Jeremiah 20
1 Pashhur son of Immer the priest—he was a leading officer—heard Jeremiah prophesying these words before Yahweh's house.
Now Pashur the son of Immer the priest, who was also chief governor in the house of the LORD, heard that Jeremiah prophesied these things.
2 So Pashhur beat Jeremiah the prophet and then placed him in the stocks that were at the Upper Gate of Benjamin in Yahweh's house.
Then Pashur struck Jeremiah the prophet, and put him in the stocks that were in the high gate of Benjamin, which was by the house of the LORD.
3 It happened on the next day that Pashhur brought Jeremiah out of the stocks. Then Jeremiah said to him, “Yahweh has not called your name Pashhur, but you are Magor Missabib.
And it came to pass on the next day, that Pashur brought forth Jeremiah out of the stocks. Then said Jeremiah to him, The LORD hath not called thy name Pashur, but Magormissabib.
4 For Yahweh says this, 'Look, I will make you an object of horror, you and all of your loved ones, for they will fall by the sword of their enemies and your eyes will see it. I will give all of Judah into the hand of the king of Babylon. He will make them captives in Babylon or attack them with the sword.
For thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will make thee a terror to thyself, and to all thy friends: and they shall fall by the sword of their enemies, and thy eyes shall behold it: and I will give all Judah into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall carry them captive into Babylon, and shall slay them with the sword.
5 I will give him all the wealth of this city and all of its riches, all of its precious items and all the treasures of the kings of Judah. I will place these things in the hand of your enemies, and they will seize them. They will take them and bring them to Babylon.
Moreover I will deliver all the strength of this city, and all its labours, and all its precious things, and all the treasures of the kings of Judah will I give into the hand of their enemies, who shall plunder them, and take them, and carry them to Babylon.
6 But you, Pashhur, and all the inhabitants of your house will go into captivity. You will go to Babylon and die there. You and all of your loved ones to whom you prophesied deceitful things will be buried there.'”
And thou, Pashur, and all that dwell in thy house shall go into captivity: and thou shalt come to Babylon, and there thou shalt die, and shalt be buried there, thou, and all thy friends, to whom thou hast prophesied lies.
7 “Yahweh, you deceived me, and I was deceived. You are stronger than I, and you overpowered me. I have become a laughingstock all day long; everyone mocks me.
O LORD, thou hast deceived me, and I was deceived: thou art stronger than I, and hast prevailed: I am in derision daily, every one mocketh me.
8 For whenever I have spoken, I have called out and proclaimed, 'Violence and destruction.' Then Yahweh's word has become for me reproach and mocking every day.
For since I spoke, I cried out, I cried violence and spoil; because the word of the LORD was made a reproach to me, and a derision, daily.
9 If I say, 'I will not think about Yahweh anymore. I will not speak any longer in his name.' Then it is like a fire in my heart, held within my bones. So I struggle to contain it but I cannot.
Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in my heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not refrain.
10 I have heard rumors of terror from many people all around. 'Report! We must report it!' Those who are close to me watch to see if I will fall. 'Perhaps he can be tricked. If so, we can overpower him and take our revenge on him.'
For I heard the defaming of many, fear on every side. Report, say they, and we will report it. All my friends watched for my fall, saying, Perhaps he will be enticed, and we shall prevail against him, and we shall take our revenge on him.
11 But Yahweh is with me like a powerful warrior, so the ones pursuing me will stagger. They will not defeat me. They will be greatly ashamed, because they will not succeed. They will have unending shame, it will never be forgotten.
But the LORD is with me as a mighty terrible one: therefore my persecutors shall stumble, and they shall not prevail: they shall be greatly ashamed; for they shall not prosper: their everlasting confusion shall never be forgotten.
12 But Yahweh of hosts, you examine the righteous and see the mind and the heart. Let me see your vengeance on them for I have committed my cause to you.
But, O LORD of hosts, that triest the righteous, and seest the reins and the heart, let me see thy vengeance on them: for to thee have I opened my cause.
13 Sing to Yahweh! Praise Yahweh! For he has rescued the lives of those who are oppressed from the hand of evildoers.
Sing to the LORD, praise ye the LORD: for he hath delivered the soul of the poor from the hand of evildoers.
14 Let the day when I was born be cursed. Do not let the day that my mother bore me be blessed.
Cursed be the day when I was born: let not the day when my mother bore me be blessed.
15 Let the man who informed my father be cursed, the one who said, 'A male child has been born to you,' causing great joy.
Cursed be the man who brought tidings to my father, saying, A son is born to thee; making him very glad.
16 Let that man be like the cities that Yahweh overthrew and he did not have compassion on them. Let him hear a cry for help in the dawn, a battle cry at noontime,
And let that man be as the cities which the LORD overthrew, and repented not: and let him hear the cry in the morning, and the shouting at noon;
17 because he did not kill me in the womb, making my mother to be my tomb, a womb that was pregnant forever.
Because he slew me not in the womb; or that my mother might have been my grave, and her womb to be always great with me.
18 Why is it that I came out from the womb to see troubles and agony, so that my days are filled with shame?”
Why was I brought out of the womb to see labour and sorrow, that my days should be consumed with shame?
