Jeremiah 23

1 Woe be vnto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheepe of my pasture, saith the Lord.

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

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 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 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.

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 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.

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 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.

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 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 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 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 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 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.

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 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.

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 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 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 both the prophet and the Priest doe wickedly: and their wickednesse haue I found in mine House, saith the Lord.

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

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 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 I haue seene foolishnesse in the prophets of Samaria, that prophecied in Baal, and caused my people Israel to erre.

For I have seen the prophets in Samaria doing what is repulsive: 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.

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 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 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 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.

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 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 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 hath stand in the counsel of the Lord that he hath perceiued and heard his word? Who hath marked his worde and heard it?

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

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.

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 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.

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 haue not sent these prophets, sayth the Lord, yet they ranne; I haue not spoken to them, and yet they prophecied.

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 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.

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 Am I a God at hande, saith the Lord, and not a God farre off?

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

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?

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 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 have said, those who were prophesying deceit in my name. They said, 'I had a dream! I had a dream!'

26 Howe long? Doe the prophets delite to prophecie lies, euen prophecying the deceit of their owne heart?

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

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?

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 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 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 Is not my word euen like a fire, sayeth the Lord? and like an hammer, that breaketh the stone?

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

30 Therefore beholde, I will come against the prophets, saieth the Lord, that steale my word euerie 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 Beholde, I will come against the prophets, saith the Lord, which haue sweete tongues, and say, He saith.

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

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.

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 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.

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 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 prophets, priests, and people who are saying, 'This is the burden of Yahweh' I will punish that man and 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?

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 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.

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 Thus shalt thou say to the Prophet, What hath the Lord answered thee? and what hath the Lord spoken?

This is what you will say to the prophet, 'What answer did Yahweh give you? or 'What did Yahweh say?'

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,

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 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 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 will bring an euerlasting reproche vpon you, and a perpetual shame which shall neuer be forgotten.

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