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!” says the LORD.
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 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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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 judgment and righteousness on the earth.
“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.
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 among the prophets.
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.
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, 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;’
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.
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.”
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.
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.
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; 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;
11 For priest and prophet are defiled; and I have seen their iniquities in my house.
for both prophet and priest are profane. Yes, in my house I have found their wickedness,” says the LORD.
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 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.
13 And in the prophets of Samaria I have seen lawless deeds; they prophesied by Baal, and led my people Israel astray.
“I have seen folly in the prophets of Samaria. They prophesied by Baal, and caused my people Israel to err.
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.
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.”
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 the LORD of Hosts 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.”
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.
The LORD of Hosts 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.
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 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.’
18 For who has stood in the counsel of the Lord, and seen his word? who has listened, and heard?
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?
19 Behold, [there is] an earthquake from the Lord, and anger proceeds to a convulsion, it shall come violently upon the ungodly.
Behold, the LORD’s storm, his wrath, has gone out. Yes, a whirling storm! It will burst on the head 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.
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.
21 I sent not the prophets, yet they ran: neither spoke I to them, yet they prophesied.
I didn’t send these prophets, yet they ran. I didn’t speak to them, yet they 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.
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.
23 I am a God near at hand, says the Lord, and not a God afar off.
“Am I a God at hand,” says the LORD, “and not a God afar off?
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 himself in secret places so that I can’t see him?” says the LORD. “Don’t I fill heaven and earth?” says the LORD.
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, who prophesy lies in my name, saying, ‘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 be in the heart of the prophets who prophesy lies, even the prophets of the deceit of their own heart?
27 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.
They intend to cause my people to forget my name by their dreams which they each tell his neighbour, as their fathers forgot my name because of Baal.
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 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.
29 Behold, are not my words as fire? says the Lord; and as an axe cutting the rock?
“Isn’t my word like fire?” says the LORD; “and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?
30 Behold, I am therefore against the prophets, says the Lord God, that steal my words every one from his neighbor.
“Therefore behold, I am against the prophets,” says the LORD, “who each steal my words from his neighbour.
31 Behold, I am against the prophets that put forth prophecies of mere words, and slumber their sleep.
Behold, I am against the prophets,” says the LORD, “who use their tongues, and say, ‘He says.’
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.
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.
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 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.’
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 prophet, the priest, and the people, who say, ‘The message from the LORD,’ I will even punish that man and his household.
35 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?
You will say everyone to his neighbour, and everyone to his brother, ‘What has the LORD answered?’ and, ‘What has the LORD said?’
36 And do you name no more the burden of the Lord; for his own word shall be a man's burden.
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 Hosts, our God.
37 But therefore, [say you], has the Lord our God spoken?
You will say to the prophet, ‘What has the LORD answered you?’ and, ‘What has the LORD spoken?’
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;
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,”
39 therefore, behold, I [will] seize, and dash down you and the city which I gave to you and your fathers.
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.
40 And I will bring upon you an everlasting reproach, and everlasting disgrace, which shall not be forgotten.
I will bring an everlasting reproach on you, and a perpetual shame, which will not be forgotten.’”
