Jeremiah 20

Pashhur Persecutes Jeremiah

1When Pashhur the priest, the son of 1Immer, who was 2chief overseer 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. 3Then on 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 this is what the Lord says: ‘Behold, I am going to make you a 9horror 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 11hand all Judah over to the king of Babylon, and he will take them away as 12exiles to Babylon and will kill them with the sword. 5I will also give all the 13wealth of this city, all its produce and all its valuable things--even all the treasures of the kings of Judah I will 14hand over to 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

7Lord, You persuaded me and I let myself be persuaded; 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 taunting and derision all day long.9But if I say, “I will not 24remember Him Nor speak anymore in His name,” Then in 25my heart it becomes like a burning fire Shut up in my bones; And I am tired of holding it in, And 26I cannot endure it.10For 27I have heard the whispering of many, “28Terror on every side! 29Denounce him; let’s denounce him!” 30All my 31trusted friends, Watching for my fall, say: “Perhaps he will be persuaded, so that we may 32prevail against him And take our revenge on him.”11But the 33Lord is with me like a powerful champion; Therefore my 34persecutors will stumble and not prevail. They will be put to great shame because they have 35failed, An 36everlasting disgrace that will not be forgotten.12Yet, Lord of armies, who 37tests the righteous, Who sees the 38mind and the heart; Let me 39see Your vengeance on them, For 40to You I have disclosed my cause.1341Sing to the Lord, praise the Lord! For He has 42saved the soul of the needy one From the hand of evildoers.

14Cursed be the 43day when I was born; May the day when my mother gave birth to me not be blessed!15Cursed be the man who brought the news To my father, saying, “A 4445boy has been born to you!” And made him very happy.16But may that man be like the cities Which the Lord 46overthrew without 47relenting, And may he hear an 48outcry in the morning And 49an alarm for war at noon;17Because he did not 50kill me 51before birth, So that my mother would have been my grave, And her womb forever pregnant.18Why did I ever come out of the womb To 52look at trouble and sorrow, So that my 53days have been spent in 54shame?