Jeremiah 20

1 And when Pashhur son of Immer, the priest, who also was deputy-overseer in the house of Yahweh, heard that Jeremiah had prophesied these things,

2 then Pashhur smote Jeremiah the prophet, —and put him in the stocks that were in the upper gate of Benjamin, which was in the house of Yahweh.

3 And it came to pass on the morrow, when Pashhur brought forth Jeremiah out of the stocks, —that Jeremiah said unto him—Not Pashhur, hath Yahweh called thy name, But Magor-missaviv["Terror-round-about"].

4 For, Thus, saith Yahweh—Behold me! making thee a ["magor" i. e. a] terror to thyself and to all who love thee, and they shall fall by the sword of their enemies, thine own eyes also, beholding, And all Judah, will I deliver into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will carry them captive to Babylon and smite them with the sword.

5 And I will deliver up—All the wealth of this city, and All her labour, and All her precious things, —And all the treasures of the kings of Judah, will I deliver up into the hands of their enemies, and they will make of them a prey, and take them, and carry them into Babylon.

6 And, thou, Pashhur and all who are dwelling in thy house, shall go into captivity, —Yea into Babylon, shalt thou enter And there, shalt thou die And there, shalt thou be buried Thou and all who love thee, to whom thou hast prophesied falsely.

7 Thou didst persuade me, O Yahweh and I was persuaded, Thou didst lay firm hold on me and didst prevail, —I am become a mockery, all the day, Every one, is laughing at me.

8 For, as often as I speak, I make outcry, Violence and wasting, I proclaim, —Yea the word of Yahweh hath become to me a reproach and derision all the day

9 Therefore I say—I will not mention him Neither will I speak any more in his name, But then it becometh in my heart as a fire that burneth, Shut up in my bones, —And I am weary of restraint and cannot refrain.

10 Because I have heard the whispering of many—"A terror round about!" Tell ye [say they], that we may tell of him, All the men I am wont to salute do watch for my halting, —Peradventure he will be persuaded, and we shall prevail over him, and take our vengeance upon him.

11 But, Yahweh, is with me, as a mighty one striking terror, For this cause, shall my persecutors stumble and not prevail, —They have turned very pale, For they have not prospered, Confusion age-abiding, it shall not be forgotten!

12 But O Yahweh of hosts—Testing the righteous Beholding the affections and the heart, —Let me see thine avenging upon them, For unto thee, have I laid bare my cause.

13 Sing ye to Yahweh! Praise ye Yahweh! For he hath delivered the soul of the needy, out of the hand of evildoers.

14 Accursed, be the day on which I was born, —The day when my mother bare me, let it not be blessed!

15 Accursed, be the man who carried tidings to my father saying, There is born to thee a man-child!

16 Making him very glad: Yea let that man be—as the cities which Yahweh overthrew and repented not, —And let him hear An outcry in the morning, and A war-shout at broad noon!

17 Because I was not slain from the womb, —Nor did my mother become my grave, Nor was her womb great for ever!

18 Wherefore was it—That from the womb, I came forth, to see labour and pain; and That in shame should my days be consumed!