Ἱερεμίας 23

1 ὦ οἱ ποιμένες οἱ διασκορπίζοντες καὶ ἀπολλύοντες τὰ πρόβατα τῆς νομῆς μου

What trouble is coming to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! declares the Lord.

2 διὰ τοῦτο τάδε λέγει κύριος ἐπὶ τοὺς ποιμαίνοντας τὸν λαόν μου ὑμεῖς διεσκορπίσατε τὰ πρόβατά μου καὶ ἐξώσατε αὐτὰ καὶ οὐκ ἐπεσκέψασθε αὐτά ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἐκδικῶ ἐφ’ ὑμᾶς κατὰ τὰ πονηρὰ ἐπιτηδεύματα ὑμῶν

This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says about the shepherds who were meant to look after my people: You have scattered my flock. You have chased them away You didn't take care of them, so now I will take care of you for all the evil you've done, declares the Lord.

3 καὶ ἐγὼ εἰσδέξομαι τοὺς καταλοίπους τοῦ λαοῦ μου ἀπὸ πάσης τῆς γῆς οὗ ἐξῶσα αὐτοὺς ἐκεῖ καὶ καταστήσω αὐτοὺς εἰς τὴν νομὴν αὐτῶν καὶ αὐξηθήσονται καὶ πληθυνθήσονται

I myself will gather what's left of my flock from all the countries where I exiled them, and I will bring them back to their pasture, where they will increase in number.

4 καὶ ἀναστήσω αὐτοῖς ποιμένας οἳ ποιμανοῦσιν αὐτούς καὶ οὐ φοβηθήσονται ἔτι οὐδὲ πτοηθήσονται λέγει κύριος

I will put shepherds in charge of them who will take care of them, and they won't be afraid or discouraged anymore, and none of them will be missing, declares the Lord.

5 ἰδοὺ ἡμέραι ἔρχονται λέγει κύριος καὶ ἀναστήσω τῷ Δαυιδ ἀνατολὴν δικαίαν καὶ βασιλεύσει βασιλεὺς καὶ συνήσει καὶ ποιήσει κρίμα καὶ δικαιοσύνην ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς

Look, the time is coming, declares the Lord, when I will choose a descendant of David who does what is right. As king he will rule with wisdom and do what is just and right throughout the country.

6 ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις αὐτοῦ σωθήσεται Ιουδας καὶ Ισραηλ κατασκηνώσει πεποιθώς καὶ τοῦτο τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ ὃ καλέσει αὐτὸν κύριος Ιωσεδεκ

When he is king, Judah will be saved, and Israel will live in safety. This is the name he will be called: The Lord Who Makes Us Right.

7 διὰ τοῦτο ἰδοὺ ἡμέραι ἔρχονται λέγει κύριος καὶ οὐκ ἐροῦσιν ἔτι ζῇ κύριος ὃς ἀνήγαγεν τὸν οἶκον Ισραηλ ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου

Look, the time is coming, declares the Lord, when people won't say anymore, “On the Lord's life, who led the Israelites out of Egypt.”

8 ἀλλά ζῇ κύριος ὃς συνήγαγεν ἅπαν τὸ σπέρμα Ισραηλ ἀπὸ γῆς βορρᾶ καὶ ἀπὸ πασῶν τῶν χωρῶν οὗ ἐξῶσεν αὐτοὺς ἐκεῖ καὶ ἀπεκατέστησεν αὐτοὺς εἰς τὴν γῆν αὐτῶν

Instead they'll say, “On the Lord's life, who led the Israelites back from the northern country and all the other countries where he had exiled them.” Then they'll live in their own country.

9 ἐν τοῖς προφήταις συνετρίβη ἡ καρδία μου ἐν ἐμοὶ ἐσαλεύθη πάντα τὰ ὀστᾶ μου ἐγενήθην ὡς ἀνὴρ συντετριμμένος καὶ ὡς ἄνθρωπος συνεχόμενος ἀπὸ οἴνου ἀπὸ προσώπου κυρίου καὶ ἀπὸ προσώπου εὐπρεπείας δόξης αὐτοῦ

When it comes to the prophets: I'm really disturbed—I'm shaking inside! I stagger like a drunk, like someone who's had too much wine, because of what the Lord is like, because of his holy words.

10 ὅτι ἀπὸ προσώπου τούτων ἐπένθησεν ἡ γῆ ἐξηράνθησαν αἱ νομαὶ τῆς ἐρήμου καὶ ἐγένετο ὁ δρόμος αὐτῶν πονηρὸς καὶ ἡ ἰσχὺς αὐτῶν οὐχ οὕτως

For the country is full of people committing adultery so it's under a curse. The land mourns and the desert pastures have dried up. The people live evil lives, using their energy to do wrong.

11 ὅτι ἱερεὺς καὶ προφήτης ἐμολύνθησαν καὶ ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ μου εἶδον πονηρίας αὐτῶν

Both prophets and priests show no respect for me. I see wickedness even in my Temple, declares the Lord.

12 διὰ τοῦτο γενέσθω ἡ ὁδὸς αὐτῶν αὐτοῖς εἰς ὀλίσθημα ἐν γνόφῳ καὶ ὑποσκελισθήσονται καὶ πεσοῦνται ἐν αὐτῇ διότι ἐπάξω ἐπ’ αὐτοὺς κακὰ ἐν ἐνιαυτῷ ἐπισκέψεως αὐτῶν φησὶν κύριος

That's why their path will become slippery; they will be chased away in the dark and fall down. I'm going to bring disaster on them at the time when they're punished, declares the Lord.

13 καὶ ἐν τοῖς προφήταις Σαμαρείας εἶδον ἀνομήματα ἐπροφήτευσαν διὰ τῆς Βααλ καὶ ἐπλάνησαν τὸν λαόν μου Ισραηλ

I saw the prophets of Samaria doing something really offensive: They prophesied in the name of Baal and led my people Israel to sin.

14 καὶ ἐν τοῖς προφήταις Ιερουσαλημ ἑώρακα φρικτά μοιχωμένους καὶ πορευομένους ἐν ψεύδεσι καὶ ἀντιλαμβανομένους χειρῶν πονηρῶν τοῦ μὴ ἀποστραφῆναι ἕκαστον ἀπὸ τῆς ὁδοῦ αὐτοῦ τῆς πονηρᾶς ἐγενήθησάν μοι πάντες ὡς Σοδομα καὶ οἱ κατοικοῦντες αὐτὴν ὥσπερ Γομορρα

But now I see the prophets of Jerusalem doing something even more disgusting: They commit adultery and their lives are a lie. They support the wicked, so no one stops sinning. To me they're all like Sodom; the people of Jerusalem are like Gomorrah.

15 διὰ τοῦτο τάδε λέγει κύριος ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ψωμιῶ αὐτοὺς ὀδύνην καὶ ποτιῶ αὐτοὺς ὕδωρ πικρόν ὅτι ἀπὸ τῶν προφητῶν Ιερουσαλημ ἐξῆλθεν μολυσμὸς πάσῃ τῇ γῇ

So this is what the Lord Almighty says about the prophets: I will give them wormwood to eat and poisoned water to drink, because evil has spread across the country from the prophets of Jerusalem.

16 οὕτως λέγει κύριος παντοκράτωρ μὴ ἀκούετε τοὺς λόγους τῶν προφητῶν ὅτι ματαιοῦσιν ἑαυτοῖς ὅρασιν ἀπὸ καρδίας αὐτῶν λαλοῦσιν καὶ οὐκ ἀπὸ στόματος κυρίου

This is what the Lord Almighty says: Don't pay attention to what these prophets say when they prophesy to you. They're fooling you with visions they make up in their own minds. They're not from me.

17 λέγουσιν τοῖς ἀπωθουμένοις τὸν λόγον κυρίου εἰρήνη ἔσται ὑμῖν καὶ πᾶσιν τοῖς πορευομένοις τοῖς θελήμασιν αὐτῶν παντὶ τῷ πορευομένῳ πλάνῃ καρδίας αὐτοῦ εἶπαν οὐχ ἥξει ἐπὶ σὲ κακά

They keep on telling people who don't respect me, “The Lord says that you'll live in peace,” and to everyone following their own stubborn attitude, “Nothing bad is going to happen to you.”

18 ὅτι τίς ἔστη ἐν ὑποστήματι κυρίου καὶ εἶδεν τὸν λόγον αὐτοῦ τίς ἐνωτίσατο καὶ ἤκουσεν

But who of them has attended the Lord's council to hear and understand what he's saying? Who has paid attention to his instructions and followed them?

19 ἰδοὺ σεισμὸς παρὰ κυρίου καὶ ὀργὴ ἐκπορεύεται εἰς συσσεισμόν συστρεφομένη ἐπὶ τοὺς ἀσεβεῖς ἥξει

Watch out! The Lord has sent out a furious storm, a tornado swirling around the heads of the wicked.

20 καὶ οὐκέτι ἀποστρέψει ὁ θυμὸς κυρίου ἕως ἂν ποιήσῃ αὐτὸ καὶ ἕως ἂν ἀναστήσῃ αὐτὸ ἀπὸ ἐγχειρήματος καρδίας αὐτοῦ ἐπ’ ἐσχάτου τῶν ἡμερῶν νοήσουσιν αὐτά

The Lord's anger won't fade until he's finished doing everything he wants. Only then will you really understand.

21 οὐκ ἀπέστελλον τοὺς προφήτας καὶ αὐτοὶ ἔτρεχον οὐκ ἐλάλησα πρὸς αὐτούς καὶ αὐτοὶ ἐπροφήτευον

I didn't send these prophets, but they run to deliver their messages. I didn't tell them to say anything, but they still go on prophesying.

22 καὶ εἰ ἔστησαν ἐν τῇ ὑποστάσει μου καὶ εἰσήκουσαν τῶν λόγων μου καὶ τὸν λαόν μου ἂν ἀπέστρεφον αὐτοὺς ἀπὸ τῶν πονηρῶν ἐπιτηδευμάτων αὐτῶν

Now if they had attended my council, they would have delivered my instructions to my people and brought them back from their evil way of life, from their evil actions.

23 θεὸς ἐγγίζων ἐγώ εἰμι λέγει κύριος καὶ οὐχὶ θεὸς πόρρωθεν

Am I only a local God and not a God who operates widely? asks the Lord.

24 εἰ κρυβήσεται ἄνθρωπος ἐν κρυφαίοις καὶ ἐγὼ οὐκ ὄψομαι αὐτόν μὴ οὐχὶ τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν ἐγὼ πληρῶ λέγει κύριος

Can people hide in secret places where I can't see them? asks the Lord. Don't I operate everywhere in heaven and on earth? asks the Lord.

25 ἤκουσα ἃ λαλοῦσιν οἱ προφῆται ἃ προφητεύουσιν ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματί μου ψευδῆ λέγοντες ἠνυπνιασάμην ἐνύπνιον

I've listened to the prophets who prophesy lies in my name. They say, “I've had a dream! I've had a dream!”

26 ἕως πότε ἔσται ἐν καρδίᾳ τῶν προφητῶν τῶν προφητευόντων ψευδῆ καὶ ἐν τῷ προφητεύειν αὐτοὺς τὰ θελήματα καρδίας αὐτῶν

How long will this continue? How long will these prophets go on prophesying these lies which are just the product of their own deluded minds?

27 τῶν λογιζομένων τοῦ ἐπιλαθέσθαι τοῦ νόμου μου ἐν τοῖς ἐνυπνίοις αὐτῶν ἃ διηγοῦντο ἕκαστος τῷ πλησίον αὐτοῦ καθάπερ ἐπελάθοντο οἱ πατέρες αὐτῶν τοῦ ὀνόματός μου ἐν τῇ Βααλ

They think the dreams that they repeat to one another will lead my people to forget me, just like their forefathers forgot me by worshiping Baal.

28 ὁ προφήτης ἐν ᾧ τὸ ἐνύπνιόν ἐστιν διηγησάσθω τὸ ἐνύπνιον αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐν ᾧ ὁ λόγος μου πρὸς αὐτόν διηγησάσθω τὸν λόγον μου ἐπ’ ἀληθείας τί τὸ ἄχυρον πρὸς τὸν σῖτον οὕτως οἱ λόγοι μου λέγει κύριος

A prophet who has a dream should say it's just a dream, but anyone I've spoken to should deliver my message faithfully. What is straw in comparison to grain? asks the Lord.

29 οὐχὶ οἱ λόγοι μου ὥσπερ πῦρ φλέγον λέγει κύριος καὶ ὡς πέλυξ κόπτων πέτραν

Doesn't my word burn like fire? asks the Lord. Isn't it like a hammer smashing a rock?

30 διὰ τοῦτο ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ πρὸς τοὺς προφήτας λέγει κύριος ὁ θεός τοὺς κλέπτοντας τοὺς λόγους μου ἕκαστος παρὰ τοῦ πλησίον αὐτοῦ

Pay attention to this, declares the Lord. I'm opposed to those prophets who steal words from one another and then say it's a message from me.

31 ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ πρὸς τοὺς προφήτας τοὺς ἐκβάλλοντας προφητείας γλώσσης καὶ νυστάζοντας νυσταγμὸν ἑαυτῶν

Pay attention to this declares the Lord. I'm opposed to those prophets who make up their own stories and then announce, “This is what the Lord says.”

32 ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ πρὸς τοὺς προφήτας τοὺς προφητεύοντας ἐνύπνια ψευδῆ καὶ διηγοῦντο αὐτὰ καὶ ἐπλάνησαν τὸν λαόν μου ἐν τοῖς ψεύδεσιν αὐτῶν καὶ ἐν τοῖς πλάνοις αὐτῶν καὶ ἐγὼ οὐκ ἀπέστειλα αὐτοὺς καὶ οὐκ ἐνετειλάμην αὐτοῖς καὶ ὠφέλειαν οὐκ ὠφελήσουσιν τὸν λαὸν τοῦτον

Pay attention to this declares the Lord, I'm opposed to those who prophesy fictional dreams. They tell them in order to lead my people into sin with their wild lies. I didn't send them or give them any instructions, and they don't do anybody any good, declares the Lord.

33 καὶ ἐὰν ἐρωτήσωσί σε ὁ λαὸς οὗτος ἢ ἱερεὺς ἢ προφήτης λέγων τί τὸ λῆμμα κυρίου καὶ ἐρεῖς αὐτοῖς ὑμεῖς ἐστε τὸ λῆμμα καὶ ῥάξω ὑμᾶς λέγει κύριος

So when a prophet or priest or anyone else comes and asks you, “What is ‘the burden of the Lord?’” tell them, I'm not giving you a burden. I'm giving up on you, declares the Lord.

34 καὶ ὁ προφήτης καὶ ὁ ἱερεὺς καὶ ὁ λαός οἳ ἂν εἴπωσιν λῆμμα κυρίου καὶ ἐκδικήσω τὸν ἄνθρωπον ἐκεῖνον καὶ τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ

If a prophet or priest or anyone else claims, “This is the burden of the Lord,” I will punish that person and their family.

35 ὅτι οὕτως ἐρεῖτε ἕκαστος πρὸς τὸν πλησίον αὐτοῦ καὶ ἕκαστος πρὸς τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ τί ἀπεκρίθη κύριος καὶ τί ἐλάλησεν κύριος

This is what everybody should say to their friends and relatives: “What answer has the Lord given?” or, “What has the Lord said?”

36 καὶ λῆμμα κυρίου μὴ ὀνομάζετε ἔτι ὅτι τὸ λῆμμα τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ ἔσται ὁ λόγος αὐτοῦ

Don't talk about “the burden of the Lord” anymore, because everybody has different ideas about this “burden,” perverting the words of the living God, the Lord Almighty, our God.

37 καὶ διὰ τί ἐλάλησεν κύριος ὁ θεὸς ἡμῶν

This is what you are to say ask any prophet: “What message has the Lord given you?” and “What has the Lord told you?”

38 διὰ τοῦτο τάδε λέγει κύριος ὁ θεός ἀνθ’ ὧν εἴπατε τὸν λόγον τοῦτον λῆμμα κυρίου καὶ ἀπέστειλα πρὸς ὑμᾶς λέγων οὐκ ἐρεῖτε λῆμμα κυρίου

If they say, “This is the burden of the Lord,” then this is the Lord's response: Because you said, “This is the burden of the Lord,” and I warned you not to,

39 διὰ τοῦτο ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ λαμβάνω καὶ ῥάσσω ὑμᾶς καὶ τὴν πόλιν ἣν ἔδωκα ὑμῖν καὶ τοῖς πατράσιν ὑμῶν

now I'm going to pick you up like a burden and throw you away, you and the city that I gave to you and your forefathers.

40 καὶ δώσω ἐφ’ ὑμᾶς ὀνειδισμὸν αἰώνιον καὶ ἀτιμίαν αἰώνιον ἥτις οὐκ ἐπιλησθήσεται

I will disgrace you forever, you shame will never be forgotten.