Jeremiah
Chapter 20
1 Now Pashur, the priest Immer’s son and head officer in God’s house, heard Jeremiah’s prophecies.
2 Then Pashur hit Jeremiah the prophet and put him in the stocks near the upper gate of Benjamin next to God’s house.
3 The next day, Pashur released Jeremiah from the stocks. Then Jeremiah told him, “God has not named you Pashur, but Magormissabib.”
4 God says, “Look, I will make you a terror to yourself and your friends. They will be killed by their enemies’ swords, and you will see it. I will give all Judah to the king of Babylon. He will take them to Babylon as captives and kill them with the sword.”
5 I will give all of this city’s power, all its hard work, all its valuable things, and all the treasures of Judah’s kings to their enemies, who will loot them, take them, and bring them to Babylon.
6 You, Pashur, and everyone in your house will be taken as prisoners. You will go to Babylon, die there, and be buried there, along with all your friends who you told lies to.
7 God, you tricked me, and I got tricked; you are stronger than me, and you have won: every day people laugh at me, everyone makes fun of me.
8 Since I started speaking, I’ve been shouting about violence and destruction; because God’s message has brought me insult and mockery every day.
9 I decided I would not talk about God or speak in his name. But his message burned in my heart like fire, and it tired me to hold it in, and I couldn’t keep silent.
10 I heard many insulting me; everyone is afraid. “Tell on him,” they say, “and we’ll tell too.” All my friends are waiting for me to slip, thinking, “Maybe he’ll be tricked, then we’ll beat him and get back at him.”
11 God is with me like a powerful warrior; so those who chase me will trip and not win: they will be deeply embarrassed; they won’t succeed: their never-ending disgrace will always be remembered.
12 But, O God of all, who tests the good and sees their deepest thoughts and feelings, let me watch your punishment on them; for I have told you my case.
13 Sing to God, praise God; for he has saved the needy from the hands of wrongdoers.
14 Let the day I was born be cursed; don’t let the day my mother gave birth to me be happy.
15 May the man who told my father, “You have a new baby boy,” making him very happy, be cursed.
16 Let that person be like the cities that God destroyed without regret, and let him hear crying in the morning and yelling at midday.
17 Because he did not kill me before I was born; or my mother’s body could have been my grave, always pregnant with me.
18 Why was I born to experience hard work and sadness, only for my time to end in disgrace?