Jeremiæ 23
1 Vae pastoribus, qui disperdunt et dilacerant gregem pascuae meae, dicit Dominus.
Yahweh declares, “Terrible things will happen to [the leaders] [MET] [of my people—those who are like] shepherds of [the people who are like] my sheep—because they have scattered my people and sent them away, and have not taken care of them.
2 Ideo haec 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.
So, this is what [I, ] Yahweh, the God whom the Israeli [people worship], say to those leaders: ‘Instead of taking care of my people and [leading them to places where they are safe, like a shepherd does for] his sheep, you have scattered them. So I will punish you for the evil things that you have done.
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.
But later I will gather those who are still alive, from the countries where I have forced them to go. I will bring them back to their own country, where they will have many children, and their number/population will increase.
4 Et suscitabo super eos pastores, et pascent eos: non formidabunt ultra, et non pavebunt: et nullus quaeretur ex numero, dicit Dominus.
[Then] I will appoint [other] leaders for my people, leaders who will take care of them. And my people will never be afraid [DOU] of anything again, and none of them will be [like a] lost [sheep].’”
5 Ecce dies veniunt, dicit Dominus: et suscitabo David germen iustum: et regnabit rex, et sapiens erit: et faciet iudicium et iustitiam in terra.
Yahweh [also] says, “Some day I will appoint for you a righteous man who will be a descendant of King David. He will be a king who rules wisely. He will do what is just and right throughout the land.
6 In diebus illis salvabitur Iuda, et Israel habitabit confidenter: et hoc est nomen, quod vocabunt eum, Dominus iustus noster.
At that time, all the Israeli people [DOU] will be saved [from their enemies], and they will be safe. And his name will be ‘Yahweh, the one who vindicates/defends us.’”
7 Propter hoc ecce dies veniunt, dicit Dominus, et non dicent ultra: Vivit Dominus, qui eduxit filios Israel de Terra Aegypti:
Yahweh [also] says that at that time, people [who are solemnly promising to do something] will no longer say, “[I will do it as surely] as Yahweh lives, who rescued the Israeli people from 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 will say, “[I will do it] as surely as Yahweh lives, who brought [us] Israeli people back to our own land, from the land to the northeast and from all the [other] countries to which he had exiled us.” And they will live in their own land [again].
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.
I am very shocked because of the sacred message that Yahweh has spoken about [what will happen to] the [false] prophets; [it is as though] all my bones shake. I stagger like a man who is drunk after drinking a lot of wine.
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.
The land is full of [people who commit] adultery; and [Yahweh] has cursed the land. Even the pastures in the desert are all dried up, because the people do what is evil, and [the false prophets] use their power to do things that are not just/fair.
11 Propheta namque et sacerdos polluti sunt: et in domo mea inveni malum eorum, ait Dominus.
Yahweh says, “[Yes, even] the priests and the prophets are ungodly; they do wicked things even in my temple.
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, [it will be as though] the paths that they walk on are slippery. [It will be as though] they are being chased in the darkness, and there they will fall down, because I will cause them to experience disasters at the time that I will punish them. [That will surely happen because I], Yahweh, have said it.”
13 Et in prophetis Samariae vidi fatuitatem: prophetabant enim in Baal, et decipiebant populum meum Israel.
[Previously] I saw that the prophets in Samaria were doing something that was wrong; they were prophesying, saying that Baal [gave them the messages that they were proclaiming], and they were deceiving my people.
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.
And [now] I have seen the prophets in Jerusalem doing terrible things. They commit adultery and habitually tell lies. They encourage evil people to continue to do evil things, with the result that the people do not stop sinning. Those prophets are as wicked as the people in Sodom and Gomorrah were.
15 Propterea haec 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 Commander of the armies of angels says about those [false] prophets: “I will give those prophets bitter things to eat and poison to drink, because it is because of them that this land is filled with [people who do] wicked things.”
16 Haec 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 Commander of the armies of angels says: “Do not pay any attention to what those [false] prophets say to you, because they are just deceiving you. They tell you about visions that they have thought/created [only] in their own minds, not about visions that I have given them.
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 habitually say to those who hate me, ‘[Yahweh says that] you will have peace.’ And they say to those who stubbornly do what they want to do, ‘Nothing bad will happen to you [because of your doing those things].’
18 Quis enim affuit in consilio Domini, et vidit et audivit sermonem eius? quis consideravit verbum illius et audivit?
But none of them has ever been in a council [meeting] in heaven in order to listen to a message from me. None of them has paid attention to anything that [I], Yahweh, have said.
19 Ecce turbo Dominicae indignationis egredietur, et tempestas erumpens: super caput impiorum veniet.
So, listen to this: I will punish them; it will be [like] a great storm; it will come down [like] a whirlwind, swirling around the heads of those wicked people.
20 Non revertetur furor Domini usque dum faciat, et usque dum compleat cogitationem cordis sui: in novissimis diebus intelligetis consilium eius.
I will not stop being angry until I completely accomplish all that I have planned. In the future, you will understand [all of] this clearly.”
21 Non mittebam prophetas, et ipsi currebant: non loquebar ad eos, et ipsi prophetabant.
[Yahweh also says, ] “I have not appointed those prophets, but they run [around telling people their messages]. I did not speak to them, but they [continue to] prophesy.
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.
If they had been in my council [meetings], they would have been able to speak messages from me, and they would have caused people to turn away from committing evil things.”
23 Putasne Deus e vicino ego sum, dicit Dominus? et non Deus de longe?
Yahweh [also] says, “Am I a God who is only nearby? No, I am a God who is far away, also.
24 Si occultabitur vir in absconditis: et ego non videbo eum, dicit Dominus? numquid non caelum et terram ego impleo, dicit Dominus?
So, no one can hide in some secret place with the result that I cannot see him. I am everywhere, in heaven and on the earth! [That is what I], Yahweh, say!
25 Audivi quae dixerunt prophetae, prophetantes in nomine meo mendacium, atque dicentes: Somniavi, somniavi.
I have heard those prophets prophesy lies, saying that they are telling people messages from me. They say, ‘[Listen to me tell you] the dream that God gave me last night! I [really] had this dream!’
26 Usquequo istud est in corde prophetarum vaticinantium mendacium, et prophetantium seductiones cordis sui?
How long will they continue to do this? How long will those lying prophets continue to prophesy things that come only from their own minds?
27 Qui volunt facere ut obliviscatur populus meus nominis mei propter somnia eorum, quae narrat unusquisque ad proximum suum: sicut obliti sunt patres eorum nominis mei propter Baal.
They think that because of the dreams that they tell to each other, people will forget me, like their ancestors forgot about me when they started to worship Baal.
28 Propheta, qui habet somnium, narret somnium: et qui habet sermonem meum, loquatur sermonem meum vere: quid paleis ad triticum, dicit Dominus?
Allow those [false] prophets to tell people their dreams, but those who have messages that [really] come from me should proclaim those messages faithfully. I, Yahweh, say [that like] straw and grain are certainly very different, [my messages and the messages from those false prophets are certainly very different].
29 Numquid non verba mea sunt quasi ignis, dicit Dominus: et quasi malleus conterens petram?
[It is as though] my messages [burn] like a fire; they [strike people’s inner beings like] someone strikes a rock with a hammer and smashes it into pieces.
30 Propterea ecce ego ad prophetas, ait Dominus: qui furantur verba mea unusquisque a proximo suo.
Therefore, [I, ] Yahweh say, 'I oppose all those prophets who steal messages from each other and claim that those messages came from me.
31 Ecce ego ad prophetas, ait Dominus: qui assumunt linguas suas, et aiunt: Dicit Dominus.
I oppose those prophets who speak their own messages but claim that those messages came from me.
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.
I oppose those prophets who falsely say that I told them something in a vision, but they are [only] telling lies that cause my people to sin. I did not send those prophets. I did not even appoint them [to be prophets]. And they have no messages that will benefit my people at all.' [That is what I, ] Yahweh, declare.”
33 Si igitur interrogaverit te populus iste, vel propheta, aut sacerdos, dicens: Quod est onus Domini? dices ad eos: Ut quid vobis onus. proiiciam quippe vos, dicit Dominus.
[Yahweh said to me], “If one of those prophets or priests or one of the [other] people asks you, ‘What problem has Yahweh told you about [now]?’, you must reply, ‘You are the problem! And Yahweh says that he will abandon you!’
34 Et propheta, et sacerdos, et populus qui dicit: Onus Domini: visitabo super virum illum, et super domum eius.
And if any prophet or priest or anyone [else falsely] says, ‘[I have] a prophecy from Yahweh,’ I will punish that person and his family.
35 Haec dicetis unusquisque ad proximum, et ad fratrem suum: Quid respondit Dominus? et quid locutus est Dominus?
What you should continually ask each other is, ‘[When you spoke to Yahweh, ] what did he reply? What is he saying [to us]?’
36 Et onus Domini ultra non memorabitur: quia onus erit unicuique sermo suus: et pervertistis verba Dei videntis, Domini exercituum Dei nostri.
But stop saying ‘[I have] a prophecy/message from Yahweh,’ because those who say that are doing it only because they want people to accept their ideas, and by doing that they distort/change the messages that are from our God, the Commander of the armies of angels.
37 Haec dices ad prophetam: Quid respondit tibi Dominus? et quid locutus est Dominus?
This is what you should ask each prophet: ‘What did Yahweh reply [when you talked to him]? What is he saying [to us]?’
38 Si autem onus Domini dixeritis: propter hoc haec dicit Dominus: Quia dixistis sermonem istum: Onus Domini: et misi ad vos, dicens: Nolite dicere: Onus Domini:
If he replies, ‘[What I told you] is a prophecy/message from Yahweh,’ you should say to him, ‘You have continued to say, “[I received] a prophecy/message from Yahweh” even though I told you to not claim that you have received prophecies/messages from Yahweh.’
39 Propterea ecce ego tollam vos portans, et derelinquam vos, et civitatem, quam dedi vobis, et patribus vestris a facie mea.
So I [, Yahweh, ] will get rid of you [false prophets]. I will expel you from my presence. And I will get rid of this city that I gave to you and to your ancestors.
40 Et dabo vos in opprobrium sempiternum, et in ignominiam aeternam, quae numquam oblivione delebitur.
I will cause people to make fun of you forever. People will never forget that you were disgraced.”
