Pashur Punishes Jeremiah
Study note
Pashur, the son of Immer and the chief officer in the Lord's temple, hears Jeremiah's prophecy and has him beaten and put in stocks at the Upper Benjamin Gate. The next day when Pashur releases him, Jeremiah renames him Magor-Missabib, meaning 'Terror on Every Side,' and prophesies that Pashur and all his friends will be taken captive to Babylon.
1 Pashhur son of Immer was the chief officer in charge of the Lord's Temple. He heard Jeremiah saying all these things. 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.
2 So Pashhur had Jeremiah beaten and locked in the stocks. This was at the Upper Benjamin Gate of the Lord's Temple. Then 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.
3 The next day, when Pashhur let Jeremiah out of the stocks, Jeremiah said to him, "The Lord has a new name for you. It's not Pashhur anymore — it's Magor-Missabib, which means 'Terror on Every Side.'" And 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 Magor-missabib.
4 "Because the Lord says: 'I will turn you into a source of terror — to yourself and to everyone you know. You will watch as your friends fall dead by the enemy's sword. I will hand over all of Judah to the king of Babylon, who will drag them off to Babylon or kill them.'" For 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.
5 "I will also hand over all the wealth of this city to its enemies. Every valuable thing, every treasure, and all the royal riches will be taken. The enemies will carry everything away to Babylon." Moreover 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.
6 "And you, Pashhur, along with everyone in your household, will be taken as prisoners to Babylon. You will die there and be buried there, together with all the friends you gave your lying prophecies to." And 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.
Jeremiah's Inner Struggle
Study note
Jeremiah pours out his deepest feelings to God. He feels that God has overwhelmed him and that everyone mocks him. He tried to stop speaking God's word, but it burned inside him like a fire he could not contain. Despite his enemies' plots, Jeremiah trusts that God will protect him and praises God for rescuing the poor from the hands of the wicked.
7 Lord, you talked me into this, and I let myself be talked into it. You are stronger than me, and you won. Now I'm the one everyone mocks. They laugh at me all day long. O 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.
8 Every time I open my mouth, I end up shouting about violence and destruction. Delivering the Lord's message has brought me nothing but insults and ridicule all day. For 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.
9 Sometimes I say to myself, "I'll never mention the Lord again. I'll stop speaking in his name." But then his word burns inside me like a fire locked up in my bones. I'm exhausted from trying to hold it in. I can't do it. Then 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.
10 I hear people whispering everywhere: "Terror on every side! Let's report him! Let's turn him in!" Even my closest friends watch and wait for me to slip up. They say, "Maybe we can trick him. Then we'll overpower him and get our revenge." For 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.
11 But the Lord stands beside me like a powerful warrior. So the people who attack me will stumble and fail. They will not win. They will be completely disgraced, and their shame will never be forgotten. But 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.
12 Lord of Armies, you test those who do right. You see into the deepest parts of the heart and mind. Let me see you punish them, because I have placed my case in your hands. But, 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.
13 Sing praise to the Lord! Give him thanks! He rescues the lives of the helpless from the grip of the wicked. Sing unto the LORD, praise ye the LORD: for he hath delivered the soul of the poor from the hand of evildoers.
Jeremiah Curses the Day of His Birth
Study note
In his deepest moment of despair, Jeremiah curses the day he was born. He wishes the man who brought news of his birth to his father had never done so. This painful outpouring shows the immense emotional cost of being God's prophet in a nation that refuses to listen.
14 And yet — cursed be the day I was born! May the day my mother brought me into this world never be blessed! Cursed be the day wherein I was born: let not the day wherein my mother bare me be blessed.
15 Cursed be the man who ran to my father with the happy news: "It's a boy! You have a son!" Cursed be the man who brought tidings to my father, saying, A man child is born unto thee; making him very glad.
16 May that man end up like the cities God destroyed without mercy. May he hear cries of alarm in the morning and battle shouts at noon. And 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;
17 He should have killed me before I was ever born, so that my mother's womb would have been my grave — pregnant with me forever. Because 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.
18 Why did I ever come out of the womb? All I've seen is trouble and sorrow, and my days are ending in shame. Wherefore came I forth out of the womb to see labour and sorrow, that my days should be consumed with shame?