1 The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the priests who were ain Anathoth in the land of Benjamin, 2 to whom the word of the Lord came in the days of bJosiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, cin the thirteenth year of his reign. 3 It came also in the days of dJehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, euntil the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah the son of Josiah, king of Judah, funtil the carrying away of Jerusalem captive gin the fifth month.

The Prophet is Called

4 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying:

5 “Before I hformed you in the womb iI knew you;

Before you were born I jsanctified 1you;

I 2ordained you a prophet to the nations.”

6 Then said I:

k“Ah, Lord God!

Behold, I cannot speak, for I am a youth.”

7 But the Lord said to me:

“Do not say, ‘I am a youth,’

For you shall go to all to whom I send you,

And lwhatever I command you, you shall speak.

8 mDo not be afraid of their faces,

For nI am with you to deliver you,” says the Lord.

9 Then the Lord put forth His hand and otouched my mouth, and the Lord said to me:

“Behold, I have pput My words in your mouth.

10 qSee, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms,

To rroot out and to pull down,

To destroy and to throw down,

To build and to plant.”