Jeremiah 20:7–10

O Lord, you have deceived me,

and I was deceived;

you are stronger than I,

and you have prevailed.

I have become a laughingstock all the day;

everyone mocks me.

For whenever I speak, I cry out,

I shout, “Violence and destruction!”

For the word of the Lord has become for me

a reproach and derision all day long.

If I say, “I will not mention him,

or speak any more in his name,”

there is in my heart as it were a burning fire

shut up in my bones,

and I am weary with holding it in,

and I cannot.

For I hear many whispering.

Terror is on every side!

“Denounce him! Let us denounce him!”

say all my close friends,

watching for my fall.

“Perhaps he will be deceived;

then we can overcome him

and take our revenge on him.”

You deceived me, Lord, and I was deceived;

you overpowered me and prevailed.

I am ridiculed all day long;

everyone mocks me.

Whenever I speak, I cry out

proclaiming violence and destruction.

So the word of the Lord has brought me

insult and reproach all day long.

But if I say, “I will not mention his word

or speak anymore in his name,”

his word is in my heart like a fire,

a fire shut up in my bones.

I am weary of holding it in;

indeed, I cannot.

I hear many whispering,

“Terror on every side!

Denounce him! Let’s denounce him!”

All my friends

are waiting for me to slip, saying,

“Perhaps he will be deceived;

then we will prevail over him

and take our revenge on him.”

You deceived me, Lord, and I was deceived.

You seized me and prevailed.

I am a laughingstock all the time;

everyone ridicules me.

For whenever I speak, I cry out,

I proclaim, “Violence and destruction!”

so the word of the Lord has become my

constant disgrace and derision.

I say, “I won’t mention him

or speak any longer in his name.”

But his message becomes a fire burning in my heart,

shut up in my bones.

I become tired of holding it in,

and I cannot prevail.

For I have heard the gossip of many people,

“Terror is on every side!

Report him; let’s report him!”

Everyone I trusted watches for my fall.

“Perhaps he will be deceived

so that we might prevail against him

and take our vengeance on him.”

O Lord, you misled me,

and I allowed myself to be misled.

You are stronger than I am,

and you overpowered me.

Now I am mocked every day;

everyone laughs at me.

When I speak, the words burst out.

“Violence and destruction!” I shout.

So these messages from the Lord

have made me a household joke.

But if I say I’ll never mention the Lord

or speak in his name,

his word burns in my heart like a fire.

It’s like a fire in my bones!

I am worn out trying to hold it in!

I can’t do it!

I have heard the many rumors about me.

They call me “The Man Who Lives in Terror.”

They threaten, “If you say anything, we will report it.”

Even my old friends are watching me,

waiting for a fatal slip.

“He will trap himself,” they say,

“and then we will get our revenge on him.”

You have persuaded me, O Yahweh, and I was persuaded.

You have overpowered me, and you have prevailed.

I have become a laughingstock all day long.

Everyone is mocking me.

For as often as I speak,

I must cry out violence and destruction.

I must shout, for the word of Yahweh has become for me

a disgrace and derision all day long.

But if I say, “I will not mention him

and I will no longer speak in his name,”

then it becomes in my heart like a fire burning,

locked up in my bones,

and I struggle to contain it,

and I am not able.

For I hear the rumor of many,

“Terror is from all around, denounce him,

yes, let us denounce him!”

All my close friends are watchers of my stumbling,

saying, “perhaps he can be persuaded,

and we can prevail over him,

and we can take our revenge on him.”

O Lord, thou hast deceived me, and I was deceived:

Thou art stronger than I, and hast prevailed:

I am in derision daily,

Every one mocketh me.

For since I spake, I cried out,

I cried violence and spoil;

Because the word of the Lord was made a reproach unto me,

And a derision, daily.

Then I said, I will not make mention of him,

Nor speak any more in his name.

But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones,

And I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.

For I heard the defaming of many, fear on every side.

Report, say they, and we will report it.

All my familiars watched for my halting, saying,

Peradventure he will be enticed, and we shall prevail against him,

And we shall take our revenge on him.