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20 Now Pashhur, the son of Immer the priest, who was chief officer in Yahweh’s house, heard Jeremiah prophesying these things. Then Pashhur struck Jeremiah the prophet and put him in the stocks that were in the upper gate of Benjamin, which was in Yahweh’s house. On the next day, Pashhur released Jeremiah out of the stocks. Then Jeremiah said to him, “Yahweh has not called your name Pashhur, but Magormissabib.[a] For Yahweh says, ‘Behold, I will make you a terror to yourself and to all your friends. They will fall by the sword of their enemies, and your eyes will see it. I will give all Judah into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will carry them captive to Babylon, and will kill them with the sword. Moreover I will give all the riches of this city, and all its gains, and all its precious things, yes, I will give all the treasures of the kings of Judah into the hand of their enemies. They will make them captives, take them, and carry them to Babylon. You, Pashhur, and all who dwell in your house will go into captivity. You will come to Babylon, and there you will die, and there you will be buried, you, and all your friends, to whom you have prophesied falsely.’”

Yahweh, you have persuaded me, and I was persuaded.
    You are stronger than I, and have prevailed.
I have become a laughingstock all day.
    Everyone mocks me.
For as often as I speak, I cry out;
    I cry, “Violence and destruction!”
because Yahweh’s word has been made a reproach to me,
    and a derision, all day.
If I say, I will not make mention of him,
    or speak any more in his name,
then there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones.
    I am weary with holding it in.
    I can’t.
10 For I have heard the defaming of many,
    “Terror on every side!
    Denounce, and we will denounce him!”
say all my familiar friends,
    those who watch for my fall.
“Perhaps he will be persuaded,
    and we will prevail against him,
    and we will take our revenge on him.”
11 But Yahweh is with me as an awesome mighty one.
    Therefore my persecutors will stumble,
    and they won’t prevail.
They will be utterly disappointed,
    because they have not dealt wisely,
    even with an everlasting dishonor which will never be forgotten.
12 But Yahweh of Armies, who tests the righteous,
    who sees the heart and the mind,
let me see your vengeance on them,
    for I have revealed my cause to you.
13 Sing to Yahweh!
    Praise Yahweh,
    for he has delivered the soul of the needy from the hand of evildoers.
14 Cursed is the day in which I was born.
    Don’t let the day in which my mother bore me be blessed.
15 Cursed is the man who brought news to my father, saying,
    “A boy is born to you,” making him very glad.
16 Let that man be as the cities which Yahweh overthrew,
    and didn’t repent.
Let him hear a cry in the morning,
    and shouting at noontime;
17 because he didn’t kill me from the womb.
    So my mother would have been my grave,
    and her womb always great.
18 Why did I come out of the womb to see labor and sorrow,
    that my days should be consumed with shame?

Footnotes

  1. 20:3 “Magormissabib” means “surrounded by terror”

Pashhur Persecutes Jeremiah

20 When Pashhur the priest, the son of (A)Immer, who was (B)chief overseer in the house of the Lord, heard Jeremiah prophesying these things, Pashhur had Jeremiah the prophet (C)beaten and put him in the (D)stocks that were at the upper (E)Benjamin Gate, which was by the house of the Lord. Then on the next day, when Pashhur released Jeremiah from the stocks, Jeremiah said to him, “Pashhur is not the name the Lord has (F)called you, but rather [a](G)Magor-missabib. For this is what the Lord says: ‘Behold, I am going to make you a (H)horror to yourself and to all your friends; and while (I)your eyes look on, they will fall by the sword of their enemies. So I will (J)hand all Judah over to the king of Babylon, and he will take them away as (K)exiles to Babylon and will kill them with the sword. I will also give all the (L)wealth of this city, all its produce and all its valuable things—even all the treasures of the kings of Judah I will (M)hand over to their enemies, and they will plunder them, take them away, and bring them to Babylon. And you, (N)Pashhur, 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 (O)friends to whom you have (P)falsely prophesied.’”

Jeremiah’s Complaint

Lord, You persuaded me and I let myself be persuaded;
You have (Q)overcome me and prevailed.
I have become a (R)laughingstock all day long;
Everyone (S)mocks me.
For each time I speak, I cry aloud;
I (T)proclaim violence and destruction,
Because for me the (U)word of the Lord has [b]resulted
In taunting and derision all day long.
But if I say, “I will not (V)remember Him
Nor speak anymore in His name,”
Then in (W)my heart it becomes like a burning fire
Shut up in my bones;
And I am tired of holding it in,
And (X)I cannot endure it.
10 For (Y)I have heard the whispering of many,
(Z)Terror on every side!
(AA)Denounce him; let’s denounce him!”
[c]All my (AB)trusted friends,
Watching for my fall, say:
“Perhaps he will be persuaded, so that we may (AC)prevail against him
And take our revenge on him.”
11 But the (AD)Lord is with me like a powerful champion;
Therefore my (AE)persecutors will stumble and not prevail.
They will be put to great shame because they have [d]failed,
An (AF)everlasting disgrace that will not be forgotten.
12 Yet, Lord of armies, who (AG)tests the righteous,
Who sees the [e]mind and the heart;
Let me (AH)see Your vengeance on them,
For (AI)to You I have disclosed my cause.
13 (AJ)Sing to the Lord, praise the Lord!
For He has (AK)saved the soul of the needy one
From the hand of evildoers.

14 Cursed be the (AL)day when I was born;
May the day when my mother gave birth to me not be blessed!
15 Cursed be the man who brought the news
To my father, saying,
“A [f](AM)boy has been born to you!”
And made him very happy.
16 But may that man be like the cities
Which the Lord (AN)overthrew without [g]relenting,
And may he hear an (AO)outcry in the morning
And [h]an alarm for war at noon;
17 Because he did not (AP)kill me [i]before birth,
So that my mother would have been my grave,
And her womb forever pregnant.
18 Why did I ever come out of the womb
To (AQ)look at trouble and sorrow,
So that my (AR)days have been spent in (AS)shame?

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 20:3 I.e., horror on every side
  2. Jeremiah 20:8 Lit become
  3. Jeremiah 20:10 Lit Every man of my peace
  4. Jeremiah 20:11 Lit not succeeded; or not acted wisely
  5. Jeremiah 20:12 Lit kidneys
  6. Jeremiah 20:15 Lit male child
  7. Jeremiah 20:16 Lit being sorry
  8. Jeremiah 20:16 Or a trumpet blast
  9. Jeremiah 20:17 Lit from the womb