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,
Pashhur, son of Immer, was a priest and the official in charge of the Lord's Temple. When he heard Jeremiah prophesying these things,
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.
he beat Jeremiah the prophet and had him put in the stocks at the Upper Benjamin Gate, near to the Lord's Temple.
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.
The following day, when Pashhur had Jeremiah released from the stocks, Jeremiah told him, “The Lord doesn't call you Pashhur (tear in pieces), but Magor-missabib (terror is everywhere).
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 this is what the Lord says: I'm going to make you terrified—you and all those you love. Enemies will kill them as you watch. I will hand Judah over to the king of Babylon. He will kill some, and the rest he will take away into exile in Babylon.
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.
I'm going to give it all away. All the wealth of this city, all the results of hard work, all the valuables, all the crown jewels of Judah's kings—I'm going to hand it over to their enemies, who will take it as plunder and carry it off to 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.”
You, Pashhur, and everyone who lives with you, will go into captivity. You will go to Babylon. You will die there and be buried—you and all those you love, those to whom you prophesied lies.”
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 fooled me, Lord, and I let myself be fooled! You're stronger than me—you've won! I've become a joke people laugh at all day long. Everyone is mocking 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.
This is because every time I open my mouth I have to shout out warnings of violence and destruction. The Lord's message has become the reason people criticize and ridicule me the whole time.
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.
If I tell myself, “I won't talk about him anymore, I won't even mention his name,” then his message is like a fire trapped within me, burning me from the inside out. I'm getting tired of holding it in. I just can't win.
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.”
I've heard many people gossiping: “He's the one who says, ‘terror is everywhere!’ He has to be reported! Report what he's doing!” All my good friends are waiting for me to slip up. “Maybe he'll make a mistake so we can defeat him and get our revenge on him,” they say.
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 stands beside me like a powerful warrior. So those who are attacking me will fall. They won't win! Because they're not successful they will be totally disgraced. Their shame won't ever be forgotten.
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.
Lord Almighty, you know without question who is living right. You examine people's thoughts and feelings. So let me see your punishment fall on them, because I've trusted you to judge my case.
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 saves the poor from the power 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!
May the day I was born be cursed! May the day my mother gave birth to me never 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!
May the man be cursed who brought my father the news that made him really happy, saying, “You have a son.”
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.
May that man be like the towns that the Lord destroyed without mercy. May he hear shouts of alarm in the morning and war-cries at noon,
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.
because he should have killed me in the womb so that my mother would have been my grave, remaining pregnant forever.
18 Why [is] this? I have come out from the womb To see labor and sorrow, Indeed, my days are consumed in shame!
Why was I born only to see trouble and sadness, and to end my life in shame?
