Jeremiah 20

The Word of God to Pashhur

1 Now *Ezra 2:37, 38Pashhur the son of *1 Chr. 24:14Immer, the priest who was also chief governor in the house of the Lord, heard that Jeremiah prophesied these things. 2 Then Pashhur struck Jeremiah the prophet, and put him in the stocks that were in the high *Jer. 37:13; Zech. 14:10gate of Benjamin, which was by the house of the Lord.

3 And it happened on the next day that Pashhur brought Jeremiah out of the stocks. Then Jeremiah said to him, "The Lord has not called your name Pashhur, but Magor-Missabib. 4 For thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, I will make you a terror to yourself and to all your friends; and they shall fall by the sword of their enemies, and your eyes shall see it. I will *Jer. 21:4–10give all Judah into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall carry them captive to Babylon and slay them with the sword. 5 Moreover I *2 Kin. 20:17; 2 Chr. 36:10; Jer. 3:24; 27:21, 22will deliver all the wealth of this city, all its produce, and all its precious things; all the treasures of the kings of Judah I will give into the hand of their enemies, who will plunder them, seize them, and *Is. 39:6carry them to Babylon. 6 And you, Pashhur, and all who dwell in your house, shall go into captivity. You shall go to Babylon, and there you shall die, and be buried there, you and all your friends, to whom you have *Jer. 14:13–15; Lam. 2:14prophesied lies.’ "

Jeremiah’s Unpopular Ministry

7 O Lord, You induced me, and I was persuaded;

*Jer. 1:6, 7You are stronger than I, and have prevailed.

*Job 12:4; Lam. 3:14I am in derision daily;

Everyone mocks me.

8 For when I spoke, I cried out;

*Jer. 6:7I shouted, "Violence and plunder!"

Because the word of the Lord was made to me

A reproach and a derision daily.

9 Then I said, "I will not make mention of Him,

Nor speak anymore in His name."

But Hisword was in my heart like a *Job 32:18–20; Ps. 39:3; Jer. 4:19; 23:9; (Ezek. 3:14); Acts 4:20burning fire

Shut up in my bones;

I was weary of holding it back,

And *Job 32:18; Jer. 6:11; Acts 18:5I could not.

10 *Ps. 31:13For I heard many mocking:

"Fear on every side!"

"Report," theysay, "and we will report it!"

*Job 19:19; Ps. 41:9; 55:13, 14; Luke 11:53, 54All my acquaintances watched for my stumbling, saying,

"Perhaps he can be induced;

Then we will prevail against him,

And we will take our revenge on him."

11 But the Lordis*Jer. 1:18, 19with me as a mighty, awesome One.

Therefore my persecutors will stumble, and will not *Jer. 15:20; 17:18prevail.

They will be greatly ashamed, for they will not prosper.

Their*Jer. 23:40everlasting confusion will never be forgotten.

12 But, O Lord of hosts,

You who *Ps. 7:9; 11:5; 17:3; 139:23; (Jer. 11:20; 17:10)test the righteous,

And see the mind and heart,

*Ps. 54:7; 59:10; Jer. 15:15Let me see Your vengeance on them;

For I have pleaded my cause before You.

13 Sing to the Lord! Praise the Lord!

For *Ps. 35:9, 10; 109:30, 31He has delivered the life of the poor

From the hand of evildoers.

14 *Job 3:3; Jer. 15:10Cursed be the day in which I was born!

Let the day not be blessed in which my mother bore me!

15 Let the man be cursed

Who brought news to my father, saying,

"A male child has been born to you!"

Making him very glad.

16 And let that man be like the cities

Which the Lord*Gen. 19:25overthrew, and did not relent;

Let him *Jer. 18:22hear the cry in the morning

And the shouting at noon,

17 *Job 3:10, 11Because he did not kill me from the womb,

That my mother might have been my grave,

And her womb always enlarged withme.

18 *Job 3:20; Jer. 15:10Why did I come forth from the womb to *Lam. 3:1see labor and sorrow,

That my days should be consumed with shame?