Jeremiæ 23
1 Væ pastoribus, qui disperdunt et dilacerant gregem pascuæ meæ, dicit Dominus.
What trouble is coming to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! declares the Lord.
2 Ideo hæc dicit Dominus Deus Israel ad pastores, qui pascunt populum meum: Vos dispersistis gregem meum, et eiecistis eos, et non visitastis eos: ecce ego visitabo super vos malitiam studiorum vestrorum, ait Dominus.
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 Et ego congregabo reliquias gregis mei de omnibus terris, ad quas eiecero eos illuc: et convertam eos ad rura sua: et crescent et multiplicabuntur.
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 Et suscitabo super eos pastores, et pascent eos: non formidabunt ultra, et non pavebunt: et nullus quæretur ex numero, dicit Dominus.
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 Ecce dies veniunt, dicit Dominus: et suscitabo David germen iustum: et regnabit rex, et sapiens erit: et faciet iudicium et iustitiam in terra.
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 In diebus illis salvabitur Iuda, et Israel habitabit confidenter: et hoc est nomen, quod vocabunt eum, Dominus iustus noster.
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 Propter hoc ecce dies veniunt, dicit Dominus, et non dicent ultra: Vivit Domnus, qui eduxit filios Israel de Terra Ægypti:
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 Sed: Vivit Dominus, qui eduxit et adduxit semen domus Israel de Terra Aquilonis, et de cunctis terris, ad quas eieceram eos illuc: et habitabunt in terra sua.
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 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 eius.
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 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 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 Propheta namque et sacerdos polluti sunt: et in domo mea inveni malum eorum, ait Dominus.
Both prophets and priests show no respect for me. I see wickedness even in my Temple, declares the Lord.
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.
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 Et in prophetis Samariæ vidi fatuitatem: prophetabunt in Baal, et decipiebant populum meum Israel.
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 Et in prophetis Ierusalem 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 eius quasi Gomorrha.
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 Propterea hæc dicit Dominus exercituum ad prophetas: Ecce ego cibabo eos absinthio, et potabo eos felle: a prophetis enim Ierusalem egressa est pollutio super omnem terram.
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 Hæc dicit Dominus exercituum: Nolite audire verba prophetarum, qui prophetant vobis, et decipiunt vos: visionem cordis sui loquuntur, non de ore Domini.
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 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 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 Quis enim affuit in consilio Domini, et vidit et audivit sermonem eius? Quis consideravit verbum illius et audivit?
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 Ecce turbo Dominicæ indignationis egredietur, et tempestas erumpens: super caput impiorum veniet.
Watch out! The Lord has sent out a furious storm, a tornado swirling 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 eius.
The Lord's anger won't fade until he's finished doing everything he wants. Only then will you really understand.
21 Non mittebam prophetas, et ipsi currebant: non loquebar ad eos, et ipsi prophetabant.
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 Si stetissent in consilio meo, et nota fecissent verba mea populo meo, avertissem utique eos a via sua mala, et a cogitationibus suis pessimis.
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 Putasne Deus e vicino ego sum, dicit Dominus, et non Deus de longe?
Am I only a local God and not a God who operates widely? asks the Lord.
24 Si occultabitur vir in absconditis: et ego non videbo eum, dicit Dominus? Numquid non cælum et terram ego impleo, dicit Dominus?
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 Audivi quæ dixerunt prophetæ, prophetantes in nomine meo mendacium, atque dicentes: Somniavi, somniavi.
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 Usquequo istud est in corde prophetarum vaticinantium mendacium, et prophetantium seductiones cordis sui?
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 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 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 Propheta, qui habet somnium, narret somnium: et qui habet sermonem meum, loquatur sermonem meum vere: Quid paleis ad triticum, dicit Dominus?
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 Numquid non verba mea sunt quasi ignis, dicit Dominus: et quasi malleus conterens petram?
Doesn't my word burn like fire? asks the Lord. Isn't it like a hammer smashing a rock?
30 Propterea ecce ego ad prophetas, ait Dominus: qui furantur verba mea unusquisque a proximo suo.
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 Ecce ego ad prophetas, ait Dominus: qui assumunt linguas suas, et aiunt: Dicit Dominus.
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 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.
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 Si igitur interrogaverit te populus iste, vel propheta, aut sacerdos, dicens: Quod est onus Domini? dices ad eos: Vos estis onus. Proiiciam quippe vos, dicit Dominus.
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 Et propheta, et sacerdos, et populus qui dicit: Onus Domini: visitabo super virum illum, et super domum eius.
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 Hæc dicetis unusquisque ad proximum, et ad fratrem suum: Quid respondit Dominus? Et quid locutus est Dominus?
This is what everybody should say to their friends and relatives: “What answer has the Lord given?” or, “What has the Lord said?”
36 Et onus Domini ultra non memorabitur: quia onus erit unicuique sermo suus: et pervertistis verba Dei viventis, Domini exercituum Dei nostri.
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 Hæc dices ad prophetam: Quid respondit tibi Dominus? Et quid locutus est Dominus?
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 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:
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 Propterea ecce ego tollam vos portans, et derelinquam vos, et civitatem, quam dedi vobis, et patribus vestris a facie mea.
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 Et dabo vos in opprobrium sempiternum, et in ignominiam æternam, quæ numquam oblivione delebitur.
I will disgrace you forever, you shame will never be forgotten.
