Jeremiah 20

1 When Pashhur the priest, the son of Immer and the chief official in the house of the LORD, heard Jeremiah prophesying these things,

And Pashhur son of Immer the priest—who [is] also overseer, leader in the house of YHWH—hears Jeremiah prophesying these things,

2 he had Jeremiah the prophet beaten and put in the stocks at the Upper Gate of Benjamin, which was by the house of the LORD.

and Pashhur strikes Jeremiah the prophet, and puts him in the stocks that [are] by the Upper Gate of Benjamin, that [is] by the house of YHWH.

3 The next day, when Pashhur released Jeremiah from the stocks, Jeremiah said to him, “The LORD does not call you Pashhur, but Magor-missabib.

And it comes to pass on the next day, that Pashhur brings Jeremiah out from the stocks, and Jeremiah says to him, “YHWH has not called your name Pashhur, but Terror on Every Side.

4 For this is what the LORD says: ‘I will make you a terror to yourself and to all your friends. They will fall by the sword of their enemies before your very eyes. And I will hand Judah over to the king of Babylon, and he will carry them away to Babylon and put them to the sword.

For thus said YHWH: Behold, I am making you for a fear to yourself, And to all loving you, And they have fallen by the sword of their enemies, and your eyes are beholding, And all Judah I give into the hand of the king of Babylon, And he has removed them to Babylon, And he has struck them with the sword.

5 I will give away all the wealth of this city—all its products and valuables, and all the treasures of the kings of Judah—to their enemies. They will plunder them, seize them, and carry them off to Babylon.

And I have given all the strength of this city, And all its labor, and all its precious things, Indeed, I give all the treasures of the kings of Judah into the hand of their enemies, And they have spoiled them, and taken them, And have brought them into Babylon.

6 And you, Pashhur, and all who live in your house, will go into captivity. You will go to Babylon, and there you will die and be buried—you and all your friends to whom you have prophesied these lies.’”

And you, Pashhur, and all dwelling in your house, Go into captivity. And you enter Babylon, And there you die, and there you are buried, You and all loving you, To whom you have prophesied falsely.”

7 You have deceived me, O LORD, and I was deceived. You have overcome me and prevailed. I am a laughingstock all day long; everyone mocks me.

You have persuaded me, O YHWH, and I am persuaded; You have hardened me, and prevail, I have been for a laughter all the day, Everyone is mocking at me,

8 For whenever I speak, I cry out; I proclaim violence and destruction. For the word of the LORD has become to me a reproach and derision all day long.

Because from the time I speak I cry out, I shout, “Violence and destruction!” For the word of YHWH has been to me For reproach and for derision all the day.

9 If I say, “I will not mention Him or speak any more in His name,” His message becomes a fire burning in my heart, shut up in my bones, and I become weary of holding it in, and I cannot prevail.

And I said, “I do not mention Him, Nor do I speak anymore in His Name,” And it has been in my heart As a burning fire shut up in my bones, And I have been weary of containing, And I am not able.

10 For I have heard the whispering of many: “Terror is on every side! Report him; let us report him!” All my trusted friends watch for my fall: “Perhaps he will be deceived so that we may prevail against him and take our vengeance upon him.”

For I have heard the evil report of many, “Fear [is] all around!” “Declare, and we declare it!” All my allies are watching [for] my halting, “Perhaps he is enticed, and we prevail over him, And we take our vengeance on him.”

11 But the LORD is with me like a fearsome warrior. Therefore, my persecutors will stumble and will not prevail. Since they have not succeeded, they will be utterly put to shame, with an everlasting disgrace that will never be forgotten.

And YHWH [is] with me, as a mighty, awesome One, Therefore my persecutors stumble and do not prevail, They have been exceedingly ashamed, For they have not acted wisely, Continuous confusion is not forgotten.

12 O LORD of Hosts, who examines the righteous, who sees the heart and mind, let me see Your vengeance upon them, for to You I have committed my cause.

And, O YHWH of Hosts, trier of the righteous, Beholder of reins and heart, I see Your vengeance on them, For I have revealed my cause to you.

13 Sing to the LORD! Praise the LORD! For He rescues the life of the needy from the hands of evildoers.

Sing to YHWH, praise YHWH, For He has delivered the soul of the needy From the hand of evildoers.

14 Cursed be the day I was born! May the day my mother bore me never be blessed.

Cursed [is] the day in which I was born, The day that my mother bore me, Let it not be blessed!

15 Cursed be the man who brought my father the news, saying, “A son is born to you,” bringing him great joy.

Cursed [is] the man who bore tidings [to] my father, Saying, “A male child has been born to you,” Making him very glad!

16 May that man be like the cities that the LORD overthrew without compassion. May he hear an outcry in the morning and a battle cry at noon,

Then that man has been as the cities, That YHWH overthrew, and did not relent, And he has heard a cry in the morning, And a shout at noontime.

17 because he did not kill me in the womb so that my mother might have been my grave, and her womb forever enlarged.

Because he has not put me to death from the womb, And my mother is to me—my grave, And her womb [is] a perpetual pregnancy.

18 Why did I come out of the womb to see only trouble and sorrow, and to end my days in shame?

Why [is] this? I have come out from the womb To see labor and sorrow, Indeed, my days are consumed in shame!