Jeremiah 23:16-32

New American Standard Bible

¹⁶This is what the Lord of armies says:
“^(A)Do not listen to the words of the prophets who are prophesying to you.
They are ^(B)leading you into futility;
They tell a ^(C)vision of their own ^[a]imagination,
Not ^(D)from the mouth of the Lord.
¹⁷They keep saying to those who ^(E)despise Me,
‘The Lord has said, “^(F)You will have peace”’;
And as for everyone who walks in the ^(G)stubbornness of his own heart,
They say, ‘^(H)Disaster will not come on you.’
¹⁸But ^(I)who has stood in the council of the Lord,
That he should see and hear His word?
Who has paid ^(J)attention to ^[b]His word and listened?
¹⁹Behold, the ^(K)storm of the Lord has gone forth in wrath,
Even a whirling tempest;
It will swirl down on the head of the wicked.
²⁰The ^(L)anger of the Lord will not turn back
Until He has ^(M)performed and carried out the purposes of His heart;
^(N)In the last days you will clearly understand it.
²¹^(O)I did not send these prophets,
But they ran.
I did not speak to them,
But they prophesied.
²²But if they had ^(P)stood in My council,
Then they would have ^(Q)announced My words to My people,
And would have turned them back from their evil way
And from the evil of their deeds.

²³“Am I a God who is ^(R)near,” declares the Lord,
“And not a God far off?
²⁴Can a person ^(S)hide himself in hiding places
So that I do not see him?” declares the Lord.
“^(T)Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?” declares the Lord.

²⁵“I have ^(U)heard what the prophets have said who ^(V)prophesy falsely in My name, saying, ‘I had a ^(W)dream, I had a dream!’ ²⁶How long? Is there anything in the hearts of the prophets who prophesy falsehood, these prophets of the ^(X)deceitfulness of their own heart, ²⁷who intend to ^(Y)make My people forget My name by their dreams which they report to one another, just as their fathers ^(Z)forgot My name because of Baal? ²⁸The prophet who has a dream may report his dream, but let him who has ^(AA)My word speak My word truthfully. ^(AB)What does straw have in common with grain?” declares the Lord. ²⁹“Is My word not like ^(AC)fire?” declares the Lord, “and like a ^(AD)hammer which shatters a rock? ³⁰Therefore behold, ^(AE)I am against the prophets,” declares the Lord, “who steal My words from each other. ³¹Behold, I am against the prophets,” declares the Lord, “who ^[c]use their tongues and declare, ‘The Lord declares!’ ³²Behold, I am against those who have prophesied ^(AF)false dreams,” declares the Lord, “and reported them and led My people astray by their lies and ^(AG)reckless boasting; yet ^(AH)I did not send them nor command them, nor do they ^(AI)provide this people the slightest benefit,” declares the Lord.