The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

⭑ Literal Standard Version :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 23 -

“Woe to shepherds destroying, || And scattering the flock of My pasture,” || A declaration of YHWH.

Therefore, thus said YHWH, God of Israel, || Against the shepherds who feed My people: “You have scattered My flock, and drive them away, || And have not inspected them, || Behold, I am charging on you the evil of your doings,” || A declaration of YHWH.

“And I gather the remnant of My flock || Out of all the lands to where I drove them, || And have brought them back to their fold, || And they have been fruitful, and multiplied.

And I have raised shepherds for them, || And they have fed them, || And they no longer fear, nor are frightened, || Nor are they lacking,” || A declaration of YHWH.

“Behold, days are coming,” || A declaration of YHWH, || “And I have raised a righteous shoot to David, || And a king has reigned and acted wisely, || And done judgment and righteousness in the earth.

Judah is saved in His days, and Israel dwells confidently, || And this [is] His Name that YHWH proclaims Him: Our Righteousness.

Therefore, behold, days are coming,” || A declaration of YHWH, || “And they no longer say, YHWH lives who brought up || The sons of Israel out of the land of Egypt,

But—YHWH lives, who brought up, || And who brought in, the seed of the house of Israel, || From the land of the north, || And from all the lands to where I drove them, || And they have dwelt on their own ground!”

Lying Prophets

In reference to the prophets: My heart has been broken in my midst, || All my bones have fluttered, || I have been as a man—a drunkard, || And as a man—wine has passed over him, || Because of YHWH, and of His holy words.

For the land has been full of adulterers, || For the land has mourned because of these, || The pleasant places of the wilderness have dried up, || And their course is evil, and their might—not right.

“For both prophet and priest have been profane, || Indeed, I found their wickedness in My house,” || A declaration of YHWH.

“Therefore their way is as slippery places to them, || They are driven into thick darkness, || And they have fallen in it, || For I bring in calamity against them, || The year of their inspection,” || A declaration of YHWH.

“And I have seen folly in prophets of Samaria, || They have prophesied by Ba‘al, || And cause My people—Israel—to err.

And I have seen a horrible thing in prophets of Jerusalem, || Committing adultery, and walking falsely, || Indeed, they strengthened the hands of evildoers, || So that they have not turned back, || Each from his wickedness, || All of them have been as Sodom to me, || And its inhabitants as Gomorrah.”

Therefore, thus said YHWH of Hosts, concerning the prophets: “Behold, I am causing them to eat wormwood, || And have caused them to drink water of gall, || For from prophets of Jerusalem || Profanity has gone forth to all the land.”

Thus said YHWH of Hosts: “You do not listen to the words || Of the prophets who are prophesying to you, || They are making you vain things, || They speak a vision of their own heart, || Not from the mouth of YHWH.

Diligently saying to those despising, || The word of YHWH: Peace is for you, || And [to] everyone walking in the stubbornness of his heart, they have said: Evil does not come to you.”

For who has stood in the counsel of YHWH, || And sees and hears His word? Who has regarded My word, and listens?

Behold, a whirlwind of YHWH—Fury has gone out, even a piercing whirlwind, || It stays on the head of the wicked.

The anger of YHWH does not turn back || Until His doing, and until His establishing, || The thoughts of His heart, || In the latter end of the days || You attend to it with understanding.

“I have not sent the prophets, and they have run, || I have not spoken to them, and they have prophesied.

But if they stood in My counsel, || Then they cause My people to hear My words, || And they turn them back from their evil way, || And from the evil of their doings.

[Am] I a God near,” || A declaration of YHWH, || “And not a God far off?

Is anyone hidden in secret places, || And I do not see him?” A declaration of YHWH, “Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?” A declaration of YHWH.

“I have heard that which the prophets said, || Who prophesy falsehood in My Name, saying, || I have dreamed, I have dreamed.

Until when is it in the heart of the prophets? The prophets of falsehood, || Indeed, prophets of the deceit of their heart,

Who are devising to cause My people || To forget My Name by their dreams, || That they each recount to his neighbor, || As their fathers forgot My Name for Ba‘al.

The prophet with whom [is] a dream, || Let him recount the dream, || And he with whom [is] My word, || Let him truly speak My word. What does the straw [have to do] with the grain?” A declaration of YHWH.

“Is it not thus? My word [is] as fire,” || A declaration of YHWH. “And as a hammer—it breaks a rock in pieces.

Therefore, behold, I [am] against the prophets,” || A declaration of YHWH, || “Each stealing My words from his neighbor.

Behold, I [am] against the prophets,” || A declaration of YHWH, || “Who are making their tongue smooth, || And they affirm—an affirmation.

Behold, I [am] against the prophets of false dreams,” || A declaration of YHWH, || “And they recount them, and cause My people to err, || By their falsehoods, and by their instability, || And I have not sent them, || Nor have I commanded them, || And they are not profitable to this people at all,” || A declaration of YHWH.

False Prophecies

“And when this people, or the prophet, || Or a priest, asks you, saying, What [is] the burden of YHWH? Then you have said to them: You [are] the burden, and I have left you,” || A declaration of YHWH.

“And the prophet, and the priest, and the people, || That says, The burden of YHWH, || I have seen after that man, and after his house.

Thus you each say to his neighbor, || And each to his brother: What has YHWH answered? And what has YHWH spoken?

And you do not mention the burden of YHWH anymore, || For the burden to each is His word, || And you have overturned the words of the living God, YHWH of Hosts, our God.

Thus you say to the prophet, || What has YHWH answered you? And what has YHWH spoken?

And if you say, The burden of YHWH, || Therefore, thus said YHWH: Because of your saying this word, || The burden of YHWH, || And I send to you, saying, || You do not say, The burden of YHWH.

Therefore, behold, I have utterly taken you away, || And I have sent you out, || And the city that I gave to you, || And to your fathers, from before My face,

And I have put continuous reproach on you, || And continuous shame that is not forgotten!”

“Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!” says the LORD.

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.

“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.

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.

“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.

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.

“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;’

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.”

Lying Prophets

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.

“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;

for both prophet and priest are profane. Yes, in my house I have found their wickedness,” says the LORD.

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.

“I have seen folly in the prophets of Samaria. They prophesied by Baal, and caused my people Israel to err.

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.”

Therefore the LORD of Armies 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.”

The LORD of Armies 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.

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.’

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?

Behold, the LORD’s storm, his wrath, has gone out. Yes, a whirling storm! It will burst on the head of the wicked.

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.

I didn’t send these prophets, yet they ran. I didn’t speak to them, yet they prophesied.

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.

“Am I a God at hand,” says the LORD, “and not a God afar off?

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.

“I have heard what the prophets have said, who prophesy lies in my name, saying, ‘I had a dream! I had a dream!’

How long will this be in the heart of the prophets who prophesy lies, even the prophets of the deceit of their own heart?

They intend to cause my people to forget my name by their dreams which they each tell his neighbor, as their fathers forgot my name because of Baal.

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.

“Isn’t my word like fire?” says the LORD; “and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?

“Therefore behold, I am against the prophets,” says the LORD, “who each steal my words from his neighbor.

Behold, I am against the prophets,” says the LORD, “who use their tongues, and say, ‘He says.’

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.

False Prophecies

“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.’

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.

You will say everyone to his neighbor, and everyone to his brother, ‘What has the LORD answered?’ and, ‘What has the LORD said?’

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 Armies, our God.

You will say to the prophet, ‘What has the LORD answered you?’ and, ‘What has the LORD spoken?’

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,”

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.

I will bring an everlasting reproach on you, and a perpetual shame, which will not be forgotten.’”