Yeremia 20:8

20:8 For whenever I prophesy, ¹  I must cry out, ² 

“Violence and destruction are coming!” ³ 

This message from the Lord ⁴  has made me

an object of continual insults and derision.

Yeremia 20:12

20:12 O Lord who rules over all, ⁵  you test and prove the righteous.

You see into people’s hearts and minds. ⁶ 

Pay them back for what they have done

because I trust you to vindicate my cause.

[20:8]  ¹ tn Heb “speak,” but the speaking is in the context of speaking as a prophet.

[20:8]  ² tn Heb “I cry out, I proclaim.”

[20:8]  ³ tn Heb “Violence and destruction.”

[20:8]  sn The words “Violence and destruction…” are a synopsis of his messages of judgment. Jeremiah is lamenting that his ministry up to this point has been one of judgment and has brought him nothing but ridicule because the Lord has not carried out his threats. He appears in the eyes of the people to be a false prophet.

[20:8]  ⁴ tn Heb “the word of the Lord.” For the use of כִּי…כִּי (ki…ki) here in the sense of “for…and” see KBL 432 s.v. כּי 10.

[20:12]  ⁵ tn Heb “Yahweh of armies.”

[20:12]  sn See the study note on 2:19 for explanation of this title for God.

[20:12]  ⁶ tn Heb “Lord of armies, the one who tests the righteous, who sees kidneys and heart.” The sentence has been broken up to avoid a long and complex English sentence. The translation is more in keeping with contemporary English style.

[20:12]  sn This verse is almost an exact duplication of the petition in one of Jeremiah’s earlier prayers and complaints. See Jer 11:20 and notes there for explanation of the Hebrew psychology underlying the use of “kidneys and heart” here. For the thoughts expressed here see Ps 17.