The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

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- Chapter 23 -

“Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture-this is Yahweh’s declaration.”

Therefore, Yahweh, the God of Israel, says this concerning the shepherds who are shepherding his people, “You are scattering my flock and driving them away. You have not cared for them at all. Know this! I will pay you back for the evil of your practices-this is Yahweh’s declaration.

I myself will gather the remnant of my flock from all of the lands where I have driven them, and I will return them to a grazing place, where they will be fruitful and increase.

Then I will raise up shepherds over them who will shepherd them so they will no longer fear or be shattered. None of them will go missing-this is Yahweh’s declaration.

See, the days are coming-this is Yahweh’s declaration-when I will raise up for David a righteous branch. He will reign as king; he will act wisely and cause justice and righteousness in the land.

In his days Judah will be rescued, and Israel will live in security. Then this is the name by which he will be called: Yahweh is our righteousness.

Therefore, see, days are coming-this is Yahweh’s declaration-when they will no longer say, ‘As Yahweh lives, who brought the people of Israel up from the land of Egypt.’

Instead they will say, ‘As Yahweh lives, who brought up and who led back the descendants of the house of Israel from the northern land and all the lands where they had been driven.’ Then they will live in their own land.”

Lying Prophets

Regarding the prophets, my heart is broken in me, and all of my bones tremble. I have become like a drunk man, like a man whom wine has overpowered, because of Yahweh and his holy words.

For the land is full of adulterers. Because of these the land is dried up. The meadows in the wilderness dry up. These prophets’ paths are wicked; their power is not used in a right manner.

“For both the prophets and the priests are polluted. I even found their wickedness in my house!-this is Yahweh’s declaration-

therefore their path will be like a slippery place in the darkness. They will be pushed down. They will fall in it. For I will send disaster against them in the year of their punishment-this is Yahweh’s declaration.

For I have seen offensiveness among the prophets in Samaria. They prophesied by Baal and led my people Israel off the right path.

Among the prophets in Jerusalem I have seen horrible things: They commit adultery and walk in deceit. They strengthen the hands of evildoers; no one turns back from his evildoing. All of them have become like Sodom to me and its inhabitants like Gomorrah!”

Therefore, Yahweh of hosts says this concerning the prophets, “Look, I am about to make them eat wormwood and drink poisonous water, for pollution has gone out from the prophets of Jerusalem to all the land.”

Yahweh of hosts says this, “Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you. They have deluded you! They are announcing visions from their own minds, not from Yahweh’s mouth.

They are constantly saying to those who dishonor me, ‘Yahweh declares there will be peace for you.’ For everyone walking in the stubbornness of his own heart says, ‘Disaster will not come upon you.’

Yet who has stood in Yahweh’s council meeting? Who sees and hears his word? Who pays attention to his word and listens?

See, there is a storm coming from Yahweh! His fury is going out, and a tempest is whirling about. It is whirling around the heads of the wicked.

Yahweh’s wrath will not return until it has carried out and brought into being his heart’s intentions. In the final days, you will understand it.

I did not send out these prophets. They just appeared. I did not proclaim anything to them, but they have still prophesied.

For if they had stood in my council meeting, they would have caused my people to hear my word; they would have caused them to turn from their wicked words and corrupt practices.

Am I only a God nearby-this is Yahweh’s declaration-and not also a God far away?

Can anyone hide in a secret place so I cannot see him?-this is Yahweh’s declaration-and do I not fill the heavens and the earth?-this is Yahweh’s declaration.

I have heard what the prophets have said, those who were prophesying deceit in my name. They said, ‘I had a dream! I had a dream!’

How long will this go on, prophets who prophesy lies from their minds, and who prophesy from the deceit in their hearts?

They are planning on making my people forget my name with the dreams that they report, each one to his neighbor, just as their ancestors forgot my name in favor of Baal’s name.

The prophet who has a dream, let him report the dream. But the one to whom I have declared something, let him declare my word truthfully. What does straw have to do with grain?-this is Yahweh’s declaration-

Is not my word like fire?-this is Yahweh’s declaration-and like a hammer that shatters a rock into pieces?

So see, I am against the prophets-this is Yahweh’s declaration-anyone who steals words from another person and says they come from me.

See, I am against the prophets-this is Yahweh’s declaration-who use their tongues to prophesy proclamations.

See, I am against the prophets who dream deceitfully-this is Yahweh’s declaration-and then proclaim them and in this way mislead my people with their deceit and boasting. I am against them, for I have not sent them out nor given them commands. So they will certainly not help this people-this is Yahweh’s declaration.

False Prophecies

When this people or a prophet or a priest asks you, ‘What is Yahweh’s declaration?’ then you must say to them, ‘What declaration? For I have abandoned you’-this is Yahweh’s declaration.

As for the prophets, priests, and people who are saying, ‘This is Yahweh’s declaration,’ I will punish that man and his house.

You continue to say, each person to his neighbor and each man to his brother, ‘What did Yahweh answer?’ and ‘What did Yahweh declare?’

But you must no longer talk about Yahweh’s declaration, since each declaration from each man has become his own message, and you have perverted the words of the living God, Yahweh of hosts, our God.

This is what you are asking the prophet, ‘What did Yahweh answer you? What did Yahweh declare?’

Then you report a declaration from Yahweh, but Yahweh says this, ’You say, “Here is a declaration of Yahweh,” even though I sent a command to you and said, “Do not say: This is a declaration from Yahweh.”

Therefore, see, I am about to pick you up and throw you away from me, along with the city that I gave you and your ancestors.

Then I will put everlasting shame and insult on you that will not be forgotten.’”

“Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!” says the LORD.

Therefore the LORD, the God of Israel, says against the shepherds who feed my people: “You have scattered my flock, driven them away, and have not visited them. Behold, I will visit on you the evil of your doings,” says the LORD.

“I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds; and they will be fruitful and multiply.

I will set up shepherds over them who will feed them. They will no longer be afraid or dismayed, neither will any be lacking,” says the LORD.

“Behold, the days come,” says the LORD, “that I will raise to David a righteous Branch; and he will reign as king and deal wisely, and will execute justice and righteousness in the land.

In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell safely. This is his name by which he will be called: The LORD our righteousness.

“Therefore, behold, the days come,” says the LORD, “that they will no more say, ‘As the LORD lives, who brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt;’

but, ‘As the LORD lives, who brought up and who led the offspring of the house of Israel out of the north country, and from all the countries where I had driven them.’ Then they will dwell in their own land.”

Lying Prophets

Concerning the prophets: My heart within me is broken. All my bones shake. I am like a drunken man, and like a man whom wine has overcome, because of the LORD, and because of his holy words.

“For the land is full of adulterers; for because of the curse the land mourns. The pastures of the wilderness have dried up. Their course is evil, and their might is not right;

for both prophet and priest are profane. Yes, in my house I have found their wickedness,” says the LORD.

Therefore their way will be to them as slippery places in the darkness. They will be driven on, and fall therein; for I will bring evil on them, even the year of their visitation,” says the LORD.

“I have seen folly in the prophets of Samaria. They prophesied by Baal, and caused my people Israel to err.

In the prophets of Jerusalem I have also seen a horrible thing: they commit adultery and walk in lies. They strengthen the hands of evildoers, so that no one returns from his wickedness. They have all become to me as Sodom, and its inhabitants as Gomorrah.”

Therefore the LORD of Armies says concerning the prophets: “Behold, I will feed them with wormwood, and make them drink poisoned water; for from the prophets of Jerusalem ungodliness has gone out into all the land.”

The LORD of Armies says, “Don’t listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you. They teach you vanity. They speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the LORD.

They say continually to those who despise me, ‘The LORD has said, “You will have peace;”’ and to everyone who walks in the stubbornness of his own heart they say, ‘No evil will come on you.’

For who has stood in the council of the LORD, that he should perceive and hear his word? Who has listened to my word, and heard it?

Behold, the LORD’s storm, his wrath, has gone out. Yes, a whirling storm! It will burst on the head of the wicked.

The LORD’s anger will not return until he has executed and performed the intents of his heart. In the latter days, you will understand it perfectly.

I didn’t send these prophets, yet they ran. I didn’t speak to them, yet they prophesied.

But if they had stood in my council, then they would have caused my people to hear my words, and would have turned them from their evil way, and from the evil of their doings.

“Am I a God at hand,” says the LORD, “and not a God afar off?

Can anyone hide himself in secret places so that I can’t see him?” says the LORD. “Don’t I fill heaven and earth?” says the LORD.

“I have heard what the prophets have said, who prophesy lies in my name, saying, ‘I had a dream! I had a dream!’

How long will this be in the heart of the prophets who prophesy lies, even the prophets of the deceit of their own heart?

They intend to cause my people to forget my name by their dreams which they each tell his neighbor, as their fathers forgot my name because of Baal.

The prophet who has a dream, let him tell a dream; and he who has my word, let him speak my word faithfully. What is the straw to the wheat?” says the LORD.

“Isn’t my word like fire?” says the LORD; “and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?

“Therefore behold, I am against the prophets,” says the LORD, “who each steal my words from his neighbor.

Behold, I am against the prophets,” says the LORD, “who use their tongues, and say, ‘He says.’

Behold, I am against those who prophesy lying dreams,” says the LORD, “who tell them, and cause my people to err by their lies, and by their vain boasting; yet I didn’t send them or command them. They don’t profit this people at all,” says the LORD.

False Prophecies

“When this people, or the prophet, or a priest, asks you, saying, ‘What is the message from the LORD?’ Then you shall tell them, ‘“What message? I will cast you off,” says the LORD.’

As for the prophet, the priest, and the people, who say, ‘The message from the LORD,’ I will even punish that man and his household.

You will say everyone to his neighbor, and everyone to his brother, ‘What has the LORD answered?’ and, ‘What has the LORD said?’

You will mention the message from the LORD no more, for every man’s own word has become his message; for you have perverted the words of the living God, of the LORD of Armies, our God.

You will say to the prophet, ‘What has the LORD answered you?’ and, ‘What has the LORD spoken?’

Although you say, ‘The message from the LORD,’ therefore the LORD says: ‘Because you say this word, “The message from the LORD,” and I have sent to you, telling you not to say, “The message from the LORD,”

therefore behold, I will utterly forget you, and I will cast you off with the city that I gave to you and to your fathers, away from my presence.

I will bring an everlasting reproach on you, and a perpetual shame, which will not be forgotten.’”