Prophecies, or inspired messages, given to the prophets in the Old Testament were sometimes called "burdens." These messages burdened the heart of God and of the prophet, for they were given in times of moral laxity and religious infidelity. They were unpopular messages, calling people to the hardest action of all, that of repentance. They held forth a threat. The prophet Jeremiah received a burden about the way the people used the word "burden." The passage is a bit longer than what we generally quote, but well worth our time. Don't go away. Read this.