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, the son of Immer, was a priest who supervised the temple guards. He heard those things that I had prophesied.
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.
[So he arrested me]. Then he [commanded guards to] whip me and fasten my feet in (stocks/a wooden frame) at the Benjamin Gate of Yahweh’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 next day, when Pashhur released me, I said to him, “Pashhur, Yahweh is giving you a new name. From now on, your name will be ‘Surrounded by Terror’,
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.
because Yahweh says this [to you]: ‘I will cause you and your friends to be terrified. You will watch them being killed by your enemies’ swords. I will enable the [army of the] king of Babylon to capture the people of Judah. Those soldiers will take some of the people to Babylon, and they will kill others with their swords.
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 enable their soldiers to take away [other things in] Jerusalem. They will take to Babylon all the very valuable things that belonged to your kings.
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.”
And [as for] you, Pashhur, they will take you and all your family to Babylon. You and your family and all your friends who have prophesied things that are lies will die there and be buried there.’”
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,
[One day I said this to Yahweh]: “Yahweh, [when you chose me to be a prophet, ] deceived me, and I allowed you to deceive me. You insisted that I [become a prophet] and you are stronger than I am. And now everyone [HYP] ridicules me. They make fun of me all the day.
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.
When I tell [people your messages], I shout saying, ‘[Yahweh is going to cause you to experience] violence and destruction!’ So because I tell them those messages from you, they insult me and scoff at me 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.
But if I would say, ‘I will never mention Yahweh or say anything about him, [MTY]’ [it would be as though] your message would burn in my inner being like [SIM] a fire; it would be like a fire in my bones. Sometimes I try to remain silent and not proclaim your messages, but I am not able to do that.
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 hear many people whispering [about me], saying ‘[He is the man who proclaims that there will be things that cause us to] be terrified everywhere. We must tell [the authorities what he is saying]! We must denounce him!’ [Even] my best friends are waiting for me to say something that is wrong. [They are saying], ‘Perhaps we can cause him to say something wrong, and if he does, we will be able to discredit 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 [you], Yahweh, are helping me like [SIM] a strong warrior, so [it is as though] you will cause those who persecute me to stumble, and they will not defeat me. They will be completely disgraced because of being unable to defeat me; and other people will never forget that they were disgraced.
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.
Commander of the armies of angels, you examine [all] those who are righteous; you know [all that is in] their inner beings and what they think. Allow me to see you getting revenge on those [who want to harm me], because I trust that you will do for me what is right.”
13 Sing to YHWH, praise YHWH, For He has delivered the soul of the needy From the hand of evildoers.
Sing to Yahweh! Praise Yahweh! He rescues [poor and] needy people, from those [SYN] who are wicked.
14 Cursed [is] the day in which I was born, The day that my mother bore me, Let it not be blessed!
But I hope/desire that the day that I was born will be cursed. I do not want [anyone to] celebrate that day.
15 Cursed [is] the man who bore tidings [to] my father, Saying, “A male child has been born to you,” Making him very glad!
And [as for] that man who brought to my father the news, and caused him to be very happy, by saying “[You wife] has given birth to a son for you”, I hope/desire that he [also] will be cursed.
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.
Allow him to be destroyed like the cities that Yahweh destroyed [long ago], without acting mercifully [toward them]. Cause that man to hear the people wailing in the morning, and [to hear the enemy soldiers shout their] battle 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.
[I want that to happen to him] because he did not kill me before I was born. I wish that I had died in my mother’s womb, and that my mother’s body would have been [like] [MET] my grave.
18 Why [is] this? I have come out from the womb To see labor and sorrow, Indeed, my days are consumed in shame!
I have continually experienced much trouble and sorrow, and I am disgraced now when I am about to die; why was it necessary [RHQ] for me to me born?
