Jeremiah 20-21
When truth becomes fire in the bones, silence is no longer possible—and judgment is already at the gates.
Jeremiah 20–21 reveals both the crushing cost of speaking truth and the certainty of Jehovah’s judgment. After being beaten and imprisoned by Pashhur, Jeremiah condemns him and foretells Judah’s fall to Babylon, yet privately admits the anguish, ridicule, and despair his assignment has brought him. Still, Jehovah’s word burns within him so fiercely that he cannot remain silent. When King Zedekiah later seeks divine rescue from Babylon, Jeremiah delivers the opposite message: Jehovah will not defend Jerusalem, because its leaders have rejected justice and persisted in wrongdoing. The only path to life is humble surrender; resistance will end in destruction.
Chapter 20
Now Pashʹhur the son of Imʹmer, the priest, who was also the leading commissioner in the house of Jehovah, was listening when Jeremiah prophesied these things.
Then Pashʹhur struck Jeremiah the prophet and put him in the stocks that were at the Upper Gate of Benjamin, which was in the house of Jehovah.
But on the following day when Pashʹhur released Jeremiah from the stocks, Jeremiah said to him:
“Jehovah has named you, not Pashʹhur, but Terror All Around.
For this is what Jehovah says, ‘I will make you an object of terror to yourself and to all your friends, and they will fall by the sword of their enemies while your eyes are looking on; and I will give all Judah into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will take them into exile in Babylon and put them to death by the sword.
And I will give all the wealth of this city, all its resources, all its precious things, and all the treasures of the kings of Judah into the hand of their enemies. And they will plunder them and seize them and take them to Babylon.
And as for you, Pashʹhur, and all who live in your house, you will go into captivity. You will go off to Babylon and die there, and you will be buried there with all your friends, because you have prophesied lies to them.’”
You have fooled me, O Jehovah, and I was fooled.
You used your strength against me, and you prevailed.
I have become a laughingstock all day long; Everyone ridicules me.
For whenever I speak, I must cry out and proclaim, “Violence and destruction!”
For me the word of Jehovah has been the cause of insults and jeering all day long.
So I said: “I am not going to make mention of him, And I will speak no more in his name.”
But in my heart it became like a burning fire shut up in my bones, And I was tired of holding it in; I could no longer endure it.
For I heard many evil rumors; Terror surrounded me.
“Denounce him; let us denounce him!”
Every man wishing me peace was watching for my downfall:
“Perhaps he will make a foolish mistake, And we can prevail and take our revenge against him.”
But Jehovah was with me like a fearsome warrior.
That is why those persecuting me will stumble and will not prevail.
They will be put to great shame, for they will not succeed.
Their everlasting humiliation will not be forgotten.
But you, O Jehovah of armies, are examining the righteous one; You see the innermost thoughts and the heart.
Let me see your vengeance on them, For to you I have committed my legal case.
Sing to Jehovah! Praise Jehovah!
For he has rescued the poor one from the hand of evildoers.
Cursed be the day I was born!
May the day my mother gave birth to me not be blessed!
Cursed be the man who brought good news to my father, saying:
“A son has been born to you, a boy!”
Making him rejoice greatly.
May that man become like cities that Jehovah overthrew without regret.
May he hear an outcry in the morning and the sound of alarm at midday.
Why did he not put me to death in the womb, So that my mother would become my burial place And her womb would always remain pregnant?
Why did I have to come out of the womb To see trouble and grief, To end my days in shame?
Chapter 21
Jeremiah received the word from Jehovah when King Zed·e·kiʹah sent to him Pashʹhur son of Mal·chiʹjah and Zeph·a·niʹah son of Ma·a·seiʹah, the priest, requesting:
“Please inquire of Jehovah in our behalf, because King Neb·u·chad·nezʹzar of Babylon is waging war against us. Perhaps Jehovah will perform one of his wonderful works in our behalf, so that he will withdraw from us.”
Jeremiah said to them:
“This is what you should say to Zed·e·kiʹah, ‘This is what Jehovah the God of Israel says:
“Here I am turning around against you the weapons of war that are in your own hands, with which you are fighting the king of Babylon and the Chal·deʹans who are outside the wall besieging you. And I will gather them into the middle of this city.
And I myself will fight against you with an outstretched hand and a mighty arm, with anger and wrath and great indignation.
I will strike the inhabitants of this city, both man and beast. By a great pestilence they will die.”’
“‘“And after that,” declares Jehovah, “I will give King Zed·e·kiʹah of Judah and his servants and the people of this city—those who survive the pestilence, the sword, and the famine—into the hand of King Neb·u·chad·nezʹzar of Babylon, into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of those who are seeking to take their life.
He will strike them down with the sword. He will not feel sorry for them, nor will he show compassion or have any mercy.”’”
“And to this people you should say, ‘This is what Jehovah says:
“Here I am putting before you the way of life and the way of death.
Those who remain in this city will die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence.
But whoever goes out and surrenders to the Chal·deʹans who are besieging you will keep living, and he will have his life as a spoil.”’”
“‘“For I have set my face against this city for calamity and not for good,” declares Jehovah.
“It will be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will burn it with fire.”’”
“‘To the household of the king of Judah: Hear the word of Jehovah.
O house of David, this is what Jehovah says:
“Uphold justice every morning, And rescue the one being robbed from the hand of the defrauder,
So that my wrath does not blaze like a fire And burn with no one to extinguish it Because of your evil deeds.”’”
“‘Here I am against you, O inhabitant of the valley, O rock of the level land,’ declares Jehovah.
‘As for you who say: “Who will come down against us? And who will invade our dwellings?”
I will hold an accounting against you As your deeds deserve,’ declares Jehovah.
‘And I will set her forest ablaze, And it will consume all the things around her.’” ```
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