Jeremiah 20

Pashhur Persecutes Jeremiah

1When Pashhur the priest, the son of 1Immer, who was 2chief officer in the house of the Lord, heard Jeremiah prophesying these things, 2Pashhur had Jeremiah the prophet 3beaten and put him in the 4stocks that were at the upper 5Benjamin Gate, which was by the house of the Lord. 3On the next day, when Pashhur released Jeremiah from the stocks, Jeremiah said to him, “Pashhur is not the name the Lord has 6called you, but rather 78Magor-missabib. 4For thus says the Lord, ‘Behold, I am going to make you a 9terror to yourself and to all your friends; and while 10your eyes look on, they will fall by the sword of their enemies. So I will 11give over all Judah to the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will carry them away as 12exiles to Babylon and will slay them with the sword. 5I will also give over all the 13wealth of this city, all its produce and all its costly things; even all the treasures of the kings of Judah I will give over to the 14hand of their enemies, and they will plunder them, take them away and bring them to Babylon. 6And you, 15Pashhur, and all who live in your house will go into captivity; and you will enter Babylon, and there you will die and there you will be buried, you and all your 16friends to whom you have 17falsely prophesied.’”

Jeremiah’s Complaint

7O Lord, You have deceived me and I was deceived; You have 18overcome me and prevailed. I have become a 19laughingstock all day long; Everyone 20mocks me.8For each time I speak, I cry aloud; I 21proclaim violence and destruction, Because for me the 22word of the Lord has 23resulted In reproach and derision all day long.9But if I say, “I will not 24remember Him Or speak anymore in His name,” Then in 25my heart it becomes like a burning fire Shut up in my bones; And I am weary of holding it in, And 26I cannot endure it.10For 27I have heard the whispering of many, “28Terror on every side! 29Denounce him; yes, let us denounce him!” 30All my 31trusted friends, Watching for my fall, say: “Perhaps he will be 32deceived, so that we may 33prevail against him And take our revenge on him.”11But the 34Lord is with me like a dread champion; Therefore my 35persecutors will stumble and not prevail. They will be utterly ashamed, because they have 36failed, With an 37everlasting disgrace that will not be forgotten.12Yet, O Lord of hosts, You who 38test the righteous, Who see the 39mind and the heart; Let me 40see Your vengeance on them; For 41to You I have set forth my cause.1342Sing to the Lord, praise the Lord! For He has 43delivered the soul of the needy one From the hand of evildoers.

14Cursed be the 44day when I was born; Let the day not be blessed when my mother bore me!15Cursed be the man who brought the news To my father, saying, “A 4546baby boy has been born to you!” And made him very happy.16But let that man be like the cities Which the Lord 47overthrew without 48relenting, And let him hear an 49outcry in the morning And a 50shout of alarm at noon;17Because he did not 51kill me 52before birth, So that my mother would have been my grave, And her womb ever pregnant.18Why did I ever come forth from the womb To 53look on trouble and sorrow, So that my 54days have been spent in 55shame?