Zephaniah Three

Jeremiah 1:4 and on

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

Before I formed u in the womb I knew u;
Before u were born I sanctified u;
I ordained u a prophet to the nations.

Then said I:

Ah, Lord God! Behold, I cannot speak, for I am a youth.

But the Lord said to me:

Do not say, I am a youth.
For u shall go to all to whom I send u,
And whatever I command u, u shall speak.
Do not be afraid of their faces,
For I am with u to deliver u,
Says the Lord.

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

Behold, I have put My Words in ur mouth.
See, I have this day set u over the nations and over the kingdoms,
To root out and to pull down,
To destroy and to throw down,
To build and to plant.

Moreover the word of the Lord came to men saying,

Jeremiah, what do u see?

And I said,

I see a branch of an almond tree.

Then the Lord said to me,

U have seen well for I am ready to perform my word.

And the word of the Lord came to me a second time, saying,

What do u see?

And I said,

I see a boiling pot and it is facing away from the north.

Then the Lord said to me:

Out of the north calamity shall break forth on all the inhabitants of the land..

For behold, I am calling
All families of the kingdoms of the north,
Says the Lord.

They shall come and each one set his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem,
Against all its walls all around,
And against all the cities of Judah.

I will utter My judgments
Against them concerning their wickedness,
Because they have forsaken Me,
Burned incense to other gods,
And worshiped the works of their own hands.

Therefore prepare urself and arise,
And speak to the all that I command u.
Do not be dismayed before their faces,
Lest I dismay u before them.
For behold, I have made u this day
A fortified city and an iron pillar,
And bronze walls against the whole land-
Against the kings of Judah,
Against its princes,
Against its priests,
And against the people of the land.

They will fight against u
But they shall not prevail against u.

For I am with u, says the Lord, to deliver u.