Jeremiah 23
1. Woe be unto the pastors * that destroy * and scatter * the sheep of my pasture ! saith * the LORD.
2. Therefore thus saith * the LORD God of Israel against the pastors * that feed * my people; Ye have scattered * my flock, and driven them away * , and have not visited * them: behold, I will visit * upon you the evil of your doings,saith * the LORD.
3. And I will gather * the remnant of my flock out of all countries whither I have driven * them, and will bring them again * to their folds; and they shall be fruitful * and increase * .
4. And I will set up * shepherds * over them which shall feed * them: and they shall fear * no more, nor be dismayed * , neither shall they be lacking * , saith * the LORD.
5. Behold, the days come * , saith * the LORD, that I will raise * unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign * and prosper * , and shall execute * judgment and justice in the earth.
6. In his days Judah shall be saved * , and Israel shall dwell * safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called * , THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.
7. Therefore, behold, the days come * , saith * the LORD, that they shall no more say * , The LORD liveth, which brought up * the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt;
8. But, The LORD liveth, which brought up * and which led * the seed of the house of Israel out of the north country, and from all countries whither I had driven * them; and they shall dwell * in their own land.
9. Mine heart within me is broken * because of the prophets; all my bones shake * ; I am like a drunken man, and like a man whom wine hath overcome * , because of the LORD, and because of the words of his holiness.
10. For the land is full * of adulterers * ; for because of swearing the land mourneth * ; the pleasant places of the wilderness are dried up * , and their course is evil, and their force is not right.
11. For both prophet and priest are profane * ; yea, in my house have I found * their wickedness, saith * the LORD.
12. Wherefore their way shall be unto them as slippery ways in the darkness: they shall be driven on * , and fall * therein: for I will bring * evil upon them, even the year of their visitation, saith * the LORD.
13. And I have seen * folly in the prophets of Samaria; they prophesied * in Baal, and caused my people Israel to err * .
14. I have seen * also in the prophets of Jerusalem an horrible thing: they commit adultery * , and walk * in lies: they strengthen * also the hands of evildoers * , that none doth return * from his wickedness: they are all of them unto me as Sodom, and the inhabitants * thereof as Gomorrah.
15. Therefore thus saith * the LORD of hosts concerning the prophets; Behold, I will feed * them with wormwood, and make them drink * the water of gall: for from the prophets of Jerusalem is profaneness gone forth * into all the land.
16. Thus saith * the LORD of hosts,Hearken * not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy * unto you: they make you vain * : they speak * a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the LORD.
17. They say * still * unto them that despise * me, The LORD hath said * , Ye shall have peace; and they say * unto every one that walketh * after the imagination of his own heart, No evil shall come * upon you.
18. For who hath stood * in the counsel of the LORD, and hath perceived * and heard * his word? who hath marked * his word, and heard * it?
19. Behold, a whirlwind of the LORD is gone forth * in fury, even a grievous * whirlwind: it shall fall grievously * upon the head of the wicked.
20. The anger of the LORD shall not return * , until he have executed * , and till he have performed * the thoughts of his heart: in the latter days ye shall consider * it perfectly.
21. I have not sent * these prophets, yet they ran * : I have not spoken * to them, yet they prophesied * .
22. But if they had stood * in my counsel,and had caused my people to hear * my words, then they should have turned * them from their evil way, and from the evil of their doings.
23. Am I a God at hand, saith * the LORD, and not a God afar off?
24. Can any hide * himself in secret places that I shall not see * him? saith * the LORD. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith * the LORD.
25. I have heard * what the prophets said * , that prophesy * lies in my name, saying * , I have dreamed * , I have dreamed * .
26. How long shall this be in the heart of the prophets that prophesy * lies? yea, they are prophets of the deceit of their own heart;
27. Which think * to cause my people to forget * my name by their dreams which they tell * every man to his neighbour, as their fathers have forgotten * my name for Baal.
28. The prophet that hath a dream, let him tell * a dream; and he that hath my word,let him speak * my word faithfully.What is the chaff to the wheat? saith * the LORD.
29. Is not my word like as a fire?saith * the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh * the rock in pieces * ?
30. Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets,saith * the LORD, that steal * my words every one from his neighbour.
31. Behold, I am against the prophets, saith * the LORD, that use * their tongues, and say * , He saith * .
32. Behold, I am against them that prophesy * false dreams, saith * the LORD, and do tell * them, and cause my people to err * by their lies, and by their lightness; yet I sent * them not, nor commanded * them: therefore they shall not profit * this people at all * , saith * the LORD.
33. And when this people, or the prophet, or a priest, shall ask * thee, saying * , What is the burden of the LORD? thou shalt then say * unto them, What burden? I will even forsake * you, saith * the LORD.
34. And as for the prophet, and the priest,and the people, that shall say * , The burden of the LORD, I will even punish * that man and his house.
35. Thus shall ye say * every one to his neighbour, and every one to his brother,What hath the LORD answered * ? and, What hath the LORD spoken * ?
36. And the burden of the LORD shall ye mention * no more: for every man's word shall be his burden; for ye have perverted * the words of the living God, of the LORD of hosts our God.
37. Thus shalt thou say * to the prophet,What hath the LORD answered * thee? and, What hath the LORD spoken * ?
38. But since ye say * , The burden of the LORD; therefore thus saith * the LORD; Because ye say * this word, The burden of the LORD, and I have sent * unto you, saying * , Ye shall not say * , The burden of the LORD;
39. Therefore, behold, I, even I, will utterly * forget * you, and I will forsake * you, and the city that I gave * you and your fathers, and cast you out of my presence:
40. And I will bring * an everlasting reproach upon you, and a perpetual shame,which shall not be forgotten * .
