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Esperança no futuro

23 1-2 O Senhor, o Deus de Israel, diz o seguinte a respeito das autoridades encarregadas de cuidar do seu povo:

— Ai de vocês, autoridades, que deixam que o meu povo seja morto e espalhado! Vocês não cuidaram do meu povo, mas o espalharam e o fizeram fugir. E agora eu castigarei vocês por causa das maldades que têm feito. Sou eu, o Senhor, quem está falando. Ajuntarei o resto do meu povo dos países por onde os espalhei e os trarei de volta à sua pátria. Eles terão muitos filhos e aumentarão muito. Eu lhes darei líderes que cuidarão deles. Não ficarão mais com medo, nem apavorados, e nenhum deles se perderá. Eu, o Senhor, estou falando.

O Senhor Deus diz ainda:

— Está chegando o tempo em que farei com que de Davi venha um descendente que seja um rei justo. Esse rei governará com sabedoria e fará o que é certo e honesto no país inteiro. Quando isso acontecer, o povo de Judá ficará seguro, e o povo de Israel viverá em paz. Esse rei será chamado de “Senhor, nossa Salvação”.

— Está chegando o tempo — diz o Senhor — em que o povo não jurará mais por mim como o Deus vivo que tirou Israel da terra do Egito. Em vez disso, vão jurar por mim como o Deus vivo que fez o povo de Israel voltar da terra do Norte e de todas as terras onde eu os tinha espalhado. E eles viverão na sua própria terra.

Mensagem contra os profetas

A respeito dos profetas eu disse o seguinte:

“O meu coração está esmagado,
e eu estou tremendo.
Por causa de Deus, o Senhor,
por causa das suas santas palavras,
eu sou como um bêbado,
pareço um homem que bebeu muito vinho.
10 A terra está cheia de adultérios;
o povo vive pecando
e gasta as suas forças à toa.
Por causa da maldição divina, a terra chora,
e os pastos estão secos.”

11 O Senhor diz:
“Os profetas e os sacerdotes não querem saber de mim;
eu os peguei fazendo o mal no próprio Templo.
12 Os caminhos que eles seguem serão escuros,
e neles será fácil escorregar;
eu farei com que eles tropecem e caiam.
Farei com que a desgraça venha sobre eles,
pois está chegando o tempo do seu castigo.
Sou eu, o Senhor, quem está falando.
13 Eu vi o pecado dos profetas de Samaria:
eles anunciaram mensagens em nome do deus Baal
e desviaram Israel, o meu povo.
14 Mas vejo que os profetas de Jerusalém fazem pior ainda:
cometem adultério, dizem mentiras,
ajudam os outros a fazerem o mal,
e assim ninguém para de fazer o que é errado.
Para mim, todos eles são como a cidade de Sodoma,
são tão maus como o povo de Gomorra.
15 Por isso, eu, o Senhor Todo-Poderoso,
digo o seguinte a respeito dos profetas de Jerusalém:
Eu farei com que eles comam ervas amargas
e bebam água envenenada
porque espalharam a descrença pelo país inteiro.”

16 O Senhor Todo-Poderoso diz ao povo de Jerusalém:

— Não escutem o que os profetas dizem, pois eles estão iludindo vocês com falsas esperanças. Dizem coisas que eles mesmos inventam e não aquilo que eu falei. 17 Eles continuam dizendo aos que desprezam a minha mensagem: “Tudo irá bem.” E dizem aos teimosos: “A desgraça não cairá sobre vocês.”

18 Então eu disse:

— Qual desses profetas algum dia conheceu os pensamentos secretos do Senhor? Será que algum deles viu e ouviu a palavra do Senhor? Qual deles deu atenção à sua mensagem e obedeceu?

19 E continuei:

— A ira do Senhor é uma tempestade, é um vento forte como um redemoinho, em cima da cabeça dos maus. 20 E essa ira não acabará até que Deus faça tudo o que planejou. No futuro, o seu povo compreenderá isso muito bem.

21 O Senhor Deus disse:

— Eu não enviei esses profetas, nem lhes dei nenhuma mensagem. Mas assim mesmo eles saíram correndo e falaram em meu nome. 22 Se eles tivessem conhecido os meus pensamentos secretos, poderiam ter anunciado a minha mensagem e assim teriam feito o meu povo abandonar a sua vida errada e as maldades que vive praticando.

23 — Eu sou o Deus que está em toda parte e não num só lugar. Sou eu, o Senhor, quem está falando. 24 Ninguém pode se esconder num lugar onde eu não possa ver. Então vocês não sabem que estou em toda parte, no céu e na terra? 25 Eu sei o que têm dito esses profetas que falam mentiras em meu nome e afirmam que lhes dei minhas mensagens nos seus sonhos. 26 Por quanto tempo ainda esses profetas vão enganar o meu povo com as mentiras que inventam? 27 Eles pensam que os sonhos que contam vão fazer com que o meu povo me esqueça, assim como os pais deles me esqueceram por causa do deus Baal. 28 O profeta que teve um sonho devia contá-lo como um simples sonho. Mas o profeta que ouviu a minha mensagem devia anunciá-la fielmente. Que vale a palha comparada com o trigo? 29 A minha mensagem é como fogo, é como a marreta que quebra grandes pedras. Sou eu, o Senhor, quem está falando. 30 Eu sou contra esses profetas que roubam as palavras uns dos outros e as anunciam como se fossem a minha mensagem. 31 Também sou contra esses profetas que falam as suas próprias palavras e afirmam que elas vieram de mim. 32 Escutem o que eu, o Senhor, estou dizendo! Sou contra os profetas que contam sonhos cheios de mentiras. Eles contam esses sonhos e, dizendo mentiras e se gabando, fazem o meu povo errar. Eu não os enviei, nem os mandei ir, e eles não ajudam o meu povo em nada. Eu, o Senhor, estou falando.

A mensagem de Deus é uma carga?

33 O Senhor Deus me disse:

— Jeremias, quando alguém do meu povo ou um profeta ou um sacerdote lhe perguntar: “Qual é a carga da mensagem do Senhor para nós?”, responda: “Vocês é que são uma carga para o Senhor, e ele vai se livrar de vocês.” 34 Se um profeta, ou um sacerdote, ou mesmo uma pessoa do povo usar as palavras “a mensagem do Senhor é uma carga”, eu o castigarei e também a sua família. 35 Em vez disso, cada um devia perguntar aos seus amigos e parentes o seguinte: “Qual foi a resposta do Senhor? O que foi que o Senhor disse?” 36 Mas eles nunca mais devem dizer estas palavras: “A mensagem do Senhor é uma carga.” Porque, se alguém disser isso, eu farei com que a minha mensagem se torne realmente uma carga para ele. O povo tem torcido as palavras do seu Deus, o Deus vivo, o Senhor Todo-Poderoso. 37 Jeremias, pergunte isto a cada profeta: “Qual foi a resposta que o Senhor lhe deu? O que foi que o Senhor disse?” 38 E, se eles responderem: “A mensagem do Senhor é uma carga”, então eu os castigarei por terem usado estas palavras que mandei que não usassem. 39 E certamente eu os pegarei, e jogarei longe de mim, e farei o mesmo com a cidade que dei a eles e aos seus antepassados. 40 Farei cair sobre eles vergonha eterna e desgraça eterna, que nunca serão esquecidas.

The Righteous Branch

23 “How horrible it will be for the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep in my care,” declares the Lord. “This is what I, the Lord God of Israel, said to the shepherds who take care of my people: You have scattered my sheep and chased them away. You have not taken care of them, so now I will take care of you by punishing you for the evil you have done,” declares the Lord.

“Then I will gather the remaining part of my flock from all the countries where I chased them. I will bring them back to their pasture, and they will be fertile and increase in number. I will put shepherds over them. Those shepherds will take care of them. My sheep will no longer be afraid or terrified, and not one of them will be missing,” declares the Lord.

“The days are coming,” declares the Lord,
“when I will grow a righteous branch for David.
He will be a king who will rule wisely.
He will do what is fair and right in the land.
In his lifetime, Judah will be saved,
and Israel will live in safety. This is the name that he will be given: The Lord is our righteousness.

“That is why the days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when people’s oaths will no longer be, ‘The Lord brought the people of Israel out of Egypt. As the Lord lives….’ Instead, their oaths will be, ‘The Lord brought the descendants of the nation of Israel out of the land of the north and all the lands where he [a] had scattered them. As the Lord lives….’ At that time they will live in their own land.

Warnings to the False Prophets

⌞Say this⌟ about the prophets:

I am deeply disturbed.
All my bones tremble.
I am like a drunk,
like a person who has had too much wine,
because of the Lord and his holy words.
10 The land is filled with adulterers.
The land mourns because of the curse.
Pastures in the wilderness have dried up.
The people are evil,
and they use their strength to do the wrong things.
11 The prophets and priests are godless.
Even in my temple I’ve found them doing evil,” declares the Lord.
12 “That is why their own way will become
like slippery paths in the dark.
They will be chased away, and they will fall down in the dark.
I will bring disaster on them.
It is time for them to be punished,” declares the Lord.

13 ⌞Say this⌟ about the prophets of Samaria:

I saw something disgusting.
The prophets of Samaria prophesied by Baal
and led my people Israel astray.

14 ⌞Say this⌟ about the prophets of Jerusalem:

I see something horrible.
The prophets of Jerusalem commit adultery and live a lie.
They support those who do evil
so that no one turns back from his wickedness.
They are all like Sodom to me,
and those who live in Jerusalem are like Gomorrah.”

15 This is what the Lord of Armies says about the prophets:

I will give them wormwood to eat and poison to drink.
The prophets of Jerusalem have spread godlessness
throughout the land.

16 This is what the Lord of Armies says:

Don’t listen to what the prophets are saying to you.
They fill you with false hope.
They speak about visions that they dreamed up.
These visions are not from the Lord.
17 They keep saying to those who despise me,
“The Lord says, ‘Everything will go well for you.’ ”
They tell all who live by their own stubborn ways,
“Nothing bad will happen to you.”
18 Who is in the Lord’s inner circle
and sees and hears his word?
Who pays attention and listens to his word?
19 The storm of the Lord will come with his anger.
Like a windstorm, it will swirl down on the heads of the wicked.
20 The anger of the Lord will not turn back
until he has done everything he intends to do.
In the last days you will understand this clearly.
21 I didn’t send these prophets,
yet they ran ⌞with their message⌟.
I didn’t speak to them,
yet they prophesied.
22 If they had been in my inner circle,
they would have announced my words to my people.
They would have turned back from their evil ways
and the evil they have done.

23 “I am a God who is near.
I am also a God who is far away,” declares the Lord.
24 “No one can hide so that I can’t see him,” declares the Lord.
“I fill heaven and earth!” declares the Lord.

25 “I’ve heard the prophets who speak lies in my name. They say, ‘I had a dream! I had a dream!’ 26 How long will these prophets continue to lie and deceive? 27 They tell each other the dreams they had, because they want to make my people forget my name, as their ancestors forgot my name because of Baal. 28 The prophet who has a dream should tell his dream. However, the person who has my word should honestly speak my word. What does grain have to do with straw?” asks the Lord. 29 “Isn’t my word like fire or like a hammer that shatters a rock?” asks the Lord. 30 “I’m against the prophets who steal my words from each other,” declares the Lord. 31 “I’m against the prophets who speak their own thoughts and say that they speak for me. 32 I’m against those who prophesy dreams they made up,” declares the Lord. “They tell the dreams they made up and lead my people astray with their lies and their wild talk. I didn’t send them or command them to go. They don’t help these people at all,” declares the Lord.

33 “When these people, the prophets, or the priests ask you, ‘What revelation has the Lord burdened you with now?’ say to them, ‘You are the burden! I will abandon you, declares the Lord.’ 34 Suppose the prophets, the priests, or these people say, ‘This is the Lord’s revelation!’ I will punish them and their families. 35 They should ask their neighbors and their relatives, ‘What is the Lord’s answer?’ and ‘What did the Lord say?’ 36 They should never again say, ‘This is the Lord’s revelation,’ because each person’s word becomes the revelation. They will twist the words of the living God, the Lord of Armies, our God.

37 “Jeremiah, say this to the prophets, ‘What was the Lord’s answer to you?’ and ‘What did the Lord say?’ 38 Suppose they say, ‘This is the Lord’s revelation!’ Then say, ‘This is what the Lord says: Because you have said, “This is the Lord’s revelation!” even though I commanded you not to repeat this saying, 39 I will certainly forget you. I will throw you out of my presence and out of the city that I gave you and your ancestors. 40 I will bring eternal disgrace and shame on you. It will never be forgotten.’ ”

Footnotes

  1. 23:8 Greek; Masoretic Text “I.”

23 Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith the Lord.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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;

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.

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.