Slapped Jeremiah goes to jail
1A priest named Pashhur [1] served as the Jerusalem Temple’s top security officer. He was the son of Immer. Pashhur heard what Jeremiah said would happen to Judah. 2So he slapped Jeremiah, arrested him, and confined him at the upper Benjamin Gate [2] that leads into the Temple courtyards.3Pashhur kept Jeremiah overnight and released him the next morning. Jeremiah told Pashhur, “The LORD has given you a new name. You’re not Pashhur anymore. You’re Fear Alone. [3] 4And the LORD says, ‘I'm going to make sure you’re terrified of yourself [4] and that all your friends are going to be afraid of you as well. In fact, you’re going to see them killed by the swords of invading Babylonians. I'm going to give all of Judah to the king of Babylon. And he's going to march the survivors among you back to Babylon as captives.
5I will give the Babylonians everything you own. I'll give them all your money, property, and other treasures. Your king loses everything, too. All of you will lose it all. And if you survive the war, you’ll end up captive in Babylon. 6As for you, Pashhur, you and everyone who lives under your roof are going to end up in Babylon as captives. You will live there, die there, and get buried there. So will the people who listened to you spread those false prophecies.’”
God “suckers” Jeremiah
7LORD, you suckered [5] me.
Now I’m the sucker.
You kidnapped me.
Now you have me.
I’m the butt of jokes all day long.
Everyone’s laughing at me.
It’s always about violence and death.
People hate me for that.
They’re always insulting me.
9I tell myself to stop it,
And no longer deliver your messages.
But there’s a fire inside me,
A burning passion for the message.
I can’t keep it to myself.
10I hear the people talking about me.
They say, “Everyone’s afraid because of him.
So, let’s hit him hard with the blame.
Maybe we can trick him,
And force him to make a mistake.
Then maybe we can get even.”
11But they don’t have a chance.
I have the LORD, a great warrior.
He’ll block their attacks.
They’ll lose and suffer the shame of losers.
Generations to come will always remember
The shame these people are about to experience.
12LORD of everyone,
You put good people to the test.
You can see into their hearts and minds.
Now let me see into your sense of justice.
That’s what I want to see. Some justice.
Sing about God protecting good folks
13Let’s sing praise songs to the LORD.
Thank the good LORD.
He has saved the good and the oppressed folks
From the evil and the oppressive ones.
Don’t wish me happy birthday.
It was not a happy day.
It’s too bad my mother had a baby.
15And damn the man who told my dad,
“Congratulations, you have a son.”
My dad thought that was good news.
16That other man deserves to die
Like cities that will fall
When invaders attack without mercy.
May he be there to hear the alarm
When enemies crest the nearby hills.
17He should have killed me
While I was still inside Mom.
Then Mom would have become my tomb.
18Why did I bother to breathe?
I should have died before I was born.
What do I have to live for?
Suffering, sadness, and shame.
