Jeremiah 23

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

Woe to the shepherds, Who lose and scatter the sheep of my pasture, saith Jehovah.

2 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.

For concerning the shepherds, the feeders of my people, Thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel: Ye have scattered my flock, and driven them away, And have not taken care of them. Behold, I am about to requite you For the evil of your doings, saith Jehovah.

3 “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.

But I will gather the remnant of my flock From all the countries whither I have driven them, And I will bring them back to their folds, And they shall be fruitful and increase.

4 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.

And I will raise up shepherds over them, who shall feed them; They shall fear no more, nor be dismayed; Nor shall they be lost, saith Jehovah.

5 “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.

Behold, the days are coming, saith Jehovah, When I will raise up from David a righteous Branch, And a king shall reign and prosper, And shall maintain justice and equity in the land.

6 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.

In his days Judah shall be saved, And Israel shall dwell securely; And this is the name which shall be given him, Jehovah-is-our-salvation.

7 “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;’

Therefore, behold, the days shall come, saith Jehovah, When they shall no more say, “As Jehovah liveth Who brought up the children of Israel from the land of Egypt!”

8 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.”

But, “As Jehovah liveth Who brought up and led the race of Israel from the north country, And from all the countries whither I had driven them!” And they shall dwell in their own land.

9 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.

Concerning the Prophets. My heart is broken within me; All my bones tremble. I am become like a drunken man, Like a man whom wine hath overcome, Because of Jehovah, And because of his holy words.

10 “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 the land is full of adulteries; Because of a curse doth the land mourn; The pastures of the waste are dried up; For they run to do evil, And their might is without right.

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

Yea, both prophet and priest are profane; Even in my house have I found their wickedness, saith Jehovah.

12 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.

Therefore shall their way become as slippery places in the dark; They shall be driven on and fall therein; For I will bring evil upon them In the time of their visitation, saith Jehovah.

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

In the prophets of Samaria have I seen folly; They prophesy in the name of Baal, and cause my people Israel to err.

14 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.”

In the prophets of Jerusalem also have I seen a horrible thing; They commit adultery, and walk in falsehood; They strengthen the hands of evil-doers, So that none doth turn from his iniquity. They have all become to me as Sodom, And her inhabitants as Gomorrah.

15 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.”

Therefore thus saith Jehovah of hosts concerning the prophets: Behold, I will feed them with wormwood, And give them the water of hemlock to drink; For from the prophets of Jerusalem Hath profaneness gone forth into all the land.

16 The LORD of Armies says, “Do not 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.

Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: Hearken not to the words of the prophets; They lead you to vanity; They utter the vision of their own heart, And not from the mouth of Jehovah.

17 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.’

To them that despise me they say continually, “Jehovah hath said, Ye shall have peace”; And to every one that walketh after the perverseness of his heart, “No evil shall come upon you.”

18 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?

For who of them hath stood in the council of Jehovah, And hath seen and heard his word? Who hath listened to his word and heard it?

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

Behold a whirlwind from Jehovah goeth forth in fury, Even a rushing whirlwind; Upon the head of the wicked shall it rush.

20 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.

The fierce anger of Jehovah shall not turn back, Until he shall have executed, until he shall have accomplished the purpose of his heart. In the latter days ye shall understand it fully.

21 I did not send these prophets, yet they ran. I did not speak to them, yet they prophesied.

I sent not these prophets, yet they ran; I spake not to them, yet they prophesied.

22 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.

For if they had stood in my council, Then would they have caused my people to hear my words, And would have turned them from their evil way. And from the wickedness of their doings.

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

Am I a God near at hand, saith Jehovah, And not a God afar off?

24 Can anyone hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him?” says the LORD. “Do not I fill heaven and earth?” says the LORD.

Can any one hide himself in secret places, So that I shall not see him? saith Jehovah; Do I nor fill heaven and earth? saith Jehovah.

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

I have heard what the prophets say, Who prophesy falsehood in my name, Saying, “I have dreamed, I have dreamed.”

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

How long shall this be In the heart of the prophets, who prophesy falsehood, The prophets of the deceit of their own heart,

27 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.

Who think to cause my people to forget my name By the dreams which they relate one to another, As their fathers forgot my name through Baal?

28 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.

The prophet who hath a dream, let him tell a dream; And he that hath my word, let him speak my word truly! What is the chaff to the wheat? saith Jehovah.

29 “Is not my word like fire?” says the LORD; “and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?

Is not my word like fire, saith Jehovah, And like a hammer, that breaketh the rock in pieces?

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

Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets, saith Jehovah, That steal my words one from another.

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

Behold, I am against the prophets, saith Jehovah, That take their tongues and utter oracles.

32 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 did not send them or command them. They do not profit this people at all,” says the LORD.

Behold, I am against the prophets of false dreams, saith Jehovah, Who tell them, and cause my people to err By their lies and their arrogance. I have not sent them, nor commanded them, And they shall not profit this people at all, saith Jehovah.

33 “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.’

And when this people, or a prophet, or a priest Shall ask thee, saying, “What is the burden from Jehovah?” Then say thou to them, “What is the burden?” That I will cast you away, saith Jehovah.

34 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.

And the prophet, the priest, and the people, Who shall say, “The burden of Jehovah,” I will punish that man and his house.

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

Thus shall ye speak, one to another: “What hath Jehovah answered?” And, “What hath Jehovah spoken?”

36 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.

And of a burden of Jehovah shall ye speak no more; Else shall every man's word be his burden, Because ye pervert the words of the living God, Of Jehovah of hosts, our God.

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

Thus shalt thou say to the prophet: “What hath Jehovah answered thee?” And, “What hath Jehovah spoken?”

38 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,”

If ye shall say, “The burden of Jehovah,” Then thus saith Jehovah: Because ye say, “The burden of Jehovah,” Although I sent to you and said, Ye shall not say, “The burden of Jehovah,”

39 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.

Therefore, behold, I will utterly forget you, And I will cast you, and the city which I gave to your fathers, out of my presence;

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

And I will bring upon you an everlasting reproach, And a perpetual shame which shall not be forgotten.