4 Now Yahweh’s message came to me:

5 “Before I formed you in your mother, I already knew you,

≈ and before you came out of the womb, I had a plan for you.

I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”

6 But I said, “Oh no, Yahweh, my master. Listen, I don’t know how to speak, because I’m just a young lad.”

7 but Yahweh told me, “Don’t say that you’re only a child, because you must go to everyone I send you to and you must tell them everything that I command you to say. 8 Don’t be afraid of them, because I’ll be with you to rescue you.”

That’s Yahweh’s message.

9 Then Yahweh stretched out his hand and touched my mouth and said, “Listen, I’ve put my messages into your mouth. 10 I’m appointing you today over the nations and kingdoms—to uproot and to break down, to destroy and to pull down, to build and to plant.”