8 Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,’ declares the Lord.
9 Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, ‘I have put my words in your mouth.
10 See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.’
11 The word of the Lord came to me: ‘What do you see, Jeremiah?’‘I see the branch of an almond tree,’ I replied.
12 The Lord said to me, ‘You have seen correctly, for I am watching to see that my word is fulfilled.’
13 The word of the Lord came to me again: ‘What do you see?’‘I see a pot that is boiling,’ I answered. ‘It is tilting towards us from the north.’
14 The Lord said to me, ‘From the north disaster will be poured out on all who live in the land.