Jeremiah 1:17

Thou therefore gird up thy loins, and arise, and speak unto them all that I command thee: be not dismayed at their faces, lest I confound thee before them.

Gird up thy loins - resolutely prepare for thy appointed task. Metaphor from the flowing robes worn in the East, which have to be girt up with a girdle, so as not to incommode one when undertaking any active work (; ; ).

Dismayed ... confound - the same Hebrew word is used for both [chaatat] - literally, to break, and so to break down with fear or shame. Translate, therefore, 'Be not dismayed at their faces (before them), lest I make thee dismayed before their faces' (before them) - i:e., 'lest I should permit thee to be overcome by them' (cf. ).