Jeremiah Compelled to Preach

You deceived(A) me, Lord, and I was deceived.
You seized me and prevailed.
I am a laughingstock all the time;(B)
everyone ridicules me.
For whenever I speak, I cry out,
I proclaim, “Violence and destruction!” (C)
so the word of the Lord has become my
constant disgrace and derision.
I say, “I won’t mention him
or speak any longer in his name.”(D)
But his message becomes a fire burning in my heart,(E)
shut up in my bones.
I become tired of holding it in,(F)
and I cannot prevail.
10 For I have heard the gossip of many people,
“Terror is on every side!(G)
Report him; let’s report him!”
Everyone I trusted[a] watches for my fall.(H)
“Perhaps he will be deceived
so that we might prevail against him
and take our vengeance on him.”

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Footnotes

  1. 20:10 Lit Every man of my peace

Jeremiah Denounces His Persecutors

O Lord, you have enticed me,
    and I was enticed;
you have overpowered me,
    and you have prevailed.
I have become a laughingstock all day long;
    everyone mocks me.(A)
For whenever I speak, I must cry out;
    I must shout, “Violence and destruction!”
For the word of the Lord has become for me
    a reproach and derision all day long.(B)
If I say, “I will not mention him
    or speak any more in his name,”
then within me there is something like a burning fire
    shut up in my bones;
I am weary with holding it in,
    and I cannot.(C)
10 For I hear many whispering:
    “Terror is all around!
Denounce him! Let us denounce him!”
    All my close friends
    are watching for me to stumble.
“Perhaps he can be enticed,
    and we can prevail against him
    and take our revenge on him.”(D)

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