O LORD,You have deceivedme and I was deceived;You have overcomeme and prevailed.I have becomea laughingstockalldaylong; Everyonemocksme.
Then he wentup from thereto Bethel;and as he was goingup by the way,youngladscameout from the cityand mockedhim and saidto him, "Goup, you baldhead;goup, you baldhead!"
"I ama joketo my friends,The one who calledon Godand He answeredhim; The just[and] blameless[man] is a joke.
"And nowI have becometheir taunt,I have even becomea bywordto them.
The arrogantutterlyderideme, [Yet] I do not turnasidefrom Your law.
For thusthe LORDspoketo me with mightypowerand instructedme not to walkin the wayof thispeople,saying,
Woeto me, my mother,that you have borneme [As] a manof strifeand a manof contentionto allthe land!I have not lent,norhave men lentmoney to me, [Yet] everyonecursesme.
Whyhas my painbeenperpetualAnd my woundincurable,refusingto be healed?Will You indeedbe to me likea deceptive[stream] With waterthat is unreliable?
But as for me, I have not hurriedaway from [being] a shepherdafterYou, Norhave I longedfor the woefulday;You Yourselfknowthat the utteranceof my lipsWas in Your presence.
But if I say,"I will not rememberHim Or speakanymorein His name,"Then in my heartit becomeslike a burningfireShutup in my bones;And I am wearyof holding[it] in, And I cannotendure[it].
"The LORDhas madeyou priestinsteadof Jehoiadathe priest,to be the overseerin the houseof the LORDover everymadmanwho prophesies,to puthim in the stocksand in the ironcollar,
Then KingZedekiahsaidto Jeremiah,"I dreadthe Jewswhohave goneoverto the Chaldeans,for they may giveme over into their handand they will abuseme."
I have becomea laughingstockto allmy people,Their [mocking] songallthe day.
So the Spiritliftedme up and tookme away; and I wentembitteredin the rageof my spirit,and the handof the LORDwas strongon me.
The daysof punishmenthave come,The daysof retributionhave come;Let Israelknow[this]! The prophetis a fool,The inspiredmanis demented,Becauseof the grossnessof your iniquity,And [because] your hostilityis [so] great.
He prayedto the LORDand said,"PleaseLORD,was not thiswhatI saidwhileI was stillin my [own] country?Thereforein order to forestallthis I fledto Tarshish,for I knewthat You are a graciousand compassionateGod,slowto angerand abundantin lovingkindness,and one who relentsconcerningcalamity.
On the otherhandI am filledwith power--With the Spiritof the LORD--And with justiceand courageTo makeknownto Jacobhis rebelliousact,Even to Israelhis sin.
Nowthe Pharisees,who were lovers of money,were listeningto allthese thingsand were scoffingat Him.
And Herodwith his soldiers,after treating Him with contemptand mockingHim, dressedHim in a gorgeousrobeand sent Him backto Pilate.
And alsosomeof the Epicureanand Stoicphilosopherswere conversingwith him. Somewere saying,"Whatwould thisidle babblerwishto say?"Others,"He seemsto be a proclaimerof strangedeities,"--becausehe was preachingJesusand the resurrection.
Nowwhen they heardof the resurrectionof the dead,some[began] to sneer,but otherssaid,"We shall hearyou againconcerningthis."
Ordo onlyBarnabasand I not havea rightto refrainfrom working?
and othersexperiencedmockingsand scourgings,yes,alsochainsand imprisonment.
