Jeremiah 20

2smote him and committed him to the prison which was in the upper story of the gate to the house of the Lord.

3And when Paschor took Jeremias out of prison, Jeremias said to him, He hath not called thy name Paschor, but Exile.

4For thus saith the Lord, Behold I will send thee with all thy friends into exile; and they shall fall by the sword of their enemies and thine eyes shall see it. I will deliver thee and all Juda into the hands of the king of Babylon; and they shall be exiled and slain with swords.

5And I will deliver all the strength of this city and all the labours thereof and all the treasures carry them to Babylon.

6And thou and all that dwell in thy house shall go into captivity and thou shalt die in Babylon and be buried there, thou and all thy friends to whom thou hast prophesied falsehoods.

7Hast thou, O Lord deceived me? and have I been deceived? Thou hast taken hold and hast prevailed. I am become a subject of laughter: all the day long I endure reproach.

8Because I am to be derided for my bitter word, shall I appeal to a breach of covenant and misery? because the word of the Lord became a reproach to me-a subject of mockery all the day long.

9Therefore I said, I will not name the name of the Lord-I will not speak anymore in His name. But there was kindled as it were a burning fire in my bones and I became dejected and cannot bear it

10because I heard the whisper of many collected from all around saying: Join in conspiracy and let us all conspire against him; ye men who are his friends watch his thoughts; if he can be deceived, we shall then prevail over him and take our revenge on him.

11But the Lord was with me as a mighty warrior, therefore they persecuted and could not contrive. They were put to great i.,. confusion. Because they had not a due sense of their infamous practices, which are never to be forgotten.

12O Lord, who provest righteous things, who knowest the reins and hearts [of men], I might have seen Thy vengeance on them. For to Thee I laid open my cause.

13Sing to the Lord; sing praises to Him, because He hath rescued the soul of the needy out of the hand of evil doers.

14Let the day be cursed on which I was born—the day on which my mother bore me. Let it not be mentioned with expressions of joy.

15Let the man be cursed who brought tidings to my father saying, A male child is born to thee, making him glad.

16Let that man be like the cities which the Lord overthrew in wrath and relented not, Let him hear a scream in the morning and the cry of woe at noon-day,

17because He did not kill me in the womb, and my mother was not made my grave, and her womb always with child.

18To what purpose this? I came forth from the womb to see labours and sorrows, and my days have been spent in shame.