Jeremiah 20:7–13

Jeremiah’s Fifth Complaint

⁷Lord, you tricked me, and I was fooled.

You are stronger than I am, so you won.

I have become a joke;

everyone makes fun of me all day long.

⁸Every time I speak, I shout.

I am always shouting about violence and destruction.

I tell the people about the message I received from the Lord,

but this only brings me insults.

The people make fun of me all day long.

⁹Sometimes I say to myself,

“I will forget about the Lord.

I will not speak anymore in his name.”

But then his message becomes like a burning fire inside me,

deep within my bones.

I get tired of trying to hold it inside of me,

and finally, I cannot hold it in.

¹⁰I hear many people whispering about me:

“Terror on every side!

Tell on him! Let’s tell the rulers about him.”

My friends are all just waiting for me to make some mistake.

They are saying,

“Maybe we can trick him

so we can defeat him

and pay him back.”

¹¹But the Lord is with me like a strong warrior,

so those who are chasing me will trip and fall;

they will not defeat me.

They will be ashamed because they have failed,

and their shame will never be forgotten.

¹²Lord All-Powerful, you test good people;

you look deeply into the heart and mind of a person.

I have told you my arguments against these people,

so let me see you give them the punishment they deserve.

¹³Sing to the Lord!

Praise the Lord!

He saves the life of the poor

from the power of the wicked.