Jeremiah’s Unpopular Ministry

7 O Lord, You 2induced me, and I was persuaded;

hYou are stronger than I, and have prevailed.

iI am 3in derision daily;

Everyone mocks me.

8 For when I spoke, I cried out;

jI shouted, “Violence and plunder!”

Because the word of the Lord was made to me

A reproach and a derision daily.

9 Then I said, “I will not make mention of Him,

Nor speak anymore in His name.”

But His word was in my heart like a kburning fire

Shut up in my bones;

I was weary of holding it back,

And lI could not.

10 mFor I heard many 4mocking:

“Fear on every side!”

“Report,” they say, “and we will report it!”

nAll my acquaintances watched for my stumbling, saying,

“Perhaps he can be induced;

Then we will prevail against him,

And we will take our revenge on him.”

11 But the Lord is owith me as a mighty, awesome One.

Therefore my persecutors will stumble, and will not pprevail.

They will be greatly ashamed, for they will not prosper.

Their qeverlasting confusion will never be forgotten.

12 But, O Lord of hosts,

You who rtest the righteous,

And see the 5mind and heart,

sLet me see Your vengeance on them;

For I have pleaded my cause before You.

13 Sing to the Lord! Praise the Lord!

For tHe has delivered the life of the poor

From the hand of evildoers.

14 uCursed be the day in which I was born!

Let the day not be blessed in which my mother bore me!

15 Let the man be cursed

Who brought news to my father, saying,

“A male child has been born to you!”

Making him very glad.

16 And let that man be like the cities

Which the Lord—voverthrew, and did not relent;

Let him whear the cry in the morning

And the shouting at noon,

17 xBecause he did not kill me from the womb,

That my mother might have been my grave,

And her womb always enlarged with me.

18 yWhy did I come forth from the womb to zsee 6labor and sorrow,

That my days should be consumed with shame?