19 Give Your attention to me, Lord,
And listen to [a]what my opponents are saying!
20 (A)Should good be repaid with evil?
For they have (B)dug a pit for [b]me.
Remember how I (C)stood before You
To speak good in their behalf,
So as to turn Your wrath away from them.
21 Therefore, (D)give their children over to famine
And turn them over to the [c]power of the sword;
And let their wives become (E)childless and (F)widowed.
Let their men also be slaughtered to death,
Their (G)young men struck and killed by the sword in battle.
22 May a (H)cry be heard from their houses
When You suddenly bring raiders upon them;
(I)For they have dug a pit to capture me
And (J)hidden snares for my feet.
23 But You, Lord, know
All their [d]deadly schemes against me;
(K)Do not [e]forgive their wrongdoing
Or wipe out their sin from Your sight.
But may they be [f](L)overthrown before You;
Deal with them in the (M)time of Your anger!

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 18:19 Lit the voice of my opponents
  2. Jeremiah 18:20 Lit my soul
  3. Jeremiah 18:21 Lit hands of
  4. Jeremiah 18:23 Lit unto death
  5. Jeremiah 18:23 Lit cover over, atone for
  6. Jeremiah 18:23 Lit ones made to stumble

19 Lord, hear me and help me!
    Listen to what my enemies are saying.
20 Should they repay evil for good?
    They have dug a pit to kill me,
though I pleaded for them
    and tried to protect them from your anger.
21 So let their children starve!
    Let them die by the sword!
Let their wives become childless widows.
    Let their old men die in a plague,
    and let their young men be killed in battle!
22 Let screaming be heard from their homes
    as warriors come suddenly upon them.
For they have dug a pit for me
    and have hidden traps along my path.
23 Lord, you know all about their murderous plots against me.
    Don’t forgive their crimes and blot out their sins.
Let them die before you.
    Deal with them in your anger.

Read full chapter