to Jeremiah, with scribal help from Baruch. It was written c. 627–580 BC.

Jeremiah, the "weeping prophet," ministered through Judah's slow-motion collapse — pleading with kings and people to repent, suffering imprisonment for his message, and ultimately watching Jerusalem fall. Yet in the midst of judgment he promises a new covenant written on the heart.

Jeremiah explores themes including Judgment, Repentance, New Covenant, Suffering Prophet, Hope. These themes shape the meaning and context of Jeremiah 1:1.

Jeremiah 1:1 is available on GodsGoodBook in the King James Version (KJV), American Standard Version (ASV), World English Bible (WEB), NET Bible, Young's Literal Translation, Darby Bible, Douay-Rheims Bible, and the Bible in Basic English. Each translation reflects different translation philosophies — use the translation picker on this page to compare them, or browse our full translations directory.

Jeremiah 1:1 reads (BBE): “The words of Jeremiah, the son of Hilkiah, of the priests who were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin:” Read it aloud, break it into short phrases, repeat each phrase three times before adding the next, then put the phrases together. Reading it in multiple translations (above) often helps the meaning settle.