Why does Jeremiah sing praise to the Lord?

Some might feel that this final verse in the passage is out of place as Jeremiah goes from calling on the Lord to pour out his vengeance (Jeremiah 20:12) to singing his praises. But this kind of change is common in the psalms of lament. Often those facing hardship and turmoil would commit themselves to praising the Lord when he delivered them.¹ The sudden change also expresses Jeremiah’s renewed faith in the Lord in the midst of turmoil. At one moment he could be in despair, at another he could say, Sing to the Lord, praise the Lord!² Jeremiah’s confidence lies in the fact that it is the Lord who has delivered the life of the needy from the hand of evildoers. The needy is the person who recognizes their spiritual poverty and total reliance on the Lord.³ Jeremiah is no doubt referring to himself. He describes his deliverance as though it has already happened, even though he is still and will continue to face opposition and much hardship at the hands of his enemy. But his faith in the Lord’s promises means that his deliverance is inevitable, if not immediate. Jeremiah may also be challenging his listeners and readers to see themselves as the needy who need deliverance by repenting of their rejection of the Lord’s message.