Jeremiah 20

1 Pashhur son of Immer the priest—he was a leading officer—heard Jeremiah prophesying these words before Yahweh's house.

Now Pashhur, the son of Immer the priest, who was chief officer in the house of Jehovah, heard Jeremiah prophesying these things.

2 So Pashhur beat Jeremiah the prophet and then placed him in the stocks that were at the Upper Gate of Benjamin in Yahweh's house.

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 Jehovah.

3 It happened on the next day that Pashhur brought Jeremiah out of the stocks. Then Jeremiah said to him, “Yahweh has not called your name Pashhur, but you are Magor Missabib.

And it came to pass on the morrow, that Pashhur brought forth Jeremiah out of the stocks. Then Jeremiah said to him, Jehovah has not called thy name Pashhur, but Magor-missabib.

4 For Yahweh says this, 'Look, I will make you an object of horror, you and all of your loved ones, for they will fall by the sword of their enemies and your eyes will see it. I will give all of Judah into the hand of the king of Babylon. He will make them captives in Babylon or attack them with the sword.

For thus says Jehovah, Behold, I will make thee a terror to thyself, and to all thy friends. And they shall fall by the sword of their enemies, and thine eyes shall behold it. And I will give all Judah into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall carry them captive to Babylon, and shall kill them with the sword.

5 I will give him all the wealth of this city and all of its riches, all of its precious items and all the treasures of the kings of Judah. I will place these things in the hand of your enemies, and they will seize them. They will take them and bring them to Babylon.

Moreover I will give all the riches of this city, and all the gains of it, and all the precious things of it, yea, all the treasures of the kings of Judah I will give into the hand of their enemies. And they shall make them a prey, and take them, and carry them to Babylon.

6 But you, Pashhur, and all the inhabitants of your house will go into captivity. You will go to Babylon and die there. You and all of your loved ones to whom you prophesied deceitful things will be buried there.'”

And thou, Pashhur, and all who dwell in thy house shall go into captivity. And thou shall come to Babylon, and there thou shall die, and there thou shall be buried, thou, and all thy friends, to whom thou have prophesied falsely.

7 “Yahweh, you deceived me, and I was deceived. You are stronger than I, and you overpowered me. I have become a laughingstock all day long; everyone mocks me.

O Jehovah, thou have persuaded me, and I was persuaded. Thou are stronger than I, and have prevailed. I have become a laughing-stock all the day; everyone mocks me.

8 For whenever I have spoken, I have called out and proclaimed, 'Violence and destruction.' Then Yahweh's word has become for me reproach and mocking every day.

For as often as I speak, I cry out. I cry, Violence and destruction! Because the word of Jehovah is made a reproach to me, and a derision, all the day.

9 If I say, 'I will not think about Yahweh anymore. I will not speak any longer in his name.' Then it is like a fire in my heart, held within my bones. So I struggle to contain it but I cannot.

And if I say, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name, then there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with forbearing, and I cannot.

10 I have heard rumors of terror from many people all around. 'Report! We must report it!' Those who are close to me watch to see if I will fall. 'Perhaps he can be tricked. If so, we can overpower him and take our revenge on him.'

For I have heard the defaming of many, terror on every side. Denounce, and we will denounce him, say all my familiar friends, those who watch for my fall. Perhaps he will be persuaded, and we shall prevail against him, and we shall take our revenge on him.

11 But Yahweh is with me like a powerful warrior, so the ones pursuing me will stagger. They will not defeat me. They will be greatly ashamed, because they will not succeed. They will have unending shame, it will never be forgotten.

But Jehovah is with me as an awesome mighty one. Therefore my persecutors shall stumble, and they shall not prevail. They shall be utterly put to shame, because they have not dealt wisely, even with an everlasting dishonor which shall never be forgotten.

12 But Yahweh of hosts, you examine the righteous and see the mind and the heart. Let me see your vengeance on them for I have committed my cause to you.

But, O Jehovah of hosts, who tries the righteous, who sees the heart and the mind, let me see thy vengeance on them, for to thee I have revealed my cause.

13 Sing to Yahweh! Praise Yahweh! For he has rescued the lives of those who are oppressed from the hand of evildoers.

Sing to Jehovah. Praise ye Jehovah, for he has delivered the soul of the needy man from the hand of evildoers.

14 Let the day when I was born be cursed. Do not let the day that my mother bore me be blessed.

Cursed be the day in which I was born. Let not the day in which my mother bore me be blessed.

15 Let the man who informed my father be cursed, the one who said, 'A male child has been born to you,' causing great joy.

Cursed be the man who brought news to my father, saying, A man-child is born to thee, making him very glad.

16 Let that man be like the cities that Yahweh overthrew and he did not have compassion on them. Let him hear a cry for help in the dawn, a battle cry at noontime,

And let that man be as the cities which Jehovah overthrew, and did not relent. And let him hear a cry in the morning, and shouting at noontime,

17 because he did not kill me in the womb, making my mother to be my tomb, a womb that was pregnant forever.

because he did not kill me from the womb, and so my mother would have been my grave, and her womb always great.

18 Why is it that I came out from the womb to see troubles and agony, so that my days are filled with shame?”

Why did I come forth out of the womb to see labor and sorrow, that my days should be consumed with shame?