Jeremiah 20

1 When Pashhur the priest, the son of Immer and the chief official in the house of the LORD, heard Jeremiah prophesying these things,

2 he had Jeremiah the prophet beaten and put in the stocks at the Upper Gate of Benjamin, which was by the house of the LORD.

3 The next day, when Pashhur released Jeremiah from the stocks, Jeremiah said to him, “The LORD does not call you Pashhur, but Magor-missabib.

4 For this is what the LORD says: ‘I will make you a terror to yourself and to all your friends. They will fall by the sword of their enemies before your very eyes. And I will hand Judah over to the king of Babylon, and he will carry them away to Babylon and put them to the sword.

5 I will give away all the wealth of this city—all its products and valuables, and all the treasures of the kings of Judah—to their enemies. They will plunder them, seize them, and carry them off to Babylon.

6 And you, Pashhur, and all who live in your house, will go into captivity. You will go to Babylon, and there you will die and be buried—you and all your friends to whom you have prophesied these lies.’”

7 You have deceived me, O LORD, and I was deceived. You have overcome me and prevailed. I am a laughingstock all day long; everyone mocks me.

8 For whenever I speak, I cry out; I proclaim violence and destruction. For the word of the LORD has become to me a reproach and derision all day long.

9 If I say, “I will not mention Him or speak any more in His name,” His message becomes a fire burning in my heart, shut up in my bones, and I become weary of holding it in, and I cannot prevail.

10 For I have heard the whispering of many: “Terror is on every side! Report him; let us report him!” All my trusted friends watch for my fall: “Perhaps he will be deceived so that we may prevail against him and take our vengeance upon him.”

11 But the LORD is with me like a fearsome warrior. Therefore, my persecutors will stumble and will not prevail. Since they have not succeeded, they will be utterly put to shame, with an everlasting disgrace that will never be forgotten.

12 O LORD of Hosts, who examines the righteous, who sees the heart and mind, let me see Your vengeance upon them, for to You I have committed my cause.

13 Sing to the LORD! Praise the LORD! For He rescues the life of the needy from the hands of evildoers.

14 Cursed be the day I was born! May the day my mother bore me never be blessed.

15 Cursed be the man who brought my father the news, saying, “A son is born to you,” bringing him great joy.

16 May that man be like the cities that the LORD overthrew without compassion. May he hear an outcry in the morning and a battle cry at noon,

17 because he did not kill me in the womb so that my mother might have been my grave, and her womb forever enlarged.

18 Why did I come out of the womb to see only trouble and sorrow, and to end my days in shame?

1 ¶ Now Pashur the son of Immer the priest, who [was] also chief governor in the house of the LORD, heard that Jeremiah prophesied these things.

2 Then Pashur smote Jeremiah the prophet, and put him in the stocks that [were] in the high gate of Benjamin, which [was] by the house of the LORD.

3 And it came to pass on the morrow, that Pashur brought forth Jeremiah out of the stocks. Then said Jeremiah unto him, The LORD hath not called thy name Pashur, but Magormissabib.

4 For thus saith the LORD, 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 into Babylon, and shall slay them with the sword.

5 Moreover I will deliver all the strength of this city, and all the labours thereof, and all the precious things thereof, and all the treasures of the kings of Judah will I give into the hand of their enemies, which shall spoil them, and take them, and carry them to Babylon.

6 And thou, Pashur, and all that dwell in thine house shall go into captivity: and thou shalt come to Babylon, and there thou shalt die, and shalt be buried there, thou, and all thy friends, to whom thou hast prophesied lies.

7 ¶ O LORD, thou hast deceived me, and I was deceived: thou art stronger than I, and hast prevailed: I am in derision daily, every one mocketh me.

8 For since I spake, I cried out, I cried violence and spoil; because the word of the LORD was made a reproach unto me, and a derision, daily.

9 Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But [his word] was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not [stay].

10 For I heard the defaming of many, fear on every side. Report, [say they], and we will report it. All my familiars watched for my halting, [saying], Peradventure he will be enticed, and we shall prevail against him, and we shall take our revenge on him.

11 But the LORD [is] with me as a mighty terrible one: therefore my persecutors shall stumble, and they shall not prevail: they shall be greatly ashamed; for they shall not prosper: [their] everlasting confusion shall never be forgotten.

12 But, O LORD of hosts, that triest the righteous, [and] seest the reins and the heart, let me see thy vengeance on them: for unto thee have I opened my cause.

13 Sing unto the LORD, praise ye the LORD: for he hath delivered the soul of the poor from the hand of evildoers.

14 ¶ Cursed [be] the day wherein I was born: let not the day wherein my mother bare me be blessed.

15 Cursed [be] the man who brought tidings to my father, saying, A man child is born unto thee; making him very glad.

16 And let that man be as the cities which the LORD overthrew, and repented not: and let him hear the cry in the morning, and the shouting at noontide;

17 Because he slew me not from the womb; or that my mother might have been my grave, and her womb [to be] always great [with me].

18 Wherefore came I forth out of the womb to see labour and sorrow, that my days should be consumed with shame?

1 And when Pashur the son of Immer the priest, which was made ruler in the house of the LORD, heard Jeremiah prophesying these words,

2 And he smote Jeremiah the prophet, and cast him into the vault under the upper gate of Benjamin, which is by the house of the LORD.

3 And it came to pass in the morning, that Pashur drew Jeremiah out of the vault. And Jeremiah said unto him, The LORD calleth thee not Pashur, but Magur round about.

4 For thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will put thee and all thy friends in fear, and they shall fall by the sword of their enemies: thou shalt see it with thine eyes. And I will deliver all Judah into the hand of the king of Babylon; and he shall carry them away to Babylon, and slay them with the sword.

5 And I will deliver into the hand of their enemies all the goods of this city, and all that it hath wrought, and all the jewels, and all the treasures of the kings of Judah; and they shall spoil them, and take them, and bring them to Babylon.

6 And thou, Pashur, shalt go captive with all thy household, and shalt come to Babylon: there shalt thou die, and be buried with all thy friends, to whom thou preachest lies.

7 O Lord, thou hast persuaded me, and I have been persuaded: thou hast been too strong for me, and hast won. But I have become a mockery of it daily, and every man maketh me to scorn.

8 For since I spake, and cried, and preached of the plague and disturbance, the word of the LORD hath become a mockery and a derision unto me daily.

9 Then thought I, Well, I will remember him no more, neither will I preach in his name any more. But it was as a burning fire in my heart, shut up in my bones, that I could not bear it, and would almost have passed away.

10 For I hear how many reproach me, and how many affright me: Hui, sue him! We will sue him, say all my friends and fellows, if we may take advantage of him, and come to his aid, and avenge ourselves on him.

11 But the LORD is with me as a mighty hero: therefore shall my persecutors fall, and not prevail, but shall be greatly put to shame, because they have done so foolishly: for ever shall be their reproach, which shall not be forgotten.

12 And now, O LORD of hosts, which tryest the righteous, and seest the kidneys and the heart, let me see thy vengeance upon them: for I have committed my cause unto thee.

13 Sing unto the LORD, praise the LORD, which delivereth the life of the poor out of the hands of the wicked.

14 Cursed be the day wherein I was born; let the day wherein my mother bare me be unblessed.

15 Cursed be he that brought good tidings unto my father, saying, Thou hast a young son, that he should make him merry.

16 Let that man be as the cities which the LORD hath turned back, and hath not repented him; and let him hear a cry in the morning, and a howling at noon.

17 That thou hadst not killed me in my mother's womb! That my mother had been my grave, and her womb had remained pregnant for ever!

18 Why have I come forth out of my mother's womb, that I should see such sorrow and heartache, and spend my days in shame?