Jeremiah 20

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

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

2 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.

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.

3 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.

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.’”

4 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.

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.

5 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.

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.

6 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.”

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.”

7 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,

“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.

8 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.

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.

9 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.

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.

10 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.”

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!’

11 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.

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.

12 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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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.

16 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.

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!

17 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.

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!

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

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?”