1. Pashhur son of Immer was a priest and the chief of temple security. He heard what I had said,
2. and so he hit me. Then he had me arrested and put in chains at the Benjamin Gate in the Lord's temple.
3. The next day, when Pashhur let me go free, I told him that the Lord had said:No longer will I call you Pashhur. Instead, I will call you Afraid-of-Everything.
4. You will be afraid, and you will bring fear to your friends as well. You will see enemies kill them in battle. Then I will make the king of Babylonia take everyone in Judah prisoner, killing some and dragging the rest away to Babylonia.
5. He will clean out the royal treasury and take everything else of value from Jerusalem.
6. Pashhur, you are guilty of telling lies and claiming they were messages from me. That's why I will make the Babylonians take you, your family, and your friends as prisoners to Babylonia, where you will all die and be buried.
7. You tricked me, Lord,and I was really fooled.You are stronger than I am,and you have defeated me.People never stop sneeringand insulting me.
8. You have let me announceonly destruction and death.Your message has brought menothing but insultsand trouble.
9. Sometimes I tell myselfnot to think about you, Lord,or even mention your name.But your message burnsin my heart and bones,and I cannot keep silent.
10. I heard the crowds whisper,“Everyone is afraid.Now's our chanceto accuse Jeremiah!”All of my so called friendsare just waitingfor me to make a mistake.They say, “Perhaps Jeremiahcan be tricked.Then we can overpower himand get even at last.”
11. But you, Lord,are a mighty soldier,standing at my side.Those troublemakerswill fall down and fail—terribly embarrassed,for ever ashamed.
12. Lord All-Powerful,you test those who do right,and you know every heartand mind.I have told you my complaints,so let me watch youtake revenge on my enemies.
13. I sing praises to you, Lord.You rescue the oppressedfrom the wicked.
14. Put a curse on the day I was born!Don't bless my mother.
15. Put a curse on the manwho told my father, “Good news!You have a son.”
16. May that man be like the townsyou destroyed without pity.Let him hear shouts of alarmin the morningand battle cries at midday.
17. He deserves to diefor not killing mebefore I was born.Then my mother's bodywould have been my grave.
18. Why did I have to be born?Was it just to sufferand die in shame?