Jeremiah 23
1 Woe be vnto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheepe of my pasture, saith the Lord.
Woe to the shepherds that destroy and scatter the sheep of their pasture!
2 Therefore thus saith the Lord God of Israel vnto the pastors that feede my people, Yee haue scattered my flock and thrust them out, and haue not visited them: beholde, I will visite you for the wickednesse of your works, saith the Lord.
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.
3 And I will gather the remnant of my sheepe out of all countreyes, whither I had driuen them, and will bring them againe to their foldes, and they shall growe and encrease.
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.
4 And I will set vp shepheardes ouer them, which shall feede them: and they shall dread no more nor be afraide, neither shall any of them be lacking, saith the Lord.
And I will raise up shepherds to them, who shall feed them: and they shall fear no more, nor be alarmed, says the Lord.
5 Behold, The dayes come, saith the Lord, that I will raise vnto Dauid a righteous branche, and a King shall reigne, and prosper, and shall execute iudgement, and iustice in the earth.
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 judgment and righteousness on the earth.
6 In his dayes Iudah shalbe saued, and Israel shall dwell safely, and this is the Name wherby they shall call him, The Lord our righteousnesse.
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 among the prophets.
7 Therefore behold, the dayes come, sayth the Lord, that they shall no more say, The Lord liueth, which brought vp the children of Israel out of the lande of Egypt,
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;
8 But the Lord liueth, which brought vp and led the seede of the house of Israel out of the North countrey and from all countryes where I had scattered them, and they shall dwell in their owne lande.
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.
9 Mine heart breaketh within mee, because of the prophets, all my bones shake: I am like a drunken man (and like a man whome wine hath ouercome) for the presence of the Lord and for his holie wordes.
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.
10 For the lande is full of adulterers, and because of othes the lande mourneth, the pleasant places of the wildernesse are dried vp, and their course is euill, and their force is not right.
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.
11 For both the prophet and the Priest doe wickedly: and their wickednesse haue I found in mine House, saith the Lord.
For priest and prophet are defiled; and I have seen their iniquities in my house.
12 Wherefore their way shalbe vnto them as slipperie wayes in the darknesse: they shalbe driuen foorth and fall therein: for I will bring a plague vpon them, euen the yeere of their visitation, saith the Lord.
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.
13 And I haue seene foolishnesse in the prophets of Samaria, that prophecied in Baal, and caused my people Israel to erre.
And in the prophets of Samaria I have seen lawless deeds; they prophesied by Baal, and led my people Israel astray.
14 I haue seene also in the prophets of Ierusalem filthines: they commit adulterie and walke in lies: they strengthen also the hands of the wicked that none can returne from his wickednesse: they are all vnto me as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorah.
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.
15 Therefore thus saith the Lord of hostes concerning the prophets, Beholde, I will feede them with wormewood, and make them drinke the water of gall: for from the prophets of Ierusalem is wickednesse gone forth into all the lande.
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.
16 Thus sayth ye Lord of hosts, Heare not the wordes of the prophets that prophecie vnto you, and teach you vanitie: they speake the vision of their owne heart, and not out of the mouth of the Lord.
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.
17 They say still vnto them that despise mee, The Lord hath sayde, Ye shall haue peace: and they say vnto euery one that walketh after the stubbernesse of his owne heart, No euill shall come vpon you.
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.
18 For who hath stand in the counsel of the Lord that he hath perceiued and heard his word? Who hath marked his worde and heard it?
For who has stood in the counsel of the Lord, and seen his word? who has listened, and heard?
19 Beholde, the tempest of the Lord goeth forth in his wrath, and a violent whirlewinde shall fall downe vpon the head of the wicked.
Behold, [there is] an earthquake from the Lord, and anger proceeds to a convulsion, it shall come violently upon the ungodly.
20 The anger of the Lord shall not returne vntill he haue executed, and till he haue perfourmed the thoughts of his heart: in the latter dayes ye shall vnderstande it plainely.
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.
21 I haue not sent these prophets, sayth the Lord, yet they ranne; I haue not spoken to them, and yet they prophecied.
I sent not the prophets, yet they ran: neither spoke I to them, yet they prophesied.
22 But if they had stande in my counsell, and had declared my words to my people, then they should haue turned them from their euill way, and from the wickednesse of their inuentions.
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.
23 Am I a God at hande, saith the Lord, and not a God farre off?
I am a God near at hand, says the Lord, and not a God afar off.
24 Can any hide him selfe in secrete places, that I shall not see him, sayth the Lord? Do not I fill heauen and earth, saieth the Lord?
Shall any one hide himself in secret places, and I not see him? Do I not fill heaven and earth? says the Lord.
25 I haue heard what the prophets said, that prophecie lies in my Name, saying, I haue dreamed, I haue dreamed.
I have heard what the prophets say, what they prophesy in my name, saying falsely, I have seen a night vision.
26 Howe long? Doe the prophets delite to prophecie lies, euen prophecying the deceit of their owne heart?
How long shall [these things] be in the heart of the prophets that prophesy lies, when they prophesy the purposes of their own heart?
27 Thinke they to cause my people to forget my Name by their dreames, which they tell euery man to his neyghbour, as their forefathers haue forgotten my Name for Baal?
who devise that [men] may forget my law by their dreams, which they have told every one to his neighbor, as their fathers forgot my name in [the worship of] Baal.
28 The prophet that hath a dreame, let him tell a dreame, and hee that hath my worde, let him speake my worde faithfully: what is the chaffe to the wheate, sayth the Lord?
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.
29 Is not my word euen like a fire, sayeth the Lord? and like an hammer, that breaketh the stone?
Behold, are not my words as fire? says the Lord; and as an axe cutting the rock?
30 Therefore beholde, I will come against the prophets, saieth the Lord, that steale my word euerie one from his neighbour.
Behold, I am therefore against the prophets, says the Lord God, that steal my words every one from his neighbor.
31 Beholde, I will come against the prophets, saith the Lord, which haue sweete tongues, and say, He saith.
Behold, I am against the prophets that put forth prophecies of mere words, and slumber their sleep.
32 Beholde, I will come against them that prophecie false dreames, saith the Lord, and doe tell them, and cause my people to erre by their lies, and by their flatteries, and I sent them not, nor commanded them: therefore they bring no profite vnto this people, saith the Lord.
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.
33 And when this people, or the prophet, or a Priest shall aske thee, saying, What is the burden of the Lord? thou shalt then say vnto them, What burden? I will euen forsake you, saith the Lord.
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.
34 And the prophet, or the Priest, or the people that shall say, The burden of the Lord, I will euen visite euerie such one, and his house.
[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.
35 Thus shall yee say euery one to his neighbour, and euerie one to his brother, What hath the Lord answered? and what hath the Lord spoken?
Thus shall you say every one to his neighbor, and every one to his brother, What has the Lord answered? and, what has the Lord said?
36 And the burden of the Lord shall yee mention no more: for euery mans worde shall bee his burden: for ye haue peruerted the words of the liuing God, the Lord of hostes our God.
And do you name no more the burden of the Lord; for his own word shall be a man's burden.
37 Thus shalt thou say to the Prophet, What hath the Lord answered thee? and what hath the Lord spoken?
But therefore, [say you], has the Lord our God spoken?
38 And if you say, The burden of the Lord, Then thus saith the Lord, Because yee say this word, The burden of the Lord, and I haue sent vnto you, saying, Ye shall not say, The burden of the Lord,
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;
39 Therefore beholde, I, euen I will vtterly forget you, and I will forsake you, and the citie that I gaue you and your fathers, and cast you out of my presence,
therefore, behold, I [will] seize, and dash down you and the city which I gave to you and your fathers.
40 And will bring an euerlasting reproche vpon you, and a perpetual shame which shall neuer be forgotten.
And I will bring upon you an everlasting reproach, and everlasting disgrace, which shall not be forgotten.
