Jeremiah 20

1 And Pashhur, the son of Immer, the priest who had been appointed leader in the house of the Lord, heard Jeremiah prophesying these words.

Now Pashur, the son of Immer, the priest, who was also chief overseer in the house of Jehovah, heard Jeremiah prophesying these things.

2 And Pashhur struck the prophet Jeremiah, and he sent him to the stocks, which were at the upper gate of Benjamin at the house of the Lord.

Then Pashur smote Jeremiah the prophet, and put him in the stocks, that were at the high gate of Benjamin, which was in the house of Jehovah.

3 And when it had become light on the next day, Pashhur led Jeremiah from the stocks. And Jeremiah said to him: “The Lord has not called your name: ‘Pashhur,’ but instead: ‘Fear all around.’”

And on the next day Pashur took Jeremiah out of the stocks. Then said Jeremiah to him, Jehovah calleth thee, not Pashur, but Magor-missabib [[not Safety on every side, but Terror on every side]].

4 For thus says the Lord: “Behold, I will give you over to fear, you and all your friends, and they will fall by the sword of their enemies, and your eyes will see it. And I will give all of Judah into the hand of the king of Babylon. And he will lead them away to Babylon, and he will strike them with the sword.

For thus saith Jehovah: Behold, I am about to make thee a terror to thyself and to all thy friends; and they shall fall by the sword of their enemies, thine eyes looking on; and all Judah will I give into the hand of the king of Babylon, who shall carry them captive to Babylon, and shall smite them with the sword.

5 And I will give away the entire substance of this city, and all its labor, and every precious thing. And I will give all the treasures of the kings of Judah into the hands of their enemies. And they will plunder them, and take them away, and lead them into Babylon.

And I will give all the wealth of this city, and all its possessions, and all its precious things, and all the treasures of the kings of Judah will I give, into the hand of their enemies, and they shall spoil them, and take them and carry them to Babylon.

6 But you, Pashhur, and all the inhabitants of your house, will go into captivity. And you will go to Babylon. And there you shall die. And there you shall be buried, you and all your friends, to whom you have prophesied a lie.”

And thou, Pashur, and all that dwell in thy house, shall go into captivity; thou shalt go to Babylon, and there shalt thou die, and there shalt thou be buried, thou, and all thy friends, to whom thou hast prophesied falsely.

7 “You have led me away, O Lord, and I have been led away. You have been stronger than I, and you have prevailed. I have become a derision all day long; everyone mocks me.

Thou didst persuade me, O Jehovah, and I was persuaded; Thou wast stronger than I, and didst prevail. But I am in derision daily, Every one mocketh me.

8 For I speak now as I have long spoken: crying out against iniquity and proclaiming devastation. And the word of the Lord has been made into a reproach against me and a derision, all day long.

For whenever I speak, I cry out on account of violence, And complain of oppression; For the word of Jehovah bringeth upon me reproach, And daily derision.

9 Then I said: I will not call him to mind, nor will I speak any longer in his name. And my heart became like a raging fire, enclosed within my bones. And I became weary of continuing to bear it.

So I say, I will no more make mention of him, Nor speak any more in his name; But his word is in my heart like a burning fire, shut up in my bones, And I am weary with forbearing, And I cannot refrain.

10 For I heard the insults of many, and terror all around: ‘Persecute him!’ and, ‘Let us persecute him!’ from all the men who had been at peace with me and who had kept watch by my side. ‘If only there were some way that he might be deceived, and we might prevail against him and obtain vengeance from him!’

For I hear the slander of many, terror on every side; “Tell us something against him, and we will denounce him.” All my familiar friends, they who leave not my side, [[say, ]] “Perhaps he will be enticed, So that we may prevail against him, And take our revenge on him.”

11 But the Lord is with me, like a strong warrior. For this reason, those who persecute me will fall, and they will be ineffective. They will be greatly confounded. For they have not understood the everlasting disgrace that will never be wiped away.

But Jehovah is on my side, like a mighty champion, Therefore shall my persecutors stumble, and not prevail; They shall be covered with shame, because they act not wisely, —With everlasting shame, that shall not be forgotten.

12 And you, O Lord of hosts, the Tester of the just, who sees the temperament and the heart: I beg you to let me see your vengeance upon them. For I have revealed my case to you.

O Jehovah of hosts, thou that provest the righteous, That seest the reins and the heart, Let me see thy vengeance on them, For to thee have I laid open my cause!

13 Sing to the Lord! Praise the Lord! For he has freed the soul of the poor from the hand of the wicked.

Sing to Jehovah! Praise ye Jehovah! For he delivereth the oppressed From the hand of evil-doers.

14 Cursed is the day on which I was born! The day on which my mother gave birth to me: let it not be blessed!

Cursed be the day on which I was born; Let not the day on which my mother bore me be blessed!

15 Cursed is the man who announced it to my father, saying, ‘A male child has been born to you,’ causing him to rejoice with gladness.

Cursed be the man who brought the tidings to my father, Saying, “A son is born to thee,” making him very glad!

16 Let that man be like the cities that the Lord has overthrown without regret. Let him hear an outcry in the morning, and wailing at the time of midday!

Let that man be like the cities which Jehovah overthrew, and relented not; Let him hear an outcry in the morning, And an alarm at noontide;

17 So let him be, who did not put me to death from the womb, so that my mother would have been my sepulcher, and her womb would have been my eternal resting place!

Because he slew me not before I saw the light, So that my mother might have been my grave, And her womb have been great with me forever!

18 Why did I depart from the womb, so that I would see hardship and sorrow, and so that my days would be consumed by trouble?”

Wherefore came I forth from the womb, to see weariness and sorrow, And that my days might be consumed in shame?