Jeremiah 20

¹ When priest of Pashhur son of Immer, wey be the chief officer of the Temple, hear me dey say these things,

² He order people make dem beat me and make dem put me for chain wey dey near the upper Benjamin Gate inside Temple.

³ The next morning, after Pashhur don release me from the chain, I tell him say, “God no name you Passhur. The name wey he don give you na ‘Terror Everywhere.’

⁴ God himself don talk say, ‘I go make you terror to yourself and to your friend, and you go see all of them die by sword of their enemy. I go put all people of Judah under control of Babylonia king; he go take some away as prisoner go him country and he go kill others.

⁵ I go also allow their enemy carry all the wealth of this city and I go make them seize all hin possession and property, even king of Judah treasure, and carry everything go Babylonia.

⁶ As for you, Pashhur, dem go capture you and your family and carry una go Babylonia. Na for there you go die and dem go bury you, with all your friends wey you don tell lies.’”

⁷ God, you don deceive me, and I don buy am. You strong pass me, and you don overcome me. Everyone dey laugh at me; dem dey laugh me everyday.

⁸ Every time I talk, I shout. I dey always shout about violence and destruction. God, dem don insult me and make fun of me everytime because I dey tell people about your message.

⁹ But when I talk say, “I go forget God and say I no go speak of him name again,” then your message be like fire wey dey burn me for inside. I dey try my best say make I hold am inside, but I no fit hold am back.

¹⁰ I hear everybody dey whisper say “Fear dey for everywhere! So make we report am give authorities!” Even my close friend dey wait for my downfall. Dem talk say; “If we fit just trick him, then we go fit catch him and take revenge.”

¹¹ But God, you dey for my side, strong and mighty, and those wey punish me go fail. Shame go catch them forever, because dem no go succeed. People no go forget their shame.

¹² But, Almighty God, you dey test people for right way; you know wetin dey their heart and mind. So make I see you dey take revenge on my enemy, because I don put my case for your hand.

¹³ Sing to God! Praise God! He dey rescue those wey dey for trouble from hand of evil people.

¹⁴ Curse the day wey dem born me! Forget the day wey my mother give birth to me!

¹⁵ Curse the person wey make my father happy by bringing him the news say, “Na boy! You don get a son!”

¹⁶ Make e be like those city wey God destroy without mercy. Make he hear cry of pain for morning and battle alarm for afternoon,

¹⁷ Because he no kill me before dem born me. Then my mama womb for don be my grave.

¹⁸ Why dem born me? Shey na only to dey get trouble and sorrow, so that I fit end my life in shame?