Font Size
Jeremiah 20-21
King James Version
Jeremiah 20-21
King James Version
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.
2 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 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 Magormissabib.
4 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 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 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.
7 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 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 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 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 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 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 unto the Lord, praise ye the Lord: for he hath delivered the soul of the poor from the hand of evildoers.
14 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 brought tidings to my father, saying, A man child is born unto thee; making him very glad.
16 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 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 Wherefore came I forth out of the womb to see labour and sorrow, that my days should be consumed with shame?
21 The word which came unto Jeremiah from the Lord, when king Zedekiah sent unto him Pashur the son of Melchiah, and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest, saying,
2 Enquire, I pray thee, of the Lord for us; for Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon maketh war against us; if so be that the Lord will deal with us according to all his wondrous works, that he may go up from us.
3 Then said Jeremiah unto them, Thus shall ye say to Zedekiah:
4 Thus saith the Lord God of Israel; Behold, I will turn back the weapons of war that are in your hands, wherewith ye fight against the king of Babylon, and against the Chaldeans, which besiege you without the walls, and I will assemble them into the midst of this city.
5 And I myself will fight against you with an outstretched hand and with a strong arm, even in anger, and in fury, and in great wrath.
6 And I will smite the inhabitants of this city, both man and beast: they shall die of a great pestilence.
7 And afterward, saith the Lord, I will deliver Zedekiah king of Judah, and his servants, and the people, and such as are left in this city from the pestilence, from the sword, and from the famine, into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of those that seek their life: and he shall smite them with the edge of the sword; he shall not spare them, neither have pity, nor have mercy.
8 And unto this people thou shalt say, Thus saith the Lord; Behold, I set before you the way of life, and the way of death.
9 He that abideth in this city shall die by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence: but he that goeth out, and falleth to the Chaldeans that besiege you, he shall live, and his life shall be unto him for a prey.
10 For I have set my face against this city for evil, and not for good, saith the Lord: it shall be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire.
11 And touching the house of the king of Judah, say, Hear ye the word of the Lord;
12 O house of David, thus saith the Lord; Execute judgment in the morning, and deliver him that is spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor, lest my fury go out like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings.
13 Behold, I am against thee, O inhabitant of the valley, and rock of the plain, saith the Lord; which say, Who shall come down against us? or who shall enter into our habitations?
14 But I will punish you according to the fruit of your doings, saith the Lord: and I will kindle a fire in the forest thereof, and it shall devour all things round about it.
Jeremiah 20-21
1599 Geneva Bible
Jeremiah 20-21
1599 Geneva Bible
20 Jeremiah is smitten and cast into prison for preaching of the word of God. 3 He prophesieth the captivity of Babylon. 7 He complaineth that he is a mocking stock for the word of God. 9 He is compelled by the spirit to preach the word.
1 When Pashhur, the son of Immer, the priest, which was appointed governor in the house of the Lord, heard that Jeremiah prophesied these things,
2 Then Pashhur smote Jeremiah the Prophet, and put him in the [a]stocks that were in the high gate of Benjamin, which was by the house of the Lord.
3 And on the morning, Pashhur brought Jeremiah out of the stocks. Then said Jeremiah unto him, The Lord hath not called thy name Pashhur, but [b]Magor-Missabib.
4 For thus saith the Lord, behold, I will make thee to be 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 Babel, and he shall carry them captive into Babel, and shall slay them with the sword.
5 Moreover, I will deliver all the substance of this city, and all the labors 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 away and carry them to Babel.
6 And thou Pashhur, and all that dwell in thine house, shall go into captivity, and thou shalt come to Babel, and there thou shalt die, and shalt be buried there, thou and all thy [c]friends, to whom thou hast prophesied lies.
7 O Lord, thou hast deceived me, and I am [d]deceived: thou art stronger than I, and hast [e]prevailed: I am in derision daily: everyone mocketh me.
8 For since I spake, I cried out of wrong, and proclaimed [f]desolation: therefore the word of the Lord was made a reproach unto me, and in derision daily.
9 Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak anymore 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 For I had heard the railing of many, and fear on every side. [g]Declare, said they, and we will declare it: all my familiars watched for mine halting, saying, It may be that he is deceived: so we shall prevail against him, and we shall execute our vengeance upon him.
11 [h]But the Lord is with me like a mighty giant: therefore my persecutors shall be overthrown, and shall not prevail, and shall be greatly confounded: for they have done unwisely, and their everlasting shame shall never be forgotten.
12 (A)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 unto the Lord, praise ye the Lord: for he hath delivered the soul of the poor from the hand of the wicked.
14 ¶ [i]Cursed be the day wherein I was born: and let not the day wherein my mother bare me, be blessed.
15 Cursed be the man that showed my father, saying, A man child is born unto thee, and comforted him.
16 And let that man be as the [j]cities, which the Lord hath overturned and repented not: and let him hear the cry in the morning, and the shouting at noon tide,
17 Because he hath not slain me, even from the womb, or that my mother might have been my grave, or her womb a perpetual [k]conception.
18 How is it, that I came forth of the womb, to see labor and sorrow, that my days should be consumed with shame?
21 He prophesieth that Zedekiah shall be taken, and the city burned.
1 The word which came unto Jeremiah from the Lord, when king Zedekiah sent unto him Pashhur, the son of Melchiah, and Zephaniah, the son of Maaseiah the Priest, saying,
2 [l]Inquire, I pray thee, of the Lord for us, (for Nebuchadnezzar king of Babel maketh war against us) if so be that the Lord will deal with us according to all his wondrous works, that he may return up from us.
3 Then said Jeremiah, Thus shall you say to Zedekiah,
4 Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Behold, I will [m]turn back the weapons of war that are in your hands, wherewith ye fight against the king of Babel, and against the Chaldeans, which besiege you without the walls, and I will assemble them into the midst of this city.
5 And I myself will fight against you with an outstretched hand, and with a mighty arm, even in anger and in wrath, and in great indignation.
6 And I will smite the inhabitants of this city, both man and beast: they shall die of a great pestilence.
7 And after this, saith the Lord, I will deliver Zedekiah the King of Judah, and his servants, and the people, and such as are left in this city, from the pestilence, from the sword, and from the famine, into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babel, and into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of those that seek their lives, and he shall smite them with the edge of the sword: he shall not spare them, neither have pity nor compassion.
8 And unto this people thou shalt say, Thus saith the Lord, Behold, I set before you the [n]way of life, and the way of [o]death.
9 (B)He that abideth in this city, shall die by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence: but he that goeth out, and falleth to the Chaldeans, that besiege you, he shall live, and his life shall be unto him for a [p]prey.
10 For I have set my face against this city, for evil and not for good, saith the Lord: it shall be given into the hand of the king of Babel, and he shall burn it with fire.
11 ¶ And say unto the house of the King of Judah, Hear ye the word of the Lord.
12 O house of David, Thus saith the Lord, (C)Execute judgment [q]in the morning, and deliver the oppressed out of the hand of the oppressor, lest my wrath go out like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the wickedness of your works.
13 Behold, I come against thee, [r]O inhabitant of the valley, and rock of the plain, saith the Lord, which say, Who shall come down against us? or who shall enter into our habitations?
14 But I will visit you according to the fruit of your works, saith the Lord, and I will kindle a fire [s]in the forest thereof, and it shall devour round about it.
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 20:2 Thus we see that the thing which neither the King, nor the princes, nor the people durst enterprise against the Prophet of God, this Priest as a chief instrument of Satan first attempted, read Jer. 18:18.
- Jeremiah 20:3 Or, fear round about.
- Jeremiah 20:6 Which have suffered themselves to be abused by thy false prophecies.
- Jeremiah 20:7 Herein appeareth the impatience, which oftentimes overcometh the servants of God, when they see not their labors to profit, and also feel their own weakness, read Jer. 15:18.
- Jeremiah 20:7 Thou didst thrust me forth to this work against my will.
- Jeremiah 20:8 He showeth that he did his office in that he reproved the people of their vices, and threatened them with God’s judgments: but because he was derided and persecuted for this, he was discouraged, and thought to have ceased to preach, save that God’s Spirit did force him thereunto.
- Jeremiah 20:10 Thus the enemies conferred together to know what they had heard him say, that they might accuse him thereof, read Isa. 29:21.
- Jeremiah 20:11 Here he showeth how his faith did strive against tentation, and sought to the Lord for strength.
- Jeremiah 20:14 How the children of God are overcome in this battle of the flesh and the Spirit, and into what inconveniences they fall till God raise them up again: read Job 3:1 and Jer. 15:10.
- Jeremiah 20:16 Alluding to the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Gen. 19:25.
- Jeremiah 20:17 Meaning, that the fruit thereof might never come to profit.
- Jeremiah 21:2 Not that the King was touched with repentance of his sins, and so sought to God, as did Hezekiah, when he sent to Isaiah, 2 Kings 19:1; Isa. 37:2, but because the Prophet might pray unto God to take this present plague away, as Pharaoh sought unto Moses, Exod. 9:28.
- Jeremiah 21:4 To wit, from your enemies to destroy yourselves.
- Jeremiah 21:8 By yielding yourselves to Nebuchadnezzar.
- Jeremiah 21:8 By resisting him.
- Jeremiah 21:9 As a thing recovered from extreme danger, Jer. 37:2, 39:18 and 45:5.
- Jeremiah 21:12 Be diligent to do justice.
- Jeremiah 21:13 Meaning, Jerusalem which was built part on the hill, and part in the valley, and was compassed about with mountains.
- Jeremiah 21:14 That is, in the houses thereof, which stood as thick as trees in the forest.
Jeremiah 20-21
New International Version
Jeremiah 20-21
New International Version
Jeremiah and Pashhur
20 When the priest Pashhur son of Immer,(A) the official(B) in charge of the temple of the Lord, heard Jeremiah prophesying these things, 2 he had Jeremiah the prophet beaten(C) and put in the stocks(D) at the Upper Gate of Benjamin(E) at the Lord’s temple. 3 The next day, when Pashhur released him from the stocks, Jeremiah said to him, “The Lord’s name(F) for you is not Pashhur, but Terror on Every Side.(G) 4 For this is what the Lord says: ‘I will make you a terror to yourself and to all your friends; with your own eyes(H) you will see them fall by the sword of their enemies. I will give(I) all Judah into the hands of the king of Babylon, who will carry(J) them away to Babylon or put them to the sword. 5 I will deliver all the wealth(K) of this city into the hands of their enemies—all its products, all its valuables and all the treasures of the kings of Judah. They will take it away(L) as plunder and carry it off to Babylon. 6 And you, Pashhur, and all who live in your house will go into exile to Babylon. There you will die and be buried, you and all your friends to whom you have prophesied(M) lies.’”
Jeremiah’s Complaint
7 You deceived[a](N) me, Lord, and I was deceived[b];
you overpowered(O) me and prevailed.
I am ridiculed(P) all day long;
everyone mocks(Q) me.
8 Whenever I speak, I cry out
proclaiming violence and destruction.(R)
So the word of the Lord has brought me
insult and reproach(S) all day long.
9 But if I say, “I will not mention his word
or speak anymore in his name,”(T)
his word is in my heart like a fire,(U)
a fire shut up in my bones.
I am weary of holding it in;(V)
indeed, I cannot.
10 I hear many whispering,
“Terror(W) on every side!
Denounce(X) him! Let’s denounce him!”
All my friends(Y)
are waiting for me to slip,(Z) saying,
“Perhaps he will be deceived;
then we will prevail(AA) over him
and take our revenge(AB) on him.”
11 But the Lord(AC) is with me like a mighty warrior;
so my persecutors(AD) will stumble and not prevail.(AE)
They will fail and be thoroughly disgraced;(AF)
their dishonor will never be forgotten.
12 Lord Almighty, you who examine the righteous
and probe the heart and mind,(AG)
let me see your vengeance(AH) on them,
for to you I have committed(AI) my cause.
13 Sing(AJ) to the Lord!
Give praise to the Lord!
He rescues(AK) the life of the needy
from the hands of the wicked.(AL)
14 Cursed be the day I was born!(AM)
May the day my mother bore me not be blessed!
15 Cursed be the man who brought my father the news,
who made him very glad, saying,
“A child is born to you—a son!”
16 May that man be like the towns(AN)
the Lord overthrew without pity.
May he hear wailing(AO) in the morning,
a battle cry at noon.
17 For he did not kill me in the womb,(AP)
with my mother as my grave,
her womb enlarged forever.
18 Why did I ever come out of the womb(AQ)
to see trouble(AR) and sorrow
and to end my days in shame?(AS)
God Rejects Zedekiah’s Request
21 The word came to Jeremiah from the Lord when King Zedekiah(AT) sent to him Pashhur(AU) son of Malkijah and the priest Zephaniah(AV) son of Maaseiah. They said: 2 “Inquire(AW) now of the Lord for us because Nebuchadnezzar[c](AX) king of Babylon(AY) is attacking us. Perhaps the Lord will perform wonders(AZ) for us as in times past so that he will withdraw from us.”
3 But Jeremiah answered them, “Tell Zedekiah, 4 ‘This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I am about to turn(BA) against you the weapons of war that are in your hands, which you are using to fight the king of Babylon and the Babylonians[d] who are outside the wall besieging(BB) you. And I will gather them inside this city. 5 I myself will fight(BC) against you with an outstretched hand(BD) and a mighty arm(BE) in furious anger and in great wrath. 6 I will strike(BF) down those who live in this city—both man and beast—and they will die of a terrible plague.(BG) 7 After that, declares the Lord, I will give Zedekiah(BH) king of Judah, his officials and the people in this city who survive the plague,(BI) sword and famine, into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon(BJ) and to their enemies(BK) who want to kill them.(BL) He will put them to the sword;(BM) he will show them no mercy or pity or compassion.’(BN)
8 “Furthermore, tell the people, ‘This is what the Lord says: See, I am setting before you the way of life(BO) and the way of death. 9 Whoever stays in this city will die by the sword, famine or plague.(BP) But whoever goes out and surrenders(BQ) to the Babylonians who are besieging you will live; they will escape with their lives.(BR) 10 I have determined to do this city harm(BS) and not good, declares the Lord. It will be given into the hands(BT) of the king of Babylon, and he will destroy it with fire.’(BU)
11 “Moreover, say to the royal house(BV) of Judah, ‘Hear the word of the Lord. 12 This is what the Lord says to you, house of David:
“‘Administer justice(BW) every morning;
rescue from the hand of the oppressor(BX)
the one who has been robbed,
or my wrath will break out and burn like fire(BY)
because of the evil(BZ) you have done—
burn with no one to quench(CA) it.
13 I am against(CB) you, Jerusalem,
you who live above this valley(CC)
on the rocky plateau, declares the Lord—
you who say, “Who can come against us?
Who can enter our refuge?”(CD)
14 I will punish you as your deeds(CE) deserve,
declares the Lord.
I will kindle a fire(CF) in your forests(CG)
that will consume everything around you.’”
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 20:7 Or persuaded
- Jeremiah 20:7 Or persuaded
- Jeremiah 21:2 Hebrew Nebuchadrezzar, of which Nebuchadnezzar is a variant; here and often in Jeremiah and Ezekiel
- Jeremiah 21:4 Or Chaldeans; also in verse 9
1599 Geneva Bible (GNV) 
Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.