יִרְמְיָהוּ 20

1 וַיִּשְׁמַ֤ע פַּשְׁחוּר֙ בֶּן־אִמֵּ֣ר הַכֹּהֵ֔ן וְהֽוּא־פָקִ֥יד נָגִ֖יד בְּבֵ֣ית יְהוָ֑ה אֶֽת־יִרְמְיָ֔הוּ נִבָּ֖א אֶת־הַדְּבָרִ֥ים הָאֵֽלֶּה׃

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 וַיַּכֶּ֣ה פַשְׁח֔וּר אֵ֖ת יִרְמְיָ֣הוּ הַנָּבִ֑יא וַיִּתֵּ֨ן אֹתֹ֜ו עַל־הַמַּהְפֶּ֗כֶת אֲשֶׁ֨ר בְּשַׁ֤עַר בִּנְיָמִן֙ הָֽעֶלְיֹ֔ון אֲשֶׁ֖ר בְּבֵ֥ית יְהוָֽה׃

he beat Jeremiah the prophet and had him put in the stocks at the Upper Benjamin Gate, near to the Lord's Temple.

3 וַֽיְהִי֙ מִֽמָּחֳרָ֔ת וַיֹּצֵ֥א פַשְׁח֛וּר אֶֽת־יִרְמְיָ֖הוּ מִן־הַמַּהְפָּ֑כֶת וַיֹּ֨אמֶר אֵלָ֜יו יִרְמְיָ֗הוּ לֹ֤א פַשְׁחוּר֙ קָרָ֤א יְהוָה֙ שְׁמֶ֔ךָ כִּ֖י אִם־מָגֹ֥ור מִסָּבִֽיב׃ פ

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 כִּ֣י כֹ֣ה אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֡ה הִנְנִי֩ נֹתֶנְךָ֙ לְמָגֹ֜ור לְךָ֣ וּלְכָל־אֹהֲבֶ֗יךָ וְנָֽפְל֛וּ בְּחֶ֥רֶב אֹיְבֵיהֶ֖ם וְעֵינֶ֣יךָ רֹאֹ֑ות וְאֶת־כָּל־יְהוּדָ֗ה אֶתֵּן֙ בְּיַ֣ד מֶֽלֶךְ־בָּבֶ֔ל וְהִגְלָ֥ם בָּבֶ֖לָה וְהִכָּ֥ם בֶּחָֽרֶב׃

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 וְנָתַתִּ֗י אֶת־כָּל־חֹ֙סֶן֙ הָעִ֣יר הַזֹּ֔את וְאֶת־כָּל־יְגִיעָ֖הּ וְאֶת־כָּל־יְקָרָ֑הּ וְאֵ֨ת כָּל־אֹוצְרֹ֜ות מַלְכֵ֣י יְהוּדָ֗ה אֶתֵּן֙ בְּיַ֣ד אֹֽיְבֵיהֶ֔ם וּבְזָזוּם֙ וּלְקָח֔וּם וֶהֱבִיא֖וּם בָּבֶֽלָה׃

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 וְאַתָּ֣ה פַשְׁח֗וּר וְכֹל֙ יֹשְׁבֵ֣י בֵיתֶ֔ךָ תֵּלְכ֖וּ בַּשֶּׁ֑בִי וּבָבֶ֣ל תָּבֹ֗וא וְשָׁ֤ם תָּמוּת֙ וְשָׁ֣ם תִּקָּבֵ֔ר אַתָּה֙ וְכָל־אֹ֣הֲבֶ֔יךָ אֲשֶׁר־נִבֵּ֥אתָ לָהֶ֖ם בַּשָּֽׁקֶר׃ ס

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 פִּתִּיתַ֤נִי יְהוָה֙ וֽ͏ָאֶפָּ֔ת חֲזַקְתַּ֖נִי וַתּוּכָ֑ל הָיִ֤יתִי לִשְׂחֹוק֙ כָּל־הַיֹּ֔ום כֻּלֹּ֖ה לֹעֵ֥ג לִֽי׃

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 כִּֽי־מִדֵּ֤י אֲדַבֵּר֙ אֶזְעָ֔ק חָמָ֥ס וָשֹׁ֖ד אֶקְרָ֑א כִּֽי־הָיָ֨ה דְבַר־יְהוָ֥ה לִ֛י לְחֶרְפָּ֥ה וּלְקֶ֖לֶס כָּל־הַיֹּֽום׃

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 וְאָמַרְתִּ֣י לֹֽא־אֶזְכְּרֶ֗נּוּ וְלֹֽא־אֲדַבֵּ֥ר עֹוד֙ בִּשְׁמֹ֔ו וְהָיָ֤ה בְלִבִּי֙ כְּאֵ֣שׁ בֹּעֶ֔רֶת עָצֻ֖ר בְּעַצְמֹתָ֑י וְנִלְאֵ֥יתִי כַּֽלְכֵ֖ל וְלֹ֥א אוּכָֽל׃

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 כִּ֣י שָׁמַ֜עְתִּי דִּבַּ֣ת רַבִּים֮ מָגֹ֣ור מִסָּבִיב֒ הַגִּ֙ידוּ֙ וְנַגִּידֶ֔נּוּ כֹּ֚ל אֱנֹ֣ושׁ שְׁלֹומִ֔י שֹׁמְרֵ֖י צַלְעִ֑י אוּלַ֤י יְפֻתֶּה֙ וְנ֣וּכְלָה לֹ֔ו וְנִקְחָ֥ה נִקְמָתֵ֖נוּ מִמֶּֽנּוּ׃

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 וַֽיהוָ֤ה אֹותִי֙ כְּגִבֹּ֣ור עָרִ֔יץ עַל־כֵּ֛ן רֹדְפַ֥י יִכָּשְׁל֖וּ וְלֹ֣א יֻכָ֑לוּ בֹּ֤שׁוּ מְאֹד֙ כִּֽי־לֹ֣א הִשְׂכִּ֔ילוּ כְּלִמַּ֥ת עֹולָ֖ם לֹ֥א תִשָּׁכֵֽחַ׃

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 וַיהוָ֤ה צְבָאֹות֙ בֹּחֵ֣ן צַדִּ֔יק רֹאֶ֥ה כְלָיֹ֖ות וָלֵ֑ב אֶרְאֶ֤ה נִקְמָֽתְךָ֙ מֵהֶ֔ם כִּ֥י אֵלֶ֖יךָ גִּלִּ֥יתִי אֶת־רִיבִֽי׃ ס

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 שִׁ֚ירוּ לַֽיהוָ֔ה הַֽלְל֖וּ אֶת־יְהוָ֑ה כִּ֥י הִצִּ֛יל אֶת־נֶ֥פֶשׁ אֶבְיֹ֖ון מִיַּ֥ד מְרֵעִֽים׃ ס

Sing to the Lord! Praise the Lord! For he saves the poor from the power of the wicked.

14 אָר֣וּר הַיֹּ֔ום אֲשֶׁ֥ר יֻלַּ֖דְתִּי בֹּ֑ו יֹ֛ום אֲשֶׁר־יְלָדַ֥תְנִי אִמִּ֖י אַל־יְהִ֥י בָרֽוּךְ׃

May the day I was born be cursed! May the day my mother gave birth to me never be blessed!

15 אָר֣וּר הָאִ֗ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֨ר בִּשַּׂ֤ר אֶת־אָבִי֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר יֻֽלַּד־לְךָ֖ בֵּ֣ן זָכָ֑ר שַׂמֵּ֖חַ שִׂמֳּחָֽהוּ׃

May the man be cursed who brought my father the news that made him really happy, saying, “You have a son.”

16 וְהָיָה֙ הָאִ֣ישׁ הַה֔וּא כֶּֽעָרִ֛ים אֲשֶׁר־הָפַ֥ךְ יְהוָ֖ה וְלֹ֣א נִחָ֑ם וְשָׁמַ֤ע זְעָקָה֙ בַּבֹּ֔קֶר וּתְרוּעָ֖ה בְּעֵ֥ת צָהֳרָֽיִם׃

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 אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹא־מֹותְתַ֖נִי מֵרָ֑חֶם וַתְּהִי־לִ֤י אִמִּי֙ קִבְרִ֔י וְרַחְמָ֖הֿ הֲרַ֥ת עֹולָֽם׃

because he should have killed me in the womb so that my mother would have been my grave, remaining pregnant forever.

18 לָ֤מָּה זֶּה֙ מֵרֶ֣חֶם יָצָ֔אתִי לִרְאֹ֥ות עָמָ֖ל וְיָגֹ֑ון וַיִּכְל֥וּ בְּבֹ֖שֶׁת יָמָֽי׃ פ

Why was I born only to see trouble and sadness, and to end my life in shame?