Jeremiah 1:4-19

4Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying,5“Before I 1formed you in the womb I knew you, And 2before you were born I consecrated you; I have 3appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”6Then 4I said, “Oh, Lord 5God! Behold, I do not know how to speak, Because 6I am a youth.”7But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am a youth,’ 7Because everywhere I send you, you shall go, And 8all that I command you, you shall speak.89Do not be afraid of them, For 10I am with you to save you,” declares the Lord. 9Then the Lord stretched out His hand and 11touched my mouth, and the Lord said to me, “Behold, I have 12put My words in your mouth.10See, 13I have appointed you this day over the nations and over the kingdoms, 14To root out and to tear down, To destroy and to overthrow, 15To build and to plant.”

11And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “What do you see, 16Jeremiah?” And I said, “I see a branch of an 17almond tree.” 12Then the Lord said to me, “You have seen well, for 18I am 19watching over My word to perform it.”

13And the word of the Lord came to me a second time, saying, “20What do you see?” And I said, “I see a boiling 21pot, facing away from the north.” 14Then the Lord said to me, “22Out of the north the evil 23will be unleashed on all the inhabitants of the land. 15For, behold, I am calling 24all the families of the kingdoms of the north,” declares the Lord; “and they will come and 25place, each one of them, his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, and against all its walls around, and against all the 26cities of Judah. 16And I will 27pronounce My judgments against them concerning all their wickedness, since they have 28abandoned Me and have 2930offered sacrifices to other gods, and worshiped the 31works of their own hands. 17Now, 32belt your garment around your waist and arise, and speak to them all that I command you. 33Do not be dismayed before them, or I will make you dismayed before them. 18Now behold, I have made you today like a fortified city and like a pillar of iron and walls of bronze against the whole land, to the kings of Judah, to its leaders, to its priests, and to the people of the land. 19And they will fight against you but they will not overcome you, for 34I am with you to save you,” declares the Lord.