Jer 23
1
Lit. O shepherds Woe to the shepherds that destroy and scatter the sheep of Heb. and Alex. «my’ their pasture!
2
Therefore thus says the Lord against them that tend my people; You have scattered
my sheep, and driven them out, and you have not visited them: behold, I will take
vengeance upon you according to your evil practices.
3
And I will gather in the remnant of my people Heb. and Alex. «from’ in every land, where I have driven them out, and will
set them in their pasture;
and they shall increase and be multiplied.
4
And I will raise up shepherds to them, who shall feed them: and they shall fear no
more, nor be alarmed, says the Lord.
5
Behold, the days come, says the Lord, when I will raise up to David a righteous branch,
and a king shall reign and See Hebrew understand, and shall execute judgement and righteousness on the earth.
6
In his days both Juda shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell Gr. secure, or, trusting securely: and this is his name, which
the Lord shall call him, Josedec among the
prophets.
7
Therefore, behold, the days come, says the Lord, when they shall no more say, The
Lord lives, who brought up the house of Israel out of the land of Egypt;
8
but The Lord lives, who has gathered the whole seed of Israel from the north land,
and from all the countries where he had driven them out, and has restored them into
their own land.
9
My heart is broken within me; all my bones are shaken: I am become as a broken-down
man, and as a man overcome with wine, because of the Lord, and because of the excellence
of his glory.
10
For because of these Gr. prophets things the land mourns; the pastures of the wilderness are dried up; and their course
is become evil, and Heb. and Alex. not so so also their strength.
11
For priest and prophet are defiled; and I have seen their iniquities in my house.
12
Therefore let their way be to them slippery and dark: and they shall be tripped up
and fall in it: for I will bring evils upon them, in the year of their visitation.
13
And in the prophets of Samaria I have seen lawless deeds; they prophesied by Baal,
and led my people Israel astray.
14
Also in the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen horrible things: as they committed adultery,
and walked in lies, and strengthened Alex. the hands of evil-doers the hands of many, that they should not return each from
his evil way: they are all
become to me as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrha.
15
Therefore thus says the Lord; Behold, I will feed them with pain, and give them bitter
water to drink: for from the prophets of Jerusalem has defilement gone forth into
all the land.
16
Thus says the Lord Almighty, Hearken not to the words of the prophets: for they frame
a vain vision for themselves; they speak from their own heart, and not from the mouth
of the Lord.
17
They say to them that reject the word of the Lord, There shall be peace to you; and
to all that walk after their own lusts, and to everyone that walks in the error of
his heart, they have said, No evil shall come upon you.
18
For who has stood in the counsel of the Lord, and seen his word? who has hearkened,
and heard?
19
Behold, there is an earthquake from the Lord, and anger proceeds to a convulsion,
it shall come Gr. whirled round as from a sling, etc. violently upon the ungodly.
20
And the Lord’s anger shall return no more, until he have accomplished it, and until
he have established it, according to the purpose of his heart: at the end of the days
they shall understand it.
21
I sent not the prophets, yet they ran: neither spoke I to them, yet they prophesied.
22
But if they had stood in my counsel, and if they had hearkened to my words, then would
they have turned my people from their evil practices.
23
I am a God nigh at hand, says the Lord, and not a God afar off.
24
Shall any one hide himself in secret places, and I not see him? Do I not fill heaven
and earth? says the Lord.
25
I have heard what the prophets say, what they prophesy in my name, saying falsely,
I have seen a night vision.
26
How long shall these things be in the heart of the prophets that prophesy lies, when
they prophesy the purposes of their own heart?
27
who devise that men may forget my law by their dreams, which they have told every
one to his neighbour, as their fathers forgot my name in the worship of Baal.
28
The prophet who has a dream, let him tell his dream; and he in whom is my word spoken
to him, let him tell my word truly: what is the chaff to the corn? so are my words,
says the Lord.
29
Behold, are not my words as fire? says the Lord; and as an axe cutting the rock?
30
Behold, I am therefore against the prophets, says the Lord God, that steal my words
every one from his neighbour.
31
Behold, I am against the prophets that put forth prophecies of mere words, and slumber
their sleep.
32
Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets that prophesy false dreams, and have
Heb. and Alex. omit the negative not told them truly, and have caused my people to err by their lies, and by their
errors; yet I sent them not, and commanded them not; therefore, they shall not profit
this people at all.
33
And if this people, or the priest, or the prophet, should ask, What is the burden
of the Lord? then you shall say to them, You are the burden, and I will dash you down,
says the Lord.
34
As for the prophet, and the priests, and the people, who shall say, The burden of
the Lord, I will even take vengeance on that man, and on his house.
35
Thus shall you say every one to his neighbour, and every one to his brother, What
has the Lord answered? and, what has the Lord said?
36
And do you name no more the burden of the Lord; for his own word shall be a man’s
burden.
37
But wherefore, say you, has the Lord our God spoken?
38
Therefore thus says the Lord our God; Because you have spoken this word, The burden
of the Lord, and I sent to you, saying, you shall not say, The burden of the Lord;
39
therefore, behold, I will seize, and dash down you and the city which I gave to you
and your fathers.
40
And I will bring upon you an everlasting reproach, and everlasting disgrace, which
shall not be forgotten.