¹Now Pashhur , the son of Immer the priest , who was chief officer in the LORD ’s house , heard Jeremiah prophesying these things .

²Then Pashhur struck Jeremiah the prophet and put him in the stocks that were in the upper gate of Benjamin , which was in the LORD ’s house .

³On the next day , Pashhur released Jeremiah out of the stocks . Then Jeremiah said to him , “The LORD has not called your name Pashhur , but Magormissabib.[#20:3 “Magormissabib” means “surrounded by terror”]

⁴For the LORD 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 kill them with the sword .

⁵Moreover I will give all the riches of this 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.

⁶You , 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 .’”

⁷LORD , you have persuaded me , and I was persuaded .

You are stronger than I , and have prevailed .

I have become a laughingstock all day .

Everyone mocks me .

⁸For as often as I speak , I cry out ;

I cry , “Violence and destruction !”

because the LORD ’s word has been made a reproach to me ,

and a derision , all day .

⁹If 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.

¹⁰For 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 .”

¹¹But the LORD 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 dishonour which will never be forgotten .

¹²But the LORD 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 .

¹³Sing to the LORD !

Praise the LORD ,

for he has delivered the soul of the needy from the hand of evildoers .

¹⁴Cursed is the day in which I was born .

Don’t let the day in which my mother bore me be blessed .

¹⁵Cursed is the man who brought news to my father , saying,

“A boy is born to you ,” making him very glad .

¹⁶Let that man be as the cities which the LORD overthrew ,

and didn’t repent .

Let him hear a cry in the morning ,

and shouting at noontime,

¹⁷because he didn’t kill me from the womb .

So my mother would have been my grave ,

and her womb always great .

¹⁸Why did I come out of the womb to see labour and sorrow ,

that my days should be consumed with shame ?