Jeremiah 20:4
New International Version
For this is what the LORD says: ‘I will make you a terror to yourself and to all your friends; with your own eyes you will see them fall by the sword of their enemies. I will give all Judah into the hands of the king of Babylon, who will carry them away to Babylon or put them to the sword.

New Living Translation
For this is what the LORD says: ‘I will send terror upon you and all your friends, and you will watch as they are slaughtered by the swords of the enemy. I will hand the people of Judah over to the king of Babylon. He will take them captive to Babylon or run them through with the sword.

English Standard Version
For thus says the LORD: Behold, I will make you a terror to yourself and to all your friends. They shall fall by the sword of their enemies while you look on. And I will give all Judah into the hand of the king of Babylon. He shall carry them captive to Babylon, and shall strike them down with the sword.

Berean Standard Bible
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.

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
For thus says the LORD: ‘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. I will give all Judah into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall carry them captive to Babylon and slay them with the sword.

New American Standard Bible
For this is what the LORD says: ‘Behold, I am going to make you a horror to yourself and to all your friends; and while your eyes look on, they will fall by the sword of their enemies. So I will hand all Judah over to the king of Babylon, and he will take them away as exiles to Babylon and will kill them with the sword.

NASB 1995
“For thus says the LORD, ‘Behold, I am going to make you a terror to yourself and to all your friends; and while your eyes look on, they will fall by the sword of their enemies. So I will give over all Judah to the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will carry them away as exiles to Babylon and will slay them with the sword.

NASB 1977
“For thus says the LORD, ‘Behold, I am going to make you a terror to yourself and to all your friends; and while your eyes look on, they will fall by the sword of their enemies. So I shall give over all Judah to the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will carry them away as exiles to Babylon and will slay them with the sword.

Legacy Standard Bible
For thus says Yahweh, ‘Behold, I am going to make you a terror to yourself and to all your friends; and while your eyes look on, they will fall by the sword of their enemies. So I will give over all Judah to the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will take them away into exile to Babylon and will strike them down with the sword.

Amplified Bible
For thus says the LORD, ‘Behold, I will make you a terror to yourself and to all your friends; they will fall by the sword of their enemies while you look on. And I will give all Judah into the hand of the king of Babylon; he will carry them away to Babylon as captives and will slaughter them with the sword.

Christian Standard Bible
for this is what the LORD says, ‘I am about to make you a terror to both yourself and those you love. They will fall by the sword of their enemies before your very eyes. I will hand Judah over to the king of Babylon, and he will deport them to Babylon and put them to the sword.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
for this is what the LORD says, ‘I am about to make you a terror to both yourself and those you love. They will fall by the sword of their enemies before your very eyes. I will hand Judah over to the king of Babylon, and he will deport them to Babylon and put them to the sword.

American Standard Version
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.

Contemporary English Version
You will be afraid, and you will bring fear to your friends as well. You will see enemies kill them in battle. Then I will let the king of Babylonia take everyone in Judah prisoner, killing some and dragging the rest away to Babylonia.

English Revised Version
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 to Babylon, and shall slay them with the sword.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
This is what the LORD says: I'm going to make you terrify yourself and all your friends. Their enemies' swords will kill them, and you will see it with your own eyes. I will hand all of Judah over to the king of Babylon. He will take the people away as captives to Babylon or kill them with swords.

Good News Translation
The LORD himself has said, 'I am going to make you a terror to yourself and to your friends, and you will see them all killed by the swords of their enemies. I am going to put all the people of Judah under the power of the king of Babylonia; he will take some away as prisoners to his country and put others to death.

International Standard Version
For this is what the LORD says: 'Look, I'm going to make you a terror to yourself and to all your loved ones. They'll fall by the sword of their enemies, and your eyes will see it. I'll give all Judah into the hand of the king of Babylon. He will take them into exile to Babylon, and he will execute them with swords.

Majority Standard Bible
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.

NET Bible
For the LORD says, 'I will make both you and your friends terrified of what will happen to you. You will see all of them die by the swords of their enemies. I will hand all the people of Judah over to the king of Babylon. He will carry some of them away into exile in Babylon and he will kill others of them with the sword.

New Heart English Bible
For thus says the LORD, 'Look, 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.

Webster's Bible Translation
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 thy 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.

World English Bible
For Yahweh 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.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
For thus said YHWH: Behold, I am making you for a fear to yourself, "" And to all loving you, "" And they have fallen by the sword of their enemies, and your eyes are beholding, "" And all Judah I give into the hand of the king of Babylon, "" And he has removed them to Babylon, "" And he has struck them with the sword.

Young's Literal Translation
For thus said Jehovah: Lo, I am making thee for a fear to thyself, And to all loving thee, And they have fallen by the sword of their enemies, and thine eyes are beholding, And all Judah I give into the hand of the king of Babylon, And he hath removed them to Babylon, And he hath smitten them with the sword.

Smith's Literal Translation
For thus said Jehovah, Behold me giving thee for terror to thyself and to all loving thee; and they fell by the sword of their enemies, and thine eyes seeing: and I will give all Judah into the hand of the king of Babel, and he carried them captive to Babel, and be struck them with the sword.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
For thus saith the Lord: Behold I will deliver thee up to fear, thee and all thy friends: and they shall fall by the sword of their enemies, and thy eyes shall see it, and I will give all Juda into the hand of the king of Babylon: and he shall strike them with the sword.

Catholic Public Domain Version
For thus says the Lord: “Behold, I will give you over to fear, you and all your friends, and they will fall by the sword of their enemies, and your eyes will see it. And I will give all of Judah into the hand of the king of Babylon. And he will lead them away to Babylon, and he will strike them with the sword.

New American Bible
For thus says the LORD: Indeed, I will hand you over to terror, you and all your friends. Your own eyes shall see them fall by the sword of their enemies. All Judah I will hand over to the power of the king of Babylon, who shall take them captive to Babylon or strike them down with the sword.

New Revised Standard Version
For thus says the LORD: I am making you a terror to yourself and to all your friends; and they shall fall by the sword of their enemies while you look on. And I will give all Judah into the hand of the king of Babylon; he shall carry them captive to Babylon, and shall kill them with the sword.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
For thus says the LORD: Behold, I will make you a sojourner, you and your friends; and the people shall fall by the sword of their enemies, and your eyes shall see it; and I shall deliver 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.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Because of this, thus says LORD JEHOVAH: “Behold, I make you a foreigner, you and all your friends, and they shall fall by the sword of their enemies, and your eyes will see, and all Yehuda I shall hand over into the hand of the King of Babel, and he shall take them captive to Babel, and he shall kill them by the sword
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
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 to Babylon, and shall slay them with the sword.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
For thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will give thee up to captivity with all thy friends: and they shall fall by the sword of their enemies, and thine eyes shall see it: and I will give thee and all Juda into the hands of the king of Babylon, and they shall carry them captives, and cut them in pieces with swords.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Pashhur Persecutes Jeremiah
3The next day, when Pashhur released Jeremiah from the stocks, Jeremiah said to him, “The LORD does not call you Pashhur, but Magor-missabib. 4For 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. 5I 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.…

Cross References
Jeremiah 21:4-7
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. / And I Myself will fight against you with an outstretched hand and a mighty arm, with anger, fury, and great wrath. / I will strike down the residents of this city, both man and beast. They will die in a terrible plague.’ ...

Jeremiah 29:21-23
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. / Because of them, all the exiles of Judah who are in Babylon will use this curse: ‘May the LORD make you like Zedekiah and Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire!’ / For they have committed an outrage in Israel by committing adultery with the wives of their neighbors and speaking lies in My name, which I did not command them to do. I am He who knows, and I am a witness, declares the LORD.”

Jeremiah 38:3-6
This is what the LORD says: This city will surely be delivered into the hands of the army of the king of Babylon, and he will capture it.” / Then the officials said to the king, “This man ought to die, for he is discouraging the warriors who remain in this city, as well as all the people, by speaking such words to them; this man is not seeking the well-being of these people, but their ruin.” / “Here he is,” replied King Zedekiah. “He is in your hands, since the king can do nothing to stop you.” ...

2 Kings 25:4-7
Then the city was breached; and though the Chaldeans had surrounded the city, all the men of war fled by night by way of the gate between the two walls near the king’s garden. They headed toward the Arabah, / but the army of the Chaldeans pursued the king and overtook him in the plains of Jericho, and his whole army deserted him. / The Chaldeans seized the king and brought him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah, where they pronounced judgment on him. ...

2 Chronicles 36:17-20
So He brought up against them the king of the Chaldeans, who put their young men to the sword in the sanctuary, sparing neither young men nor young women, neither elderly nor infirm. God gave them all into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, / who carried off everything to Babylon—all the articles of the house of God, both large and small, and the treasures of the house of the LORD and of the king and his officials. / Then the Chaldeans set fire to the house of God and broke down the wall of Jerusalem. They burned down all the palaces and destroyed every article of value. ...

Lamentations 2:20-22
Look, O LORD, and consider: Whom have You ever treated like this? Should women eat their offspring, the infants they have nurtured? Should priests and prophets be killed in the sanctuary of the Lord? / Both young and old lie together in the dust of the streets. My young men and maidens have fallen by the sword. You have slain them in the day of Your anger; You have slaughtered them without compassion. / You summoned my terrors on every side, as for the day of an appointed feast. In the day of the LORD’s anger no one escaped or survived; my enemy has destroyed those I nurtured and reared.

Ezekiel 12:13-16
But I will spread My net over him, and he will be caught in My snare. I will bring him to Babylon, the land of the Chaldeans; yet he will not see it, and there he will die. / And I will scatter to every wind all the attendants around him and all his troops, and I will draw a sword to chase after them. / And they will know that I am the LORD, when I disperse them among the nations and scatter them throughout the countries. ...

Ezekiel 17:20-21
I will spread My net over him and catch him in My snare. I will bring him to Babylon and execute judgment upon him there for the treason he committed against Me. / All his choice troops will fall by the sword, and those who survive will be scattered to every wind. Then you will know that I, the LORD, have spoken.’

Isaiah 39:6-7
The time will surely come when everything in your palace and all that your fathers have stored up until this day will be carried off to Babylon. Nothing will be left, says the LORD. / And some of your descendants, your own flesh and blood, will be taken away to be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.”

Isaiah 42:24-25
Who gave Jacob up for spoil, and Israel to the plunderers? Was it not the LORD, against whom we have sinned? They were unwilling to walk in His ways, and they would not obey His law. / So He poured out on them His furious anger and the fierceness of battle. It enveloped them in flames, but they did not understand; it consumed them, but they did not take it to heart.

Matthew 24:2
“Do you see all these things?” He replied. “Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”

Luke 19:43-44
For the days will come upon you when your enemies will barricade you and surround you and hem you in on every side. / They will level you to the ground—you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation from God.”

Luke 21:24
They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive into all the nations. And Jerusalem will be trodden down by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

John 18:36
Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world; if it were, My servants would fight to prevent My arrest by the Jews. But now My kingdom is not of this realm.”

Acts 21:11
Coming over to us, he took Paul’s belt, bound his own feet and hands, and said, “The Holy Spirit says: ‘In this way the Jews of Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and hand him over to the Gentiles.’”


Treasury of Scripture

For thus said the LORD, 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 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.

I will make.

Deuteronomy 28:65-67
And among these nations shalt thou find no ease, neither shall the sole of thy foot have rest: but the LORD shall give thee there a trembling heart, and failing of eyes, and sorrow of mind: …

Job 18:11-21
Terrors shall make him afraid on every side, and shall drive him to his feet…

Job 20:23-26
When he is about to fill his belly, God shall cast the fury of his wrath upon him, and shall rain it upon him while he is eating…

thine.

Jeremiah 29:21
Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, of Ahab the son of Kolaiah, and of Zedekiah the son of Maaseiah, which prophesy a lie unto you in my name; Behold, I will deliver them into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon; and he shall slay them before your eyes;

Jeremiah 39:6,7
Then the king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah in Riblah before his eyes: also the king of Babylon slew all the nobles of Judah…

Deuteronomy 28:32-34
Thy sons and thy daughters shall be given unto another people, and thine eyes shall look, and fail with longing for them all the day long: and there shall be no might in thine hand…

I will give.

Jeremiah 19:15
Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring upon this city and upon all her towns all the evil that I have pronounced against it, because they have hardened their necks, that they might not hear my words.

Jeremiah 21:4-10
Thus saith the LORD God of Israel; Behold, I will turn back the weapons of war that are in your hands, wherewith ye fight against the king of Babylon, and against the Chaldeans, which besiege you without the walls, and I will assemble them into the midst of this city…

Jeremiah 25:9
Behold, I will send and take all the families of the north, saith the LORD, and Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will bring them against this land, and against the inhabitants thereof, and against all these nations round about, and will utterly destroy them, and make them an astonishment, and an hissing, and perpetual desolations.

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Jeremiah 20
1. Pashur, smiting Jeremiah, receives a new name, and a fearful doom.
7. Jeremiah complains of contempt;
10. of treachery;
14. and of his birth.














For this is what the LORD says
This phrase underscores the authority and divine origin of the message. The Hebrew term for "LORD" is "Yahweh," the covenant name of God, emphasizing His eternal and unchanging nature. This introduction serves as a reminder that the words following are not Jeremiah's own, but a direct revelation from God, carrying the weight of divine authority and certainty.

I will make you a terror to yourself and to all your friends
The Hebrew word for "terror" is "māḡôr," which conveys a sense of fear and panic. This phrase indicates a reversal of fortune for Pashhur, the priest who opposed Jeremiah. Instead of being a figure of authority and respect, he will become a source of fear and dread, not only to himself but also to those around him. This reflects the biblical principle that those who oppose God's prophets and His message will ultimately face divine retribution.

With your own eyes you will see them fall by the sword of their enemies
The phrase "with your own eyes" emphasizes the personal and unavoidable nature of the judgment. Pashhur will witness the fulfillment of God's prophecy firsthand, underscoring the certainty and immediacy of divine judgment. The "sword of their enemies" symbolizes the instrument of God's judgment, often used in the Old Testament to denote warfare and destruction as a consequence of disobedience to God.

I will hand all Judah over to the king of Babylon
The phrase "hand over" is significant in the Hebrew context, often used to describe God delivering His people into the hands of their enemies as a form of judgment. The "king of Babylon" refers to Nebuchadnezzar, a historical figure known for his conquests and the Babylonian exile. This part of the prophecy highlights the sovereignty of God over nations and kings, using them as instruments to fulfill His divine purposes.

and he will carry them away to Babylon and put them to the sword
The act of being "carried away" signifies exile, a major theme in the prophetic literature, representing both punishment and purification for the people of Judah. "Put them to the sword" indicates the severity of the judgment, with death and destruction as consequences of persistent rebellion against God. This serves as a sobering reminder of the seriousness of sin and the inevitable justice of God.

(4) I will make thee a terror to thyself, and to all thy friends.--We should have looked for a different explanation, indicating that terrors from without should gather round the cruel and relentless persecutor, but the prophet's words go deeper. He should be an object of self-loathing, outer fears intensifying his inward terror and acting through him on others. He is the centre from which terrors radiate as well as that to which they converge.



Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
For
כִּ֣י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

this is what
כֹ֣ה (ḵōh)
Adverb
Strong's 3541: Like this, thus, here, now

the LORD
יְהוָ֡ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

says:
אָמַ֣ר (’ā·mar)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

‘I will make you
נֹתֶנְךָ֨ (nō·ṯen·ḵā)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 5414: To give, put, set

a terror
לְמָג֜וֹר (lə·mā·ḡō·wr)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4032: Fear, terror

to yourself
לְךָ֣ (lə·ḵā)
Preposition | second person masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew

and to all
וּלְכָל־ (ū·lə·ḵāl-)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

your friends.
אֹהֲבֶ֗יךָ (’ō·hă·ḇe·ḵā)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 157: To have affection f

They will fall
וְנָֽפְל֛וּ (wə·nā·p̄ə·lū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 5307: To fall, lie

by the sword
בְּחֶ֥רֶב (bə·ḥe·reḇ)
Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 2719: Drought, a cutting instrument, as a, knife, sword

of their enemies
אֹיְבֵיהֶ֖ם (’ō·yə·ḇê·hem)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 341: Hating, an adversary

before your very eyes.
וְעֵינֶ֣יךָ (wə·‘ê·ne·ḵā)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - cdc | second person masculine singular
Strong's 5869: An eye, a fountain

And I will hand Judah
יְהוּדָ֗ה (yə·hū·ḏāh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3063: Judah -- 'praised', a son of Jacob, also the southern kingdom, also four Israelites

over to
אֶתֵּן֙ (’et·tên)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 5414: To give, put, set

the king
מֶֽלֶךְ־ (me·leḵ-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 4428: A king

of Babylon,
בָּבֶ֔ל (bā·ḇel)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 894: Babylon -- an eastern Mediterranean empire and its capital city

and he will carry them away
וְהִגְלָ֥ם (wə·hiḡ·lām)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine plural
Strong's 1540: To denude, to exile, to reveal

to Babylon
בָּבֶ֖לָה (bā·ḇe·lāh)
Noun - proper - feminine singular | third person feminine singular
Strong's 894: Babylon -- an eastern Mediterranean empire and its capital city

and put
וְהִכָּ֥ם (wə·hik·kām)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine plural
Strong's 5221: To strike

them to the sword.
בֶּחָֽרֶב׃ (be·ḥā·reḇ)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 2719: Drought, a cutting instrument, as a, knife, sword


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OT Prophets: Jeremiah 20:4 For thus says Yahweh Behold I will (Jer.)
Jeremiah 20:3
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