23
1 “Woe
to the shepherds
who destroy and
scatter the sheep
of my pasture!”
says the LORD.
2 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.
3 “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.
4 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.
5 “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.
6 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.
7 “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;’
8 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.”
9 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 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;
11 for
both prophet and
priest are profane.
Yes, in my
house I have
found their
wickedness,” says
the LORD.
12 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.
13 “I
have seen folly
in the prophets
of Samaria.
They prophesied
by Baal,
and caused my
people Israel to
err.
14 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.”
15 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.”
16 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.
17 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.’
18 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?
19 Behold,
the LORD’s storm,
his wrath, has
gone out.
Yes, a whirling
storm!
It will burst
on the head
of the wicked.
20 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.
21 I didn’t
send these
prophets, yet they
ran.
I didn’t speak to
them, yet they
prophesied.
22 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.
23 “Am
I a God
at hand,” says
the LORD,
“and not a
God afar off?
24 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.
25 “I
have heard what
the prophets have
said, who prophesy
lies in my
name, saying, ‘I
had a dream!
I had a
dream!’
26 How
long will this
be in the
heart of the
prophets who
prophesy lies,
even the prophets
of the deceit
of their own heart?
27 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.
28 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 “Isn’t my
word like fire?”
says the LORD; “and
like a hammer
that breaks the
rock in pieces?
30 “Therefore
behold, I am
against the
prophets,” says
the LORD, “who each
steal my words
from his neighbor.
31 Behold,
I am against
the prophets,”
says the LORD, “who
use their tongues,
and say, ‘He
says.’
32 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.
33 “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.’
34 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.
35 You
will say everyone
to his neighbor,
and everyone to
his brother, ‘What
has the LORD
answered?’ and, ‘What
has the LORD
said?’
36 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.
37 You
will say to
the prophet, ‘What
has the LORD
answered you?’ and,
‘What has the
LORD spoken?’
38 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,”
39 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.
40 I
will bring an
everlasting reproach
on you, and
a perpetual shame,
which will not be
forgotten.’ ”