Jeremiæ 23
1 [Væ pastoribus qui disperdunt et dilacerant gregem pascuæ meæ! dicit Dominus.
“Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture—this is Yahweh's declaration.”
2 Ideo hæc dicit Dominus Deus Israël ad pastores qui pascunt populum meum: Vos dispersistis gregem meum, et ejecistis eos, et non visitastis eos: ecce ego visitabo super vos malitiam studiorum vestrorum, ait Dominus.
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 Et ego congregabo reliquias gregis mei de omnibus terris ad quas ejecero eos illuc: et convertam eos ad rura sua, et crescent et multiplicabuntur.
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 Et suscitabo super eos pastores, et pascent eos: non formidabunt ultra, et non pavebunt, et nullus quæretur ex numero, dicit Dominus.]
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 [Ecce dies veniunt, dicit Dominus, et suscitabo David germen justum: et regnabit rex, et sapiens erit, et faciet judicium et justitiam in terra.
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 diebus illis salvabitur Juda, et Israël habitabit confidenter: et hoc est nomen quod vocabunt eum: Dominus justus noster.
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 Propter hoc ecce dies veniunt, dicit Dominus, et non dicent ultra: Vivit Dominus, qui eduxit filios Israël de terra Ægypti,
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 sed: Vivit Dominus, qui eduxit et adduxit semen domus Israël de terra aquilonis, et de cunctis terris ad quas ejeceram eos illuc, et habitabunt in terra sua.]
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 Ad prophetas: [Contritum est cor meum in medio mei; contremuerunt omnia ossa mea: factus sum quasi vir ebrius, et quasi homo madidus a vino, a facie Domini, et a facie verborum sanctorum ejus.
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 Quia adulteris repleta est terra, quia a facie maledictionis luxit terra, arefacta sunt arva deserti: factus est cursus eorum malus, et fortitudo eorum dissimilis.
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 Propheta namque et sacerdos polluti sunt, et in domo mea inveni malum eorum, ait Dominus.
“For both the prophets and the priests are polluted. I even found their wickedness in my house!—this is Yahweh's declaration—
12 Idcirco via eorum erit quasi lubricum in tenebris: impellentur enim, et corruent in ea: afferam enim super eos mala, annum visitationis eorum, ait Dominus.
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 Et in prophetis Samariæ vidi fatuitatem: prophetabant in Baal, et decipiebant populum meum Israël.
For I have seen the prophets in Samaria doing what is repulsive: They prophesied by Baal and led my people Israel astray.
14 Et in prophetis Jerusalem vidi similitudinem adulterantium, et iter mendacii: et confortaverunt manus pessimorum, ut non converteretur unusquisque a malitia sua: facti sunt mihi omnes ut Sodoma, et habitatores ejus quasi 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 Propterea hæc dicit Dominus exercituum ad prophetas: Ecce ego cibabo eos absinthio, et potabo eos felle: a prophetis enim Jerusalem egressa est pollutio super omnem terram.
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 Hæc dicit Dominus exercituum: Nolite audire verba prophetarum qui prophetant vobis, et decipiunt vos: visionem cordis sui loquuntur, non de ore Domini.
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 Dicunt his qui blasphemant me: Locutus est Dominus: Pax erit vobis: et omni qui ambulat in pravitate cordis sui dixerunt: Non veniet super vos malum.
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 Quis enim affuit in consilio Domini, et vidit, et audivit sermonem ejus? quis consideravit verbum illius, et audivit?
Yet who has stood in Yahweh's council meeting? Who sees and hears his word? Who pays attention to his word and listens?
19 Ecce turbo Dominicæ indignationis egredietur, et tempestas erumpens super caput impiorum veniet.
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 Non revertetur furor Domini, usque dum faciat et usque dum compleat cogitationem cordis sui: in novissimis diebus intelligetis consilium ejus.
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 Non mittebam prophetas, et ipsi currebant: non loquebar ad eos, et ipsi prophetabant.
I did not send out these prophets. They just appeared. I did not proclaim anything to them, but they have still prophesied.
22 Si stetissent in consilio meo, et nota fecissent verba mea populo meo, avertissem utique eos a via sua mala, et a cogitationibus suis pessimis.
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 Putasne Deus e vicino ego sum, dicit Dominus, et non Deus de longe?
Am I only a God nearby—this is Yahweh's declaration—and not also a God far away?
24 Si occultabitur vir in absconditis, et ego non videbo eum? dicit Dominus. Numquid non cælum et terram ego impleo? dicit Dominus.
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 Audivi quæ dixerunt prophetæ prophetantes in nomine meo mendacium, atque dicentes: Somniavi, somniavi.
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 Usquequo istud est in corde prophetarum vaticinantium mendacium, et prophetantium seductiones cordis sui?
How long will this go on, prophets who prophesy lies from their minds, and who prophesy from the deceit in their hearts?
27 Qui volunt facere ut obliviscatur populus meus nominis mei, propter somnia eorum quæ narrat unusquisque ad proximum suum, sicut obliti sunt patres eorum nominis mei propter 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 Propheta qui habet somnium, narret somnium: et qui habet sermonem meum, loquatur sermonem meum vere. Quid paleis ad triticum? dicit Dominus.
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 Numquid non verba mea sunt quasi ignis, dicit Dominus, et quasi malleus conterens petram?
Is not my word like fire?—this is Yahweh's declaration—and like a hammer that shatters a rock into pieces?
30 Propterea ecce ego ad prophetas, ait Dominus, qui furantur verba mea unusquisque a proximo suo.
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 Ecce ego ad prophetas, ait Dominus, qui assumunt linguas suas, et aiunt: Dicit Dominus.
See, I am against the prophets—this is Yahweh's declaration—who use their tongues to prophesy proclamations.
32 Ecce ego ad prophetas somniantes mendacium, ait Dominus, qui narraverunt ea, et seduxerunt populum meum in mendacio suo et in miraculis suis, cum ego non misissem eos, nec mandassem eis: qui nihil profuerunt populo huic, dicit Dominus.
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 Si igitur interrogaverit te populus iste, vel propheta, aut sacerdos, dicens: Quod est onus Domini? dices ad eos: Vos estis onus: projiciam quippe vos, dicit Dominus.
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 Et propheta, et sacerdos, et populus qui dicit: Onus Domini: visitabo super virum illum et super domum ejus.
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 Hæc dicetis unusquisque ad proximum, et ad fratrem suum: Quid respondit Dominus? et quid locutus est Dominus?
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 Et onus Domini ultra non memorabitur: quia onus erit unicuique sermo suus, et pervertistis verba Dei viventis, Domini exercituum, Dei nostri.
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 Hæc dices ad prophetam: Quid respondit tibi Dominus? et quid locutus est Dominus?
This is what you will say to the prophet, 'What answer did Yahweh give you? or 'What did Yahweh say?'
38 Si autem onus Domini dixeritis, propter hoc hæc dicit Dominus: Quia dixistis sermonem istum: Onus Domini, et misi ad vos dicens: Nolite dicere: Onus Domini:
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 propterea ecce ego tollam vos portans, et derelinquam vos, et civitatem quam dedi vobis et patribus vestris, a facie mea:
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 et dabo vos in opprobrium sempiternum, et in ignominiam æternam, quæ numquam oblivione delebitur.]
Then I will put everlasting shame and insult on you that will not be forgotten.'”
