Jeremiah 23

1 A curse is on the keepers who are causing the destruction and loss of the sheep of my field, says the Lord.

"Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture." says the LORD.

2 So this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, has said against the keepers who have the care of my people: You have let my flock be broken up, driving them away and not caring for them; see, I will send on you the punishment for the evil of your doings, says the Lord.

Therefore thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, against the shepherds who feed my people: "You have scattered my flock, and driven them away, and have not visited them; look, I will visit on you the evil of your doings," says the LORD.

3 And I will get the rest of my flock together from all the countries where I have sent them, and will make them come back again to their resting-place; and they will have offspring and be increased.

"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 shall be fruitful and multiply.

4 And I will put over them keepers who will take care of them: never again will they be overcome with fear or be troubled, and there will not be the loss of one of them, says the Lord.

I will set up shepherds over them, who shall feed them; and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall any be lacking," says the LORD.

5 See, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will give to David a true Branch, and he will be ruling as king, acting wisely, doing what is right, and judging uprightly in the land.

"Look, the days come," says the LORD, "that I will raise to David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.

6 In his days Judah will have salvation and Israel will be living without fear: and this is the name by which he will be named, The Lord is our righteousness.

In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely; and this is his name by which he shall be called: 'The LORD our righteousness.'

7 And so, truly, the days are coming when they will say no longer, By the living Lord, who took the children of Israel up out of the land of Egypt;

Therefore look, the days come," says the LORD, "that they shall no more say, 'As the LORD lives, who brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt';

8 But, By the living Lord, who took up the seed of Israel, and made them come out of the north country, and from all the countries where I had sent them; and they will be living in the land which is theirs.

but, 'As the LORD lives, who brought up and who led the descendants of the house of Israel out of the north country, and from all the countries where he had driven them.' They shall dwell in their own land."'

9 About the prophets. My heart is broken in me, all my bones are shaking; I am like a man full of strong drink, like a man overcome by wine; because of the Lord, and because of his holy words.

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.

10 For the land is full of men who are untrue to their wives; because of the curse the land is full of grief; the green fields of the waste land have become dry; and they are quick to do evil, their strength is for what is not right.

For the land is full of adulterers; for because of swearing the land mourns; the pastures of the wilderness are dried up. "Their course is evil, and their might is not right;

11 For the prophet as well as the priest is unclean; even in my house I have seen their evil-doing, says the Lord.

for both prophet and cohen are profane; yes, in my house have I found their wickedness," says the LORD.

12 For this cause their steps will be slipping on their way: they will be forced on into the dark and have a fall there: for I will send evil on them in the year of their punishment, says the Lord.

"Therefore their way shall be to them as slippery places in the darkness: they shall be driven on, and fall in it; for I will bring evil on them, even the year of their visitation," says the LORD.

13 And I have seen ways without sense in the prophets of Samaria; they became prophets of the Baal, causing my people Israel to go wrong.

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

14 And in the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen a shocking thing; they are untrue to their wives, walking in deceit, and they make strong the hands of evil-doers, so that a man may not be turned back from his evil-doing: they have all become like Sodom to me, and its people like Gomorrah.

In the prophets of Jerusalem also I have seen a horrible thing: they commit adultery, and walk in lies; and they strengthen the hands of evildoers, so that none does return from his wickedness: they are all of them become to me as Sodom, and its inhabitants as Gomorrah.

15 So this is what the Lord of armies has said about the prophets: See, I will give them a bitter plant for their food, and bitter water for their drink: for from the prophets of Jerusalem unclean behaviour has gone out into all the land.

Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts concerning the prophets: 'Look, I will feed them with wormwood, and make them drink the water of gall; for from the prophets of Jerusalem is ungodliness gone forth into all the land.'

16 This is what the Lord of armies has said: Do not give ear to the words which the prophets say to you: they give you teaching of no value: it is from themselves that their vision comes, and not out of the mouth of the Lord.

Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'Do not 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.

17 They keep on saying to those who have no respect for the word of the Lord, You will have peace; and to everyone who goes on his way in the pride of his heart, they say, No evil will come to you.

They say continually to those who despise me, "The LORD has said, 'You shall have peace'"; and to everyone who walks in the stubbornness of his own heart they say, "No evil shall come on you."

18 For which of them has knowledge of the secret of the Lord, and has seen him, and given ear to his word? which of them has taken note of his word and given attention to it?

For who has stood in the council of the LORD, that he should perceive and hear his word? Who has marked my word, and heard it?

19 See, the storm-wind of the Lord, even the heat of his wrath, has gone out, a rolling storm, bursting on the heads of the evil-doers.

Look, the storm of the LORD, his wrath, has gone forth. Yes, a whirling storm. It shall burst on the head of the wicked.

20 The wrath of the Lord will not be turned back till he has done, till he has put into effect, the purposes of his heart: in days to come you will have full knowledge of this.

The anger of the LORD shall not return, until he has executed, and until he have performed the intents of his heart: in the latter days you shall understand it perfectly.

21 I did not send these prophets, but they went running: I said nothing to them, but they gave out the prophet's word.

I sent not these prophets, yet they ran: I did not speak to them, yet they prophesied.

22 But if they had been in my secret, then they would have made my people give ear to my words, turning them from their evil way, and from the evil of their doings.

But if they had stood in my council, then had they caused my people to hear my words, and had turned them from their evil way, and from the evil of their doings.

23 Am I only a God who is near, says the Lord, and not a God at a distance?

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

24 In what secret place may a man take cover without my seeing him? says the Lord. Is there any place in heaven or earth where I am not? says the Lord.

Can any hide himself in secret places so that I shall not see him?' says the LORD. 'Do I not fill heaven and earth?' says the LORD.

25 My ears have been open to what the prophets have said, who say false words in my name, saying, I have had a dream, I have had a dream, I have had a dream,

'I have heard what the prophets have said, who prophesy lies in my name, saying, "I have dreamed, I have dreamed."

26 Is (my word) in the hearts of the prophets who give out false words, even the prophets of the deceit of their hearts?

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

27 Whose purpose is to take away the memory of my name from my people by their dreams, of which every man is talking to his neighbour, as their fathers gave up the memory of my name for the Baal.

who think to cause my people to forget my name by their dreams which they tell every man to his neighbor, as their fathers forgot my name for Baal.

28 If a prophet has a dream, let him give out his dream; and he who has my word, let him give out my word in good faith. What has the dry stem to do with the grain? says the Lord.

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.

29 Is not my word like fire? says the Lord; and like a hammer, smashing the rock to bits?

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

30 For this cause I am against the prophets, says the Lord, who take my words, every one from his neighbour.

Therefore look, I am against the prophets,' says the LORD, 'who steal my words everyone from his neighbor.

31 See, I am against the prophets, says the Lord, who let their tongues say, He has said.

Look, I am against the prophets,' says the LORD, 'who use their tongues, and say, "He says."

32 See, I am against the prophets of false dreams, says the Lord, who give them out and make my people go out of the way by their deceit and their uncontrolled words: but I did not send them or give them orders; and they will be of no profit to this people, says the Lord.

Look, I am against the prophets who prophesy lying dreams,' says the LORD, 'and do tell them, and cause my people to err by their lies, and by their vain boasting: yet I did not send them, nor commanded them; neither do they profit this people at all,' says the LORD.

33 And if this people, or the prophet, or a priest, questioning you, says, What word of weight is there from the Lord? then you are to say to them, You are the word, for I will not be troubled with you any more, says the Lord.

'When this people, or the prophet, or a cohen, shall ask you, saying, "What is the burden of the LORD?" Then you shall tell them, "You are the burden, and I will cast you off," says the LORD.

34 And as for the prophet and the priest and the people who say, A word of weight from the Lord! I will send punishment on that man and on his house.

As for the prophet, and the cohen, and the people, who shall say, "The burden of the LORD," I will even punish that man and his house.

35 But this is what you are to say, every man to his neighbour and every man to his brother, What answer has the Lord given? and, What has the Lord said?

You shall say everyone to his neighbor, and everyone to his brother, "What has the LORD answered?" and, "What has the LORD spoken?"

36 And you will no longer put people in mind of the word of weight of the Lord: for every man's word will be a weight on himself; for the words of the living God, of the Lord of armies, our God, have been twisted by you.

You shall mention the burden of the LORD no more: for every man's own word shall be his burden; for you have perverted the words of the living God, of the LORD of hosts our God.

37 This is what you are to say to the prophet, What answer has the Lord given to you? and, What has the Lord said?

You shall say to the prophet, "What has the LORD answered you?" and, "What has the LORD spoken?"

38 But if you say, The word of weight of the Lord; this is what the Lord has said: Because you say, The weight of the Lord, and I have sent to you, saying, You are not to say, The weight of the Lord;

But if you say, "The burden of the LORD"; therefore thus says the LORD: Because you say this word, "The burden of the LORD," and I have sent to you, saying, "You shall not say, 'The burden of the LORD'";

39 For this reason, truly, I will put you completely out of my memory, and I will put you, and the town which I gave to you and to your fathers, away from before my face:

therefore, look, I will surely lift you up and I will cast you off, and the city that I gave to you and to your fathers, away from my presence:

40 And I will give you a name without honour for ever, and unending shame which will never go from the memory of men.

and I will bring an everlasting reproach on you, and a perpetual shame, which shall not be forgotten.'"