Jeremiah 20:4

² he had Jeremiah the prophet beaten and put in the stocks at the Upper Gate of Benjamin, which was by the house of the LORD.

³ The next day, when Pashhur released Jeremiah from the stocks, Jeremiah said to him, “The LORD does not call you Pashhur, but Magor-missabib.

For this is what the LORD says: ‘I will make you a terror to yourself and to all your friends. They will fall by the sword of their enemies before your very eyes. And I will hand Judah over to the king of Babylon, and he will carry them away to Babylon and put them to the sword.

⁵ I will give away all the wealth of this city—all its products and valuables, and all the treasures of the kings of Judah—to their enemies. They will plunder them, seize them, and carry them off to Babylon.

⁶ And you, Pashhur, and all who live in your house, will go into captivity. You will go to Babylon, and there you will die and be buried—you and all your friends to whom you have prophesied these lies.’”

This was said to Israel at a particular time, so it is wise to read it together with the surrounding text. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: For this is what the LORD says: ‘I will make you a terror to yourself and to all your friends. They will fall by the sword of their enemies before your very eyes. And I will hand Judah over to the king of Babylon, and he will carry them away to Babylon and put them to the sword.
KJV: 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.
WEB: For the LORD says, ‘Behold, I will make you a terror to yourself and to all your friends. They will fall by the sword of their enemies, and your eyes will see it. I will give all Judah into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will carry them captive to Babylon, and will kill them with the sword.
ASV: 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.
DARBY: For thus saith Jehovah: Behold, I 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 see [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 smite them with the sword.
BLB: For thus says YHWH: ‘Behold, I will make you a terror to yourself and to all your friends, and they will fall by the sword of their enemies, and your eyes will see it! And I will give all Judah into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will carry them off to Babylon and strike them with the sword.

ÅB: For så sier Herren: Se, jeg gjør deg til en redsel for deg selv og for alle dine venner, og de skal falle for sine fienders sverd, og dine øyne skal se det; og hele Juda vil jeg gi i Babels konges hånd, og han skal føre dem til Babel som fanger og slå dem med sverd.
OTB: For dette er hva Herren sier: ‘Jeg vil gjøre deg til en redsel for deg selv og alle dine venner; du vil være vitne til at de faller for fiendens sverd. Jeg vil overgi hele Juda til kongen av Babylon, som vil ta dem med til Babylon eller drepe dem med sverdet.
B1930: For så sier Herren: Se, jeg gjør dig til en redsel for dig selv og for alle dine venner, og de skal falle for sine fienders sverd, og dine øine skal se det; og hele Juda vil jeg gi i Babels konges hånd, og han skal føre dem til Babel som fanger og slå dem med sverd.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Jeremiah 29:21
This is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says about Ahab son of Kolaiah and Zedekiah son of Maaseiah, who are prophesying to you lies in My name: “I will deliver them to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he will kill them before your very eyes.
Read in context
Jeremiah 25:9
behold, I will summon all the families of the north, declares the LORD, and I will send for My servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, whom I will bring against this land, against its residents, and against all the surrounding nations. So I will devote them to destruction and make them an object of horror and contempt, an everlasting desolation.
Read in context
Jeremiah 32:27–31
“Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is anything too difficult for Me?
Read in context
Jeremiah 21:4–10
this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘I will turn against you the weapons of war in your hands, with which you are fighting the king of Babylon and the Chaldeans who besiege you outside the wall, and I will assemble their forces in the center of this city.
Read in context
Jeremiah 39:6–7
There at Riblah the king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and he also killed all the nobles of Judah.
Read in context
Deuteronomy 28:32–34
Your sons and daughters will be given to another nation, while your eyes grow weary looking for them day after day, with no power in your hand.
Read in context
Deuteronomy 28:65–67
Among those nations you will find no repose, not even a resting place for the sole of your foot. There the LORD will give you a trembling heart, failing eyes, and a despairing soul.
Read in context
2 Kings 25:7
And they slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes. Then they put out his eyes, bound him with bronze shackles, and took him to Babylon.
Read in context