4 The Lord’s word came to me:
5 "Before I created you in the womb I knew you;before you were born I set you apart;I made you a prophet to the nations."
6 "Ah, Lord God," I said, "I don’t know how to speakbecause I’m only a child."
7 The Lord responded,"Don’t say, ‘I’m only a child.’Where I send you, you must go;what I tell you, you must say.
8 Don’t be afraid of them,because I’m with you to rescue you,"declares the Lord.
9 Then the Lord stretched out his hand,touched my mouth, and said to me,"I’m putting my words in your mouth.
10 This very day I appoint you over nations and empires,to dig up and pull down,to destroy and demolish,to build and plant."