Jeremiah 20

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Pashhur Persecutes Jeremiah

¹וַיִּשְׁמַ֤ע פַּשְׁחוּר֙ בֶּן־אִמֵּ֣ר הַכֹּהֵ֔ן וְהֽוּא־פָקִ֥יד נָגִ֖יד בְּבֵ֣ית יְהוָ֑ה אֶֽת־יִרְמְיָ֔הוּ נִבָּ֖א אֶת־הַדְּבָרִ֥ים הָאֵֽלֶּה׃

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

²וַיַּכֶּ֣ה פַשְׁח֔וּר אֵ֖ת יִרְמְיָ֣הוּ הַנָּבִ֑יא וַיִּתֵּ֨ן אֹת֜וֹ עַל־הַמַּהְפֶּ֗כֶת אֲשֶׁ֨ר בְּשַׁ֤עַר בִּנְיָמִן֙ הָֽעֶלְי֔וֹן אֲשֶׁ֖ר בְּבֵ֥ית יְהוָֽה׃

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

³וַֽיְהִי֙ מִֽמָּחֳרָ֔ת וַיֹּצֵ֥א פַשְׁח֛וּר אֶֽת־יִרְמְיָ֖הוּ מִן־הַמַּהְפָּ֑כֶת וַיֹּ֨אמֶר אֵלָ֜יו יִרְמְיָ֗הוּ לֹ֤א פַשְׁחוּר֙ קָרָ֤א יְהוָה֙ שְׁמֶ֔ךָ כִּ֖י אִם־מָג֥וֹר מִסָּבִֽיב׃פ

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

⁴כִּ֣י כֹ֣ה אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֡ה הִנְנִי֩ נֹתֶנְךָ֨ לְמָג֜וֹר לְךָ֣ וּלְכָל־אֹהֲבֶ֗יךָ וְנָֽפְל֛וּ בְּחֶ֥רֶב אֹיְבֵיהֶ֖ם וְעֵינֶ֣יךָ רֹא֑וֹת וְאֶת־כָּל־יְהוּדָ֗ה אֶתֵּן֙ בְּיַ֣ד מֶֽלֶךְ־בָּבֶ֔ל וְהִגְלָ֥ם בָּבֶ֖לָה וְהִכָּ֥ם בֶּחָֽרֶב׃

⁴For 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.

⁵וְנָתַתִּ֗י אֶת־כָּל־חֹ֙סֶן֙ הָעִ֣יר הַזֹּ֔את וְאֶת־כָּל־יְגִיעָ֖הּ וְאֶת־כָּל־יְקָרָ֑הּ וְאֵ֨ת כָּל־אוֹצְר֜וֹת מַלְכֵ֣י יְהוּדָ֗ה אֶתֵּן֙ בְּיַ֣ד אֹֽיְבֵיהֶ֔ם וּבְזָזוּם֙ וּלְקָח֔וּם וֶהֱבִיא֖וּם בָּבֶֽלָה׃

⁵I 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.

⁶וְאַתָּ֣ה פַשְׁח֗וּר וְכֹל֙ יֹשְׁבֵ֣י בֵיתֶ֔ךָ תֵּלְכ֖וּ בַּשֶּׁ֑בִי וּבָבֶ֣ל תָּב֗וֹא וְשָׁ֤ם תָּמוּת֙ וְשָׁ֣ם תִּקָּבֵ֔ר אַתָּה֙ וְכָל־אֹ֣הֲבֶ֔יךָ אֲשֶׁר־נִבֵּ֥אתָ לָהֶ֖ם בַּשָּֽׁקֶר׃ס

⁶And 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.’”

Jeremiah’s Complaint

⁷פִּתִּיתַ֤נִי יְהוָה֙ וָֽאֶפָּ֔ת חֲזַקְתַּ֖נִי וַתּוּכָ֑ל הָיִ֤יתִי לִשְׂחוֹק֙ כָּל־הַיּ֔וֹם כֻּלֹּ֖ה לֹעֵ֥ג לִֽי׃

⁷You 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.

⁸כִּֽי־מִדֵּ֤י אֲדַבֵּר֙ אֶזְעָ֔ק חָמָ֥ס וָשֹׁ֖ד אֶקְרָ֑א כִּֽי־הָיָ֨ה דְבַר־יְהוָ֥ה לִ֛י לְחֶרְפָּ֥ה וּלְקֶ֖לֶס כָּל־הַיּֽוֹם׃

⁸For 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.

⁹וְאָמַרְתִּ֣י לֹֽא־אֶזְכְּרֶ֗נּוּ וְלֹֽא־אֲדַבֵּ֥ר עוֹד֙ בִּשְׁמ֔וֹ וְהָיָ֤ה בְלִבִּי֙ כְּאֵ֣שׁ בֹּעֶ֔רֶת עָצֻ֖ר בְּעַצְמֹתָ֑י וְנִלְאֵ֥יתִי כַּֽלְכֵ֖ל וְלֹ֥א אוּכָֽל׃

⁹If 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.

¹⁰כִּ֣י שָׁמַ֜עְתִּי דִּבַּ֣ת רַבִּים֮ מָג֣וֹר מִסָּבִיב֒ הַגִּ֙ידוּ֙ וְנַגִּידֶ֔נּוּ כֹּ֚ל אֱנ֣וֹשׁ שְׁלוֹמִ֔י שֹׁמְרֵ֖י צַלְעִ֑י אוּלַ֤י יְפֻתֶּה֙ וְנ֣וּכְלָה ל֔וֹ וְנִקְחָ֥ה נִקְמָתֵ֖נוּ מִמֶּֽנּוּ׃

¹⁰For 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.”

¹¹וַֽיהוָ֤ה אוֹתִי֙ כְּגִבּ֣וֹר עָרִ֔יץ עַל־כֵּ֛ן רֹדְפַ֥י יִכָּשְׁל֖וּ וְלֹ֣א יֻכָ֑לוּ בֹּ֤שׁוּ מְאֹד֙ כִּֽי־לֹ֣א הִשְׂכִּ֔ילוּ כְּלִמַּ֥ת עוֹלָ֖ם לֹ֥א תִשָּׁכֵֽחַ׃

¹¹But 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.

¹²וַיהוָ֤ה צְבָאוֹת֙ בֹּחֵ֣ן צַדִּ֔יק רֹאֶ֥ה כְלָי֖וֹת וָלֵ֑ב אֶרְאֶ֤ה נִקְמָֽתְךָ֙ מֵהֶ֔ם כִּ֥י אֵלֶ֖יךָ גִּלִּ֥יתִי אֶת־רִיבִֽי׃ס

¹²O LORD of Hosts, who examines the righteous,

who sees the heart^a and mind,

let me see Your vengeance upon them,

for to You I have committed my cause.

¹³שִׁ֚ירוּ לַֽיהוָ֔ה הַֽלְל֖וּ אֶת־יְהוָ֑ה כִּ֥י הִצִּ֛יל אֶת־נֶ֥פֶשׁ אֶבְי֖וֹן מִיַּ֥ד מְרֵעִֽים׃ס

¹³Sing to the LORD!

Praise the LORD!

For He rescues the life of the needy

from the hands of evildoers.

¹⁴אָר֣וּר הַיּ֔וֹם אֲשֶׁ֥ר יֻלַּ֖דְתִּי בּ֑וֹ י֛וֹם אֲשֶׁר־יְלָדַ֥תְנִי אִמִּ֖י אַל־יְהִ֥י בָרֽוּךְ׃

¹⁴Cursed be the day I was born!

May the day my mother bore me never be blessed.

¹⁵אָר֣וּר הָאִ֗ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֨ר בִּשַּׂ֤ר אֶת־אָבִי֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר יֻֽלַּד־לְךָ֖ בֵּ֣ן זָכָ֑ר שַׂמֵּ֖חַ שִׂמֳּחָֽהוּ׃

¹⁵Cursed be the man who brought my father the news,

saying, “A son is born to you,”

bringing him great joy.

¹⁶וְהָיָה֙ הָאִ֣ישׁ הַה֔וּא כֶּֽעָרִ֛ים אֲשֶׁר־הָפַ֥ךְ יְהוָ֖ה וְלֹ֣א נִחָ֑ם וְשָׁמַ֤ע זְעָקָה֙ בַּבֹּ֔קֶר וּתְרוּעָ֖ה בְּעֵ֥ת צָהֳרָֽיִם׃

¹⁶May 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,

¹⁷אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹא־מוֹתְתַ֖נִי מֵרָ֑חֶם וַתְּהִי־לִ֤י אִמִּי֙ קִבְרִ֔י וְרַחְמָ֖הֿ הֲרַ֥ת עוֹלָֽם׃

¹⁷because he did not kill me in the womb

so that my mother might have been my grave,

and her womb forever enlarged.

¹⁸לָ֤מָּה זֶּה֙ מֵרֶ֣חֶם יָצָ֔אתִי לִרְא֥וֹת עָמָ֖ל וְיָג֑וֹן וַיִּכְל֥וּ בְּבֹ֖שֶׁת יָמָֽי׃פ

¹⁸Why did I come out of the womb

to see only trouble and sorrow,

and to end my days in shame?