Jeremiah 20

Now Pashur the son of Immer the priest, who was also chief governor in the house of the LORD, heard that Jeremiah prophesied these things.

1Pashur was a priest, a man who served God at the temple. He was also the chief officer in the LORD's house. He heard Jeremiah telling people these things from God.

2Then Pashur smote Jeremiah the prophet, and put him in the stocks that were in the high gate of Benjamin, which was by the house of the LORD.

2So Pashur hit Jeremiah, who was a prophet, a person who told people what God said. Then Pashur shut him in the stocks at the high Benjamin Gate, next to the LORD's house.

NoteStocks were a heavy wooden frame that locked around a person's arms, legs, or neck. It held the person still in public so everyone could see the punishment.

3And it came to pass on the morrow, that Pashur brought forth Jeremiah out of the stocks. Then said Jeremiah unto him, The LORD hath not called thy name Pashur, but Magormissabib.

3The next day Pashur let Jeremiah out of the stocks. Jeremiah said to him, "The LORD does not call you Pashur. He calls you Magor-missabib."

NoteThe name Magor-missabib means "terror on every side." Jeremiah gives Pashur this new name to match the message he has just been given.

4For thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will make thee a terror to thyself, and to all thy friends: and they shall fall by the sword of their enemies, and thine eyes shall behold it: and I will give all Judah into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall carry them captive into Babylon, and shall slay them with the sword.

4"The LORD says this: I will make you full of fear. Your friends will be afraid too. Enemies will kill them with swords, and you will watch it happen. I will hand all of Judah to the king of Babylon. He will take the people away to Babylon and kill them with the sword."

5Moreover I will deliver all the strength of this city, and all the labours thereof, and all the precious things thereof, and all the treasures of the kings of Judah will I give into the hand of their enemies, which shall spoil them, and take them, and carry them to Babylon.

5"I will give away everything strong and rich in this city. All its goods, all its fine things, and all the treasure of Judah's kings will go to their enemies. The enemies will grab it all and carry it to Babylon."

6And thou, Pashur, and all that dwell in thine house shall go into captivity: and thou shalt come to Babylon, and there thou shalt die, and shalt be buried there, thou, and all thy friends, to whom thou hast prophesied lies.

6"And you, Pashur, and everyone in your house will be taken away. You will go to Babylon. You will die there, and you will be buried there. So will all your friends, the ones you told lies to while saying the words came from God."

7O LORD, thou hast deceived me, and I was deceived: thou art stronger than I, and hast prevailed: I am in derision daily, every one mocketh me.

7Jeremiah said, "LORD, you tricked me, and I was tricked. You are stronger than I am, and you won. People laugh at me all day. Everyone makes fun of me."

8For since I spake, I cried out, I cried violence and spoil; because the word of the LORD was made a reproach unto me, and a derision, daily.

8"Every time I speak, I have to shout. I warn people that hurting and wrecking are coming. So your message brings me insults and laughter every single day."

9Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.

9"So I said, 'I will not talk about him. I will not speak his name again.' But his word was like a fire burning inside me. I grew tired of holding it in. I could not keep it in."

10For I heard the defaming of many, fear on every side. Report, say they, and we will report it. All my familiars watched for my halting, saying, Peradventure he will be enticed, and we shall prevail against him, and we shall take our revenge on him.

10"I hear many people whispering about me. 'Scary things are all around!' they say. 'Tell on him! Let us tell on him!' Even my close friends watch for me to slip. They say, 'Maybe we can fool him. Then we will beat him and pay him back.'"

11But the LORD is with me as a mighty terrible one: therefore my persecutors shall stumble, and they shall not prevail: they shall be greatly ashamed; for they shall not prosper: their everlasting confusion shall never be forgotten.

11"But the LORD is with me, like a strong soldier no one wants to face. So the people chasing me will trip and will not win. They will fail, and they will feel great shame. Nobody will ever forget that shame."

12But, O LORD of hosts, that triest the righteous, and seest the reins and the heart, let me see thy vengeance on them: for unto thee have I opened my cause.

12"LORD of all the armies of heaven, you test people who do right. You see the heart and the deepest thoughts. Let me see you pay them back. I have handed my case over to you."

NoteThe KJV says God sees "the reins." That word means the kidneys, which people then thought of as the place of a person's deepest feelings. It has nothing to do with the reins on a horse.

13Sing unto the LORD, praise ye the LORD: for he hath delivered the soul of the poor from the hand of evildoers.

13"Sing to the LORD! Praise the LORD! He saves the life of poor people from those who do evil."

14Cursed be the day wherein I was born: let not the day wherein my mother bare me be blessed.

14"Let the day I was born be cursed. Let the day my mother had me never be called good."

15Cursed be the man who brought tidings to my father, saying, A man child is born unto thee; making him very glad.

15"Let the man be cursed who brought my father the news. He said, 'You have a baby boy!' and he made my father very happy."

16And let that man be as the cities which the LORD overthrew, and repented not: and let him hear the cry in the morning, and the shouting at noontide;

16"Let that man be like the towns the LORD knocked down and did not pity. Let him hear crying in the morning and battle shouts at noon."

17Because he slew me not from the womb; or that my mother might have been my grave, and her womb to be always great with me.

17"I say this because he did not kill me before I was born. Then my mother would have been my grave. She would have carried me always."

18Wherefore came I forth out of the womb to see labour and sorrow, that my days should be consumed with shame?

18"Why was I ever born? All I see is hard work and sadness. My days end in shame."