Jeremias 23
1 Woe to the shepherds that destroy and scatter the sheep of their pasture!
“Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture—this is Yahweh's declaration.”
2 Therefore thus says the Lord against them that tend my people; You have scattered my sheep, and driven them out, and you have not visited them: behold, I [will] take vengeance upon you according to your evil practices.
Therefore Yahweh, the God of Israel, says this concerning the shepherds who are shepherding his people, “You have scattered my flock and have driven them away. You have not cared for them. So I am about to punish you for the evil you have done—this is Yahweh's declaration.
3 And I will gather in the remnant of my people in every land, whither I have driven them out, and will set them in their pasture; and they shall increase and be multiplied.
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.
4 And I will raise up shepherds to them, who shall feed them: and they shall fear no more, nor be alarmed, says the Lord.
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.
5 Behold, the days come, says the Lord, when I will raise up to David a righteous branch, and a king shall reign and understand, and shall execute judgement and righteousness on the earth.
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.
6 In his days both Juda shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell securely: and this is his name, which the Lord shall call him, Josedec amongst the prophets.
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.
7 Therefore, behold, the days come, says the Lord, when they shall no more say, The Lord lives, who brought up the house of Israel out of the land of Egypt;
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.'
8 but The Lord lives, who has gathered the whole seed of Israel from the north land, and from all the countries whither he [had] driven them out, and has restored them into their own land.
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.”
9 My heart is broken within me; all my bones are shaken: I am become as a broken-down man, and as a man overcome with wine, because of the Lord, and because of the excellence of his glory.
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.
10 For because of these things the land mourns; the pastures of the wilderness are dried up; and their course is become evil, and so [also] their strength.
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.
11 For priest and prophet are defiled; and I have seen their iniquities in my house.
“For both the prophets and the priests are polluted. I even found their wickedness in my house!—this is Yahweh's declaration—
12 Therefore let their way be to them slippery and dark: and they shall be tripped up and fall in it: for I will bring evils upon them, in the year of their visitation.
therefore their way 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.
13 And in the prophets of Samaria I have seen lawless deeds; they prophesied by Baal, and led my people Israel astray.
For I have seen the prophets in Samaria doing what is repulsive: They prophesied by Baal and led my people Israel astray.
14 Also in the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen horrible things: as they committed adultery, and walked in lies, and strengthened the hands of many, that they should not return each from his evil way: they are all become to me as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrha.
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!”
15 Therefore thus says the Lord; Behold, I will feed them with pain, and give them bitter water to drink: for from the prophets of Jerusalem has defilement gone forth [into] all the land.
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.”
16 Thus says the Lord Almighty, Listen not to the words of the prophets: for they frame a vain vision for themselves; they speak from their own heart, and not from the mouth of the Lord.
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.
17 They say to them that reject the word of the Lord, There shall be peace to you; and to all that walk after their own lusts, and to everyone that walks in the error of his heart, they have said, No evil shall come upon you.
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.'
18 For who has stood in the counsel of the Lord, and seen his word? who has listened, and heard?
Yet who has stood in Yahweh's council meeting? Who sees and hears his word? Who pays attention to his word and listens?
19 Behold, [there is] an earthquake from the Lord, and anger proceeds to a convulsion, it shall come violently upon the ungodly.
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.
20 And the Lord's wrath shall return no more, until he have accomplished it, and until he have established it, according to the purpose of his heart: at the end of the days they shall understand it.
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.
21 I sent not the prophets, yet they ran: neither spoke I to them, yet they prophesied.
I did not send out these prophets. They just appeared. I did not proclaim anything to them, but they have still prophesied.
22 But if they had stood in my counsel, and if they had listened to my words, then would they have turned my people from their evil practices.
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.
23 I am a God near at hand, says the Lord, and not a God afar off.
Am I only a God nearby—this is Yahweh's declaration—and not also a God far away?
24 Shall any one hide himself in secret places, and I not see him? Do I not fill heaven and earth? says the Lord.
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.
25 I have heard what the prophets say, what they prophesy in my name, saying falsely, I have seen a night vision.
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!'
26 How long shall [these things] be in the heart of the prophets that prophesy lies, when they prophesy the purposes of their own heart?
How long will this go on, prophets who prophesy lies from their minds, and who prophesy from the deceit in their hearts?
27 who devise that [men] may forget my law by their dreams, which they have told every one to his neighbour, as their fathers forgot my name in [the worship of] Baal.
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.
28 The prophet who has a dream, let him tell his dream; and [he] in whom is my word [spoken] to him, let him tell my word truly: what is the chaff to the corn? so are my words, says the Lord.
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—
29 Behold, are not my words as fire? says the Lord; and as an axe cutting the rock?
Is not my word like fire?—this is Yahweh's declaration—and like a hammer that shatters a rock into pieces?
30 Behold, I am therefore against the prophets, says the Lord God, that steal my words every one from his neighbour.
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.
31 Behold, I am against the prophets that put forth prophecies of mere words, and slumber their sleep.
See, I am against the prophets—this is Yahweh's declaration—who use their tongues to prophesy proclamations.
32 Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets that prophesy false dreams, and have not told them [truly], and have caused my people to err by their lies, and by their errors; yet I sent them not, and commanded them not; therefore, they shall not profit this people at all.
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.
33 And if this people, or the priest, or the prophet, should ask, What is the burden of the Lord? then you shall say to them, You are the burden, and I will dash you down, says the Lord.
When these people, or a prophet, or a priest asks you, 'What is the burden of Yahweh?' you will say to them, 'You are the burden, and I will cast you off'—this is Yahweh's declaration.
34 [As for] the prophet, and the priests, and the people, who shall say, The burden of the Lord, I will even take vengeance on that man, and on his house.
As for the prophets, priests, and people who are saying, 'This is the burden of Yahweh' I will punish that man and his house.
35 Thus shall you say every one to his neighbour, and every one to his brother, What has the Lord answered? and, what has the Lord said?
You continue to say, each person to his neighbor and each man to his brother, 'What did Yahweh answer?' and 'What did Yahweh declare?'
36 And do you name no more the burden of the Lord; for his own word shall be a man's burden.
But you must no longer talk about the 'burden of Yahweh,' for the burden is every man's own word, and you have perverted the words of the living God, Yahweh of hosts, our God.
37 But therefore, [say you], has the Lord our God spoken?
This is what you will say to the prophet, 'What answer did Yahweh give you? or 'What did Yahweh say?'
38 Therefore thus says the Lord our God; Because you have spoken this word, The burden of the Lord, and I sent to you, saying, you shall not say, The burden of the Lord;
But if you say, 'The burden of Yahweh', this is what Yahweh says: 'Because you have said these words, 'The burden of Yahweh,' when I sent to you, saying, 'You will not say, “The burden of Yahweh,”'
39 therefore, behold, I [will] seize, and dash down you and the city which I gave to you and your fathers.
therefore, behold, I am about to pick you up and throw you away from me, along with the city that I gave you and your ancestors.
40 And I will bring upon you an everlasting reproach, and everlasting disgrace, which shall not be forgotten.
Then I will put everlasting shame and insult on you that will not be forgotten.'”
