Jeremiah 1:4-10

The Call of Jeremiah

4Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying,

5 ^a“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
and before you were born ^bI consecrated you;
I appointed you a prophet ^cto the nations.”
6Then I said, “Ah, Lord God! Behold, ^dI do not know how to speak, ^efor I am only a youth.” 7But the Lord said to me,

“Do not say, ‘I am only a youth’;
for to all to whom I send you, you shall go,
and ^fwhatever I command you, you shall speak.
8 ^gDo not be afraid of them,
^hfor I am with you to deliver you,

declares the Lord.”
9 ⁱThen the Lord put out his hand and ^jtouched my mouth. And the Lord said to me,

“Behold, I have put ^kmy words in your mouth.
10See, I have set you this day ^lover nations and over kingdoms,
^mto pluck up and to break down,
to destroy and to overthrow,
to build and to plant.”

Jeremiah 20:9

9If I say, “I will not mention him,
or speak any more in his name,”
ⁿthere is in my heart as it were a burning fire
shut up in my bones,
and ^oI am weary with holding it in,
and I cannot.

Ezekiel 3:14-19

14 ^pThe Spirit lifted me up and took me away, and I went in bitterness in the heat of my spirit, the ^qhand of the Lord being strong upon me. 15 ^rAnd I came to the exiles at Tel-abib, who were dwelling ^sby the Chebar canal, and I sat where they were dwelling. ▼

▼Or  Chebar, and to where they dwelt

And ^uI sat there ^voverwhelmed among them ^wseven days.

A Watchman for Israel

16 ^xAnd at the end of seven days, the word of the Lord came to me: 17 ^y“Son of man, ^zI have made you a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall ^aagive them warning from me. 18 ^abIf I say to the wicked, ^ac‘You shall surely die,’ ^adand you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, in order to save his life, that wicked person ^aeshall die for ▼

▼Or in; also verses 19, 20

his iniquity, ^agbut his blood I will require at your hand. 19 ^ahBut if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, or from his wicked way, he shall die for his iniquity, ^aibut you ^ajwill have delivered your soul.

Ezekiel 33:7-9

7 ^ak“So you, ^alson of man, I have made a watchman for the house of Israel. ^amWhenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me. 8 ^anIf I say to the wicked, O wicked one, you shall surely die, ^aoand you do not speak to warn the wicked to turn from his way, ^apthat wicked person shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. 9 ^aqBut if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, ^arthat person shall die in his iniquity, ^asbut you will have delivered your soul.

Amos 7:14-15

14Then Amos answered and said to Amaziah, ^at“I was ▼

▼Or am; twice in this verse

no prophet, nor a prophet’s son, but ^avI was a herdsman and a dresser of sycamore figs. 15 ^awBut the Lord took me from following the flock, and the Lord said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’

James 1:19

Hearing and Doing the Word

19 ^axKnow this, my beloved brothers: let every person ^aybe quick to hear, ^azslow to speak, ^baslow to anger;

James 3:1

Taming the Tongue

1 ^bbNot many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.