Jeremiah 20:7-9

Easy-to-Read Version

⁷ Lord, you tricked me, and I certainly was fooled.
    You are stronger than I am, so you won.
I have become a joke.
    People laugh at me and make fun of me all day long.
⁸ Every time I speak, I shout.
    I am always shouting about violence and destruction.
I tell the people about the message that I received from the Lord.
    But they only insult me and make fun of me.
⁹ Sometimes I say to myself, “I will forget about him.
    I will not speak anymore in his name.”
But when I say that, his message is like a fire burning inside me!
    It feels like it is burning deep in my bones!
I get tired of trying to hold his message inside.
    And finally, I am not able to hold it in.