Jeremiah 20:7-13

New King James Version

Jeremiah’s Unpopular Ministry

⁷O Lord, You ^[a]induced me, and I was persuaded;
^(A)You are stronger than I, and have prevailed.
^(B)I am ^[b]in derision daily;
Everyone mocks me.
⁸For when I spoke, I cried out;
^(C)I shouted, “Violence and plunder!”
Because the word of the Lord was made to me
A reproach and a derision daily.
⁹Then I said, “I will not make mention of Him,
Nor speak anymore in His name.”
But His word was in my heart like a ^(D)burning fire
Shut up in my bones;
I was weary of holding it back,
And ^(E)I could not.
¹⁰^(F)For I heard many ^[c]mocking:
“Fear on every side!”
“Report,” they say, “and we will report it!”
^(G)All 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.”

¹¹But the Lord is ^(H)with me as a mighty, awesome One.
Therefore my persecutors will stumble, and will not ^(I)prevail.
They will be greatly ashamed, for they will not prosper.
Their ^(J)everlasting confusion will never be forgotten.
¹²But, O Lord of hosts,
You who ^(K)test the righteous,
And see the ^[d]mind and heart,
^(L)Let me see Your vengeance on them;
For I have pleaded my cause before You.