20:1 Now Pashhur son of Immer heard Jeremiah prophesy these things. He was the priest who was chief of security1 in the Lord’s temple. 20:2 When he heard Jeremiah’s prophecy, he had the prophet flogged.2 Then he put him in the stocks3 which were at the Upper Gate of Benjamin in the Lord’s temple.4 20:3 But the next day Pashhur released Jeremiah from the stocks. When he did, Jeremiah said to him, “The Lord’s name for you is not ‘Pashhur’ but ‘Terror is Everywhere.’5 20:4 For the Lord says, ‘I will make both you and your friends terrified of what will happen to you.6 And you will see all of them die by the swords of their enemies.7 I will hand all the people of Judah over to the king of Babylon. He will carry some of them away into exile in Babylon and he will kill others of them with the sword. 20:5 I will hand over all the wealth of this city to their enemies. I will hand over to them all the fruits of the labor of the people of this city and all their prized possessions, as well as all the treasures of the kings of Judah. Their enemies will seize it all as plunder8 and carry it off to Babylon. 20:6 And you, Pashhur, and all your household9 will go into exile in Babylon. You will die there and you will be buried there. The same thing will happen to all your friends to whom you have prophesied lies.’”10
Jeremiah Complains about the Reaction to His Ministry
20:7 Lord, you coerced me into being a prophet and I let you do it.
You overcame my resistance and prevailed over me.11
Now I have become a constant laughingstock.
Everyone ridicules me.
20:8 For whenever I prophesy,12 I have to cry out,13
“Violence and destruction are coming!”14
And this message from the Lord15 has made me
an object of continual insults and derision.
20:9 Sometimes I think, “I will make no mention of his message.
I will not speak as his messenger16 any more.”
But then17 his message becomes like a fire
locked up inside of me, burning in my heart and soul.18
I grow weary of trying to hold it in
and I just cannot do it.
20:10 I19 hear many whispering words of intrigue against me.
Those who would cause me terror are everywhere!20
They are saying, “Come on, let’s publicly denounce him!”21
All my so-called friends22 are just watching for
something that would lead to my downfall.23
They say, “Perhaps he can be enticed into slipping up,
so we can prevail over24 him and get our revenge on him.
20:11 But the Lord is with me to help me like an awe-inspiring warrior.25
Therefore those who persecute me will fail and will not prevail over me.
They will be thoroughly disgraced because they did not succeed.
Their disgrace will never be forgotten.
20:12 O Lord who rules over all,26 you test and prove the righteous.
You see into people’s hearts and minds.27
I want to see you pay them back for what they have done,
because I trust you to vindicate my cause.
20:13 Sing to the Lord.
Praise the Lord.
For he rescues the oppressed
from the clutches of those who do evil.28
20:14 Cursed be the day
that I was born.
May that day not be blessed
when my mother give birth to me.29
20:15 Cursed be the man
who made my father very glad
when he brought him the news
that a baby boy had been born to him.30
20:16 May that man be like the cities31
that the Lord destroyed without showing any mercy.
May he hear a cry of distress in the morning
and a battle cry at noon.
20:17 For he did not kill me before I came from the womb,
making my mother’s womb my grave
and leaving her pregnant with me forever.32
20:18 Why did I ever come forth from my mother’s womb?
All it has meant for me is the experience of trouble and grief,
and spending my days in shame.33
The Lord Will Hand Jerusalem over to Enemies