Jeremiah’s Unpopular Ministry

O Lord, You [a]induced me, and I was persuaded;
(A)You are stronger than I, and have prevailed.
(B)I am [b]in derision daily;
Everyone mocks me.
For when I spoke, I cried out;
(C)I shouted, “Violence and plunder!”
Because the word of the Lord was made to me
A reproach and a derision daily.
Then I said, “I will not make mention of Him,
Nor speak anymore in His name.”
But His word was in my heart like a (D)burning fire
Shut up in my bones;
I was weary of holding it back,
And (E)I could not.
10 (F)For I heard many [c]mocking:
“Fear on every side!”
“Report,” they say, “and we will report it!”
(G)All my acquaintances watched for my stumbling, saying,
“Perhaps he can be induced;
Then we will prevail against him,
And we will take our revenge on him.”

11 But the Lord is (H)with me as a mighty, awesome One.
Therefore my persecutors will stumble, and will not (I)prevail.
They will be greatly ashamed, for they will not prosper.
Their (J)everlasting confusion will never be forgotten.
12 But, O Lord of hosts,
You who (K)test the righteous,
And see the [d]mind and heart,
(L)Let me see Your vengeance on them;
For I have pleaded my cause before You.

13 Sing to the Lord! Praise the Lord!
For (M)He has delivered the life of the poor
From the hand of evildoers.

14 (N)Cursed be the day in which I was born!
Let the day not be blessed in which my mother bore me!
15 Let the man be cursed
Who brought news to my father, saying,
“A male child has been born to you!”
Making him very glad.
16 And let that man be like the cities
Which the Lord (O)overthrew, and did not relent;
Let him (P)hear the cry in the morning
And the shouting at noon,
17 (Q)Because he did not kill me from the womb,
That my mother might have been my grave,
And her womb always enlarged with me.
18 (R)Why did I come forth from the womb to (S)see [e]labor and sorrow,
That my days should be consumed with shame?

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Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 20:7 enticed or persuaded
  2. Jeremiah 20:7 Lit. a laughingstock all the day
  3. Jeremiah 20:10 slandering
  4. Jeremiah 20:12 Most secret parts, lit. kidneys
  5. Jeremiah 20:18 toil

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