¶ Now Pashur the son of Immer¹ the priest, who was also chief² governor in the house of the LORD, heard that Jeremiah prophesied these things.

Then Pashur smote³ Jeremiah the prophet, and put him in the stocks⁴ that were in the high⁵ gate of Benjamin, which was by the house of the LORD.

And it came to pass on the morrow, that Pashur⁶ brought forth Jeremiah out of the stocks. Then said Jeremiah unto him, The LORD hath⁷ not called thy name Pashur, but Magormissabib⁸.

For thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will make⁹ thee a terror to thyself, and to all thy friends: and they shall fall by the sword of their enemies, and thine¹⁰ eyes shall behold it: and I will give¹¹ 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.

Moreover I will deliver¹² all the strength of this city, and all the labours¹³ 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.

And thou,¹⁴ 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 friends¹⁵, to whom thou hast¹⁶ prophesied lies.

¶ O LORD, thou hast deceived¹⁷ me, and I was deceived: thou art¹⁸ stronger than I, and hast prevailed: I am¹⁹ in derision daily, every one mocketh me.

For since I spake, I cried²⁰ out, I cried violence and spoil; because the word²¹ of the LORD was made a reproach unto me, and a derision, daily.

Then I said, I will²² not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in²³ mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.

¶ For I heard²⁴ the defaming of many, fear²⁵ on every side. Report²⁶, say they, and we will report it. All my familiars²⁷ watched for my halting, saying, Peradventure he will be enticed, and we shall²⁸ prevail against him, and we shall take our revenge on him.

But the LORD²⁹ is with me as a mighty³⁰ terrible one: therefore my³¹ persecutors shall stumble, and they³² shall not prevail: they shall be greatly ashamed; for they shall not prosper: their everlasting³³ confusion shall never be forgotten.

But, O LORD of hosts, that³⁴ triest the righteous, and seest the reins and the heart, let me³⁵ see thy vengeance on them: for³⁶ unto thee have I opened my cause.

Sing unto the LORD, praise ye the LORD: for³⁷ he hath delivered the soul of the poor from the hand of evildoers.

¶³⁸Cursed be the day wherein I was born: let not the day wherein my mother bare me be blessed.

Cursed be the man who brought tidings to my father, saying, A man³⁹ child is born unto thee; making him very glad.

And let that man be as⁴⁰ the cities which the LORD overthrew, and repented⁴¹ not: and let him⁴² hear the cry in the morning, and the shouting at noontide;

Because he slew⁴³ me not from the womb; or that my mother might have been my grave, and her womb to be always great with me.

Wherefore came⁴⁴ I forth out of the womb to see⁴⁵ labour and sorrow, that my days should be consumed with⁴⁶ shame?