Yirmiyahu 19-20

One of Yirmiyahu's harshest prophecies of rebuke appears in perek 19, addressing the worshippers of Ba'al in the Valley of Ben-hinnom who sacrifice their children in the name of divine worship. The prophecy opens with God's commandment to Yirmiyahu to buy a "jug of potter's ware," a symbolic act similar to the purchase of the belt (perek 13) and the shattering of the earthenware (perek 18). Yirmiyahu is commanded to first share his prophecy with the elders and priests of the nation, and then repeat it in front of the nation in the courtyard of the Temple. Pashchur the son of Immer, who is both a priest in the Temple and a false prophet, reacts with vehemence to the prophecy: Pashchur beats Yirmiyahu and then jails him overnight. Upon his release from jail, Yirmiyahu pronounces a severe prophecy of destruction about Pashchur himself.

While the previous perek discusses Yirmiyahu's actions and prophetic messages, perek 20 gives the reader insight into Yirmiyahu's emotional reality. His prophecy, which rages uncontrollably inside of him, cannot be suppressed and brings Yirmiyahu great pain and suffering. The first section of the prophecy ends on a brighter note of thanksgiving (7-13); however, in the prophecy's continuation, Yirmiyahu regrets his entering the world and curses the day he was born (14-18).