The In-Dept Study of the Bible
Jeremiah 20
1 Now Pashhur, the son of Immer the
priest, who was chief officer in Yahweh’s
house, heard Jeremiah prophesying these
things.
2 Then Pashhur struck Jeremiah the
prophet and put him in the stocks that
were in the upper gate of Benjamin, which
was in Yahweh’s house.
3 On the next day, Pashhur released
Jeremiah out of the stocks. Then Jeremiah
said to him, “Yahweh has not called your
name Pashhur, but Magormissabib.†
4 For Yahweh says, ‘Behold, I will make
you a terror to yourself and to all your
friends. They will fall by the sword of their
enemies, and your eyes will see it. I will
give all Judah into the hand of the king of
Babylon, and he will carry them captive to
Babylon, and will killthem with the sword.
5 Moreover I will give allthe riches ofthis
city, and all its gains, and all its precious
things, yes, I will give all the treasures of
the kings of Judah into the hand of their
enemies. They will make them captives,
take them, and carry them to Babylon.
6 You, Pashhur, and all who dwell in
your house will go into captivity. You will
come to Babylon, and there you will die,
and there you will be buried, you, and all
your friends, to whom you have prophesied falsely.
7 Yahweh, you have persuaded me, and I
was persuaded. You are stronger than I,
and have prevailed. I have become a laughing
stock all day. Everyone mocks me.
8 For as often as I speak, I cry out;
I cry, “Violence and destruction!”
because Yahweh’s word has been made a
reproach to me, and a derision, all day.
9 If I say that I will not make mention of
him, or speak any more in his name,
then there is in my heart as it
were a burning fire shut up in my bones.
I am weary with holding it in.
I can’t.
10 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 will prevail against him,
and we will take our revenge on him.”
11 But Yahweh is with me as an awesome
mighty one. Therefore my persecutors will stumble,
and they won’t prevail.
They will be utterly disappointed
because they have not dealt wisely,
even with an everlasting dishonor
which will never be forgotten.
12 But Yahweh of Armies, who tests the
righteous, who sees the heart and the mind,
let me see your vengeance on them,
for I have revealed my cause to you.
13 Sing to Yahweh! Praise Yahweh, for
he has delivered the soul of the
needy from the hand of evildoers.
14 Cursed is the day in which I was born.
Don’t let the day in which my mother
bore me be blessed.
15 Cursed is the man who brought news to
my father, saying, “A boy is born to you,” making him
very glad.
16 Let that man be as the cities which Yahweh overthrew,
and didn’t repent. Let him hear a cry in the morning,
and shouting at noontime,
17 because he didn’t kill me from the
womb. So my mother would have been my
grave, and her womb always great.
18 Why did I come out of the womb to see
labor and sorrow, that my days should be consumed
with shame?