The word of the Lord came unto me, saying, “Before I formed thee in the womb I knew thee, And before thou camest forth out of the womb I had chosen thee, And I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.” And I replied, “Ah, Lord God! Behold I cannot speak; For I am a child.” But the Lord said unto me, “Say not, I am a child: For thou shalt go to all to whom I shall send thee, And thou shalt speak whatsoever I command thee. Be not afraid of them; For I am with thee to help thee;” So saith Jehovah. Then Jehovah put forth his hand And touched my mouth, And said to me, “Behold I put my words into thy mouth. See, I have this day set thee before nations and kingdoms, To root out and to pull down, To destroy and to overthrow, To build up and to plant again.”—Jer. i. But he had scarcely repeated this passage, when he began humbly to feel that it would be better for him to keep all such comparisons out of view. He left this remarkable place with regret; but it had ceased for several generations to be the abode of his ancestors; Elisama had neither kindred nor even acquaintance there, and they had a long journey still before them. They left Mizpah, Emmaus, Rama, and Kiriath-jearim to the north. Helon lamented that they could not visit them all, but must bend their course directly from Anathoth to Bethshemesh. Bethshemesh is the ancient city of the priests in Judah, to which the alarmed Philistines brought back the ark of the covenant, and where blamable curiosity respecting sacred things was severely punished.[16] ----- Footnote 16: 1 Sam. vi. 19. -----