20:7 Lord, you coerced me into being a prophet,

and I allowed you to do it.

You overcame my resistance and prevailed over me. ¹ 

Now I have become a constant laughingstock.

Everyone ridicules me.

20:8 For whenever I prophesy, ²  I must cry out, ³ 

“Violence and destruction are coming!” ⁴ 

This message from the Lord ⁵  has made me

an object of continual insults and derision.

20:9 Sometimes I think, “I will make no mention of his message.

I will not speak as his messenger ⁶  any more.”

But then ⁷  his message becomes like a fire

locked up inside of me, burning in my heart and soul. ⁸ 

I grow weary of trying to hold it in;

I cannot contain it.