Jeremiah 20: Fire Shut Up in My Bones

Jeremiah 20 (WEB)

1 Now Pashhur, the son of Immer the priest, who was chief officer in Yahweh’s house, heard Jeremiah prophesying these things.

2 Then Pashhur struck Jeremiah the prophet, and put him in the stocks that were in the upper gate of Benjamin, which was in Yahweh’s house.

3 On the next day, Pashhur released Jeremiah out of the stocks. Then Jeremiah said to him, Yahweh has not called your name Pashhur, but Magormissabib.

4 For thus says Yahweh, Behold, I will make you a terror to yourself, and to all your friends; and they shall fall by the sword of their enemies, and your eyes shall see it; and I will give all Judah into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall carry them captive to Babylon, and shall kill them with the sword.

5 Moreover I will give all the riches of this city, and all its gains, and all the precious things of it, yes, all the treasures of the kings of Judah will I give into the hand of their enemies; and they shall make them captives, and take them, and carry them to Babylon.

6 You, Pashhur, and all who dwell in your house shall go into captivity; and you shall come to Babylon, and there you shall die, and there you shall be buried, you, and all your friends, to whom you have prophesied falsely.

7 Yahweh, you have persuaded me, and I was persuaded; you are stronger than I, and have prevailed: I am become a laughing-stock all the day, every one mocks me.

8 For as often as I speak, I cry out; I cry, Violence and destruction! because Yahweh’s word is made a reproach to me, and a derision, all the day.

9 If I say, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name, then there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with forbearing, and I can’t.

10 For I have heard the defaming of many, terror on every side. Denounce, and we will denounce him, say all my familiar friends, those who watch for my fall; perhaps he will be persuaded, and we shall prevail against him, and we shall take our revenge on him.

11 But Yahweh is with me as an awesome mighty one: therefore my persecutors shall stumble, and they shall not prevail; they shall be utterly disappointed, because they have not dealt wisely, even with an everlasting dishonor which shall never be forgotten.

12 But, Yahweh of Armies, who tests the righteous, who sees the heart and the mind, let me see your vengeance on them; for to you have I revealed my cause.

13 Sing to Yahweh, praise Yahweh; for he has delivered the soul of the needy from the hand of evildoers.

14 Cursed is the day in which I was born: don’t let the day in which my mother bore me be blessed.

15 Cursed is the man who brought news to my father, saying, A boy is born to you; making him very glad.

16 Let that man be as the cities which Yahweh overthrew, and didn’t repent: and let him hear a cry in the morning, and shouting at noontime;

17 because he didn’t kill me from the womb; and so my mother would have been my grave, and her womb always great.

18 Why did I come out of the womb to see labor and sorrow, that my days should be consumed with shame?

Jeremiah 20 (KJV)

1 Now Pashur the son of Immer the priest, who was also chief governor in the house of the Lord, heard that Jeremiah prophesied these things.

2 Then Pashur smote Jeremiah the prophet, and put him in the stocks that were in the high gate of Benjamin, which was by the house of the Lord.

3 And it came to pass on the morrow, that Pashur brought forth Jeremiah out of the stocks. Then said Jeremiah unto him, The Lord hath not called thy name Pashur, but Magor–missabib.

4 For thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will make thee a terror to thyself, and to all thy friends: and they shall fall by the sword of their enemies, and thine eyes shall behold it: and I will give all Judah into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall carry them captive into Babylon, and shall slay them with the sword.

5 Moreover I will deliver all the strength of this city, and all the labours thereof, and all the precious things thereof, and all the treasures of the kings of Judah will I give into the hand of their enemies, which shall spoil them, and take them, and carry them to Babylon.

6 And thou, Pashur, and all that dwell in thine house shall go into captivity: and thou shalt come to Babylon, and there thou shalt die, and shalt be buried there, thou, and all thy friends, to whom thou hast prophesied lies.

7 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.

8 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.

9 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.

10 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.

11 But the Lord is with me as a mighty terrible one: therefore my persecutors shall stumble, and they shall not prevail: they shall be greatly ashamed; for they shall not prosper: their everlasting confusion shall never be forgotten.

12 But, O Lord of hosts, that triest the righteous, and seest the reins and the heart, let me see thy vengeance on them: for unto thee have I opened my cause.

13 Sing unto the Lord, praise ye the Lord: for he hath delivered the soul of the poor from the hand of evildoers.

14 Cursed be the day wherein I was born: let not the day wherein my mother bare me be blessed.

15 Cursed be the man who brought tidings to my father, saying, A man child is born unto thee; making him very glad.

16 And let that man be as the cities which the Lord overthrew, and repented not: and let him hear the cry in the morning, and the shouting at noontide;

17 Because he slew me not from the womb; or that my mother might have been my grave, and her womb to be always great with me.

18 Wherefore came I forth out of the womb to see labour and sorrow, that my days should be consumed with shame?

Jeremiah 20 (ASV)

1 Now Pashhur, the son of Immer the priest, who was chief officer in the house of Jehovah, heard Jeremiah prophesying these things.

2 Then Pashhur smote Jeremiah the prophet, and put him in the stocks that were in the upper gate of Benjamin, which was in the house of Jehovah.

3 And it came to pass on the morrow, that Pashhur brought forth Jeremiah out of the stocks. Then said Jeremiah unto him, Jehovah hath not called thy name Pashhur, but Magor-missabib.

4 For thus saith Jehovah, Behold, I will make thee a terror to thyself, and to all thy friends; and they shall fall by the sword of their enemies, and thine eyes shall behold it; and I will give all Judah into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall carry them captive to Babylon, and shall slay them with the sword.

5 Moreover I will give all the riches of this city, and all the gains thereof, and all the precious things thereof, yea, all the treasures of the kings of Judah will I give into the hand of their enemies; and they shall make them a prey, and take them, and carry them to Babylon.

6 And thou, Pashhur, and all that dwell in thy house shall go into captivity; and thou shalt come to Babylon, and there thou shalt die, and there shalt thou be buried, thou, and all thy friends, to whom thou hast prophesied falsely.

7 O Jehovah, thou hast persuaded me, and I was persuaded; thou art stronger than I, and hast prevailed: I am become a laughing-stock all the day, every one mocketh me.

8 For as often as I speak, I cry out; I cry, Violence and destruction! because the word of Jehovah is made a reproach unto me, and a derision, all the day.

9 And if I say, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name, then there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with forbearing, and I cannot contain.

10 For I have heard the defaming of many, terror on every side. Denounce, and we will denounce him, say all my familiar friends, they that watch for my fall; peradventure he will be persuaded, and we shall prevail against him, and we shall take our revenge on him.

11 But Jehovah is with me as a mighty one and a terrible: therefore my persecutors shall stumble, and they shall not prevail; they shall be utterly put to shame, because they have not dealt wisely, even with an everlasting dishonor which shall never be forgotten.

12 But, O Jehovah of hosts, that triest the righteous, that seest the heart and the mind, let me see thy vengeance on them; for unto thee have I revealed my cause.

13 Sing unto Jehovah, praise ye Jehovah; for he hath delivered the soul of the needy from the hand of evil-doers.

14 Cursed be the day wherein I was born: let not the day wherein my mother bare me be blessed.

15 Cursed be the man who brought tidings to my father, saying, A man-child is born unto thee; making him very glad.

16 And let that man be as the cities which Jehovah overthrew, and repented not: and let him hear a cry in the morning, and shouting at noontime;

17 because he slew me not from the womb; and so my mother would have been my grave, and her womb always great.

18 Wherefore came I forth out of the womb to see labor and sorrow, that my days should be consumed with shame?

Summary

Pashhur the priest, chief officer in the temple, hears Jeremiah's prophecies, strikes him, and puts him in the stocks at the upper gate of Benjamin. When Pashhur releases him the next day, Jeremiah renames him Magormissabib—"terror on every side"—and declares that he and all his friends will be carried captive to Babylon, where he will die. Then the chapter plunges into one of the most raw laments in Scripture. Jeremiah accuses God of persuading and overpowering him, leaving him a laughingstock mocked all day long. Yet when he resolves to stop speaking, God's word becomes a burning fire shut up in his bones, and he is weary with holding it in and cannot. He hears whispering on every side, even from familiar friends watching for his fall. In the same breath he affirms that Yahweh is with him like a dread warrior, so his persecutors will stumble, and he calls on the Lord to sing praises, for God delivers the needy. Then the lament collapses into despair as he curses the day of his birth and asks why he ever came from the womb to see only labor, sorrow, and shame. Here is a faithful servant clinging to God even while drowning in pain—honest enough to praise and protest in the same prayer.

Voices

Jeremiah — The persecuted prophet who is beaten and mocked, yet finds God's word a fire he cannot contain even when he longs to fall silent.
Yahweh (the LORD) — The God whom Jeremiah accuses of overpowering him, yet trusts as a dread warrior at his side who delivers the needy.
Pashhur — The temple official who strikes Jeremiah and puts him in the stocks, renamed "terror on every side" and sentenced to die in Babylon.

Key Verse

Jeremiah 20:9 (WEB)

If I say, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name, then there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with forbearing, and I can’t.

Lessons Learned

Faithfulness to God can provoke real persecution, even from religious authorities (Jeremiah 20:1-2).
God's word can become an inner fire that the faithful cannot suppress (Jeremiah 20:9).
It is possible to bring brutally honest complaint to God and still trust him in the same breath (Jeremiah 20:11-13).
Even the most faithful servants can wrestle with deep despair without being abandoned by God (Jeremiah 20:14-18).

God's word will not be silenced. When Jeremiah tries to stop, the word is “a burning fire shut up in my bones… and I can’t” (Jeremiah 20:9, WEB). A true call cannot be permanently suppressed.
Honest lament is faithful prayer. Jeremiah dares to say, “Yahweh, you have persuaded me… you are stronger than I” (Jeremiah 20:7, WEB). God invites our rawest words rather than polite distance.
Trust and turmoil can coexist. In the same chapter Jeremiah cries “Sing to Yahweh” (Jeremiah 20:13, WEB) and curses the day he was born (20:14). Faith is not the absence of anguish.
God stands with the persecuted. “Yahweh is with me as an awesome mighty one” (Jeremiah 20:11, WEB). The Lord is a warrior beside his battered servant.

How does Pashhur represent the danger of religious power turned against God's word?
What does Jeremiah mean that God's word is “a burning fire shut up in my bones” (20:9)?
How can verses 11-13 (confident praise) and verses 14-18 (cursing his birth) belong in the same prayer?
What does Jeremiah's brutal honesty teach us about the kind of prayers God welcomes?
When have you felt like giving up on a calling, only to find you could not let it go? How did God meet you there?

Pashhur uses his office to silence the prophet by force, embodying the tragedy of religious authority opposing the very word of God (20:1-2). Help the group see that institutional power is no guarantee of faithfulness, and that God's truth often comes from the margins, not the center.
The image captures a call so deep that suppressing it becomes unbearable—the word demands to be spoken. Even when speaking costs Jeremiah everything, staying silent costs him more. Invite the group to consider what God has put in them that will not stay quiet.
Jeremiah moves from confident praise to utter despair without resolution, showing that faith is not a steady emotional state but a real, often turbulent relationship. The Spirit preserved both in Scripture so we know our darkest moments can still be honest prayer.
God welcomes prayers that are unpolished, accusing, and full of pain, because he wants us, not performance. Jeremiah's example frees the group to bring their true selves to God rather than a tidied-up version. Point to the psalms and to Christ's own cry from the cross.
This is a personal-application question. Invite members to recall a calling or commitment they wanted to abandon but could not. As leader, gently affirm that perseverance often feels like a fire we cannot quench, and that God sustains his servants even through their despair.