4. Now the word of the Lord came to me saying,
5. "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, And before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations."
6. Then I said, "Alas, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak, Because I am a youth."
7. But the Lord said to me, "Do not say, 'I am a youth,' Because everywhere I send you, you shall go, And all that I command you, you shall speak.
8. "Do not be afraid of them, For I am with you to deliver you," declares the Lord.
9. Then the Lord stretched out His hand and touched my mouth, and the Lord said to me, "Behold, I have put My words in your mouth.
10. "See, I have appointed you this day over the nations and over the kingdoms, To pluck up and to break down, To destroy and to overthrow, To build and to plant."
11. The word of the Lord came to me saying, "What do you see, Jeremiah?" And I said, "I see a rod of an almond tree."
12. Then the Lord said to me, "You have seen well, for I am watching over My word to perform it."
13. The word of the Lord came to me a second time saying, "What do you see?" And I said, "I see a boiling pot, facing away from the north."
14. Then the Lord said to me, "Out of the north the evil will break forth on all the inhabitants of the land.
15. For, behold, I am calling all the families of the kingdoms of the north," declares the Lord; "and they will come and they will set each one his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, and against all its walls round about and against all the cities of Judah.