Jeremiah 1:1–11

¹ These are the words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, one of the priests in Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin. ² The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah in the thirteenth year of the reign of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah, ³ and through the days of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, until the fifth month of the eleventh year of Zedekiah son of Josiah king of Judah, when the people of Jerusalem went into exile. ⁴ 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 set you apart and appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” ⁶ “Ah, Lord GOD,” I said, “I surely do not know how to speak, for I am only a child!” ⁷ But the LORD told me: “Do not say, ‘I am only a child.’ For to everyone I send you, you must go, and all that I command you, you must speak. ⁸ Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you,” declares the LORD. ⁹ Then the LORD reached out His hand, touched my mouth, and said to me: “Behold, I have put My words in your mouth. ¹⁰ See, I have appointed you today over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and plant.” ¹¹ And the word of the LORD came to me, asking, “Jeremiah, what do you see?” “I see a branch of an almond tree,” I replied.