Jeremiah 23
Lexham English Bible
Woe to the Evil Shepherds
23 “Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the flock of my pasture,” declares[a] Yahweh. 2 Therefore[b] thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel concerning the shepherds who shepherd my people, “You yourselves have scattered my flock, and you have driven them away, and you do not attend to them. Look, I will punish you for the evil of your deeds,” declares[c] Yahweh. 3 “Then I myself will gather together the remnant of my flock from all the lands where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their grazing place, and they will be fruitful, and they will become numerous. 4 And I will raise up over them shepherds, and they will shepherd them, and they will no longer fear, and they will not be dismayed, and they will not be missing,” declares[d] Yahweh.
The Righteous Branch
5 “Look, days are coming,” declares[e] Yahweh,
“when I will raise up for David a righteous branch,
and he will reign as king, and he will achieve success,
and he will do justice and righteousness in the land.
6 In his days Judah will be saved,
and Israel will dwell in safety,[f]
and this is his name by which he will be called:
‘Yahweh is our righteousness.’
7 “Therefore[g] look, days are coming,” declares[h] Yahweh, “when they will no longer say, ‘As Yahweh lives,[i] who led up the Israelites[j] from the land of Egypt,’ 8 but ‘As Yahweh lives,[k] who led up, and who brought the offspring of the house of Israel from the land of the north and from all the lands where he had driven them.’ Then they will live in their land.”
The Unfaithful Prophets
9 Concerning the prophets:
My heart is broken in my midst.
All my bones tremble.
I have become like a drunken man,
even like a man over whom wine has passed,
because of Yahweh,
and because of his holy words.[l]
10 For the land is full of adulterers;
for the land mourns because of a curse.
The pastures of the desert[m] are dry,
and their evil has been their way of running,
and their power is not right.
11 “For both prophet as well as priest are godless,
even in my temple I have found their wickedness,” declares[n] Yahweh.
12 “Therefore[o] their way will be to them like the slippery places,
they will be pushed in the darkness,
and they will fall into it,
for I will bring disaster on them in the year of their punishment,” declares[p] Yahweh.
13 “Now in the prophets of Samaria I saw a disgusting thing.
They prophesied by Baal and they caused my people Israel to err.
14 And in the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen something horrible.
They commit adultery, and they walk in lies,[q]
and they make strong the hands of evildoers,
so that they have not turned back each from his wickedness.
All of them have become to me like Sodom,
and its inhabitants like Gomorrah.”
15 Therefore[r] thus says Yahweh concerning the prophets,
“Look, I am going to let them eat wormwood
and I will give them water of poison to drink,
for from the prophets of Jerusalem
went out ungodliness to all the land.”
16 Thus says Yahweh of hosts,
“You must not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you.
They are deluding you with visions of their mind,[s]
They do not speak from the mouth of Yahweh.
17 They are[t] continually saying to those who disregard the word of Yahweh,
‘Peace it will be to you,’
and to each one[u] who walks in the stubbornness of his heart they say,
‘Calamity will not come upon you.’
18 For who has stood in the council of Yahweh,
that he has seen and heard his word?
Who has listened attentively to his word
and heard it?[v]
19 Look, the storm of Yahweh has gone forth in wrath,
even a whirling tempest.
It will whirl upon the head of the wicked.
20 The anger[w] of Yahweh will not turn back
until his doing and until his keeping the plans of his mind.[x]
In latter days[y] you will look closely at it with understanding.
21 I have not sent the prophets, yet they ran.
I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied.
22 But if they had stood in my council,
then they would have proclaimed my words to my people,
and they would have caused them to turn from their evil way,
and from the evil of their deeds.
23 Am I a God from near,” declares[z] Yahweh,
“and not a God from far?
24 Or can a person hide himself in secret places
and I cannot see him?” declares[aa] Yahweh.
“Do I not fill up the heaven and the earth?” declares[ab] Yahweh.
25 “I have heard what the prophets who prophesy lies[ac] have said in my name, saying,[ad] ‘I have dreamed! I have dreamed!’ 26 How long[ae] will this be in the hearts[af] of the prophets who prophesy lies,[ag] even the prophets of the deceitfulness of their hearts,[ah] 27 who plan to make my people forget my name by their dreams that they tell each one to his neighbor, just as their ancestors[ai] forgot my name through Baal? 28 The prophet who has with him a dream, let him tell the dream. But the prophet[aj] who has my word with him, let him speak my word faithfully. What is straw compared to wheat?”[ak] declares[al] Yahweh. 29 “Is not my word like fire?” declares[am] Yahweh, “and like a blacksmith’s hammer that breaks a rock into pieces?
30 “Therefore[an] look, I am against the prophets,” declares[ao] Yahweh, “who steal my words each one from his neighbor. 31 Look, I am against the prophets,” declares[ap] Yahweh, “who take their tongues[aq] and declare as prophets, ‘Yahweh declares.’[ar] 32 Look, I am against those who prophesy dreams of lies,”[as] declares[at] Yahweh, “and tell them, and they caused my people to err through their lies, and in their recklessness, when I myself have not sent them nor commanded them, so they profit not this people at all,” declares[au] Yahweh.
33 “Now when this people, or a prophet, or a priest, ask you, saying,[av] ‘What is the burden[aw] of Yahweh?’ then you shall say to them, ‘You are the burden,[ax] and I will forsake you,’” declares[ay] Yahweh. 34 “And the prophet, and the priest, and the people who say, ‘The burden[az] of Yahweh,’ I will punish that man and his house. 35 Thus you shall say, each one to his neighbor and each one to his brother: ‘What has Yahweh answered?’ or, ‘What has Yahweh spoken?’ 36 But you shall not mention the burden[ba] of Yahweh, for the burden[bb] is to each one his word, and so you twist the words of the living God, Yahweh of hosts, our God. 37 Thus you shall say to that prophet, ‘What has Yahweh answered you?’ or, ‘What has Yahweh spoken?’ 38 But if you say, ‘The burden[bc] of Yahweh,’ therefore[bd] thus says Yahweh, ‘because of your saying these words,[be] “The burden[bf] of Yahweh,” then I will send to you, saying,[bg] “You shall not say, ‘The burden[bh] of Yahweh.’”’ 39 Therefore[bi] look, here I am, and I will surely lift you up and forsake you and the city that I gave to you and to your ancestors[bj] from my presence[bk], 40 and I will bring upon you an everlasting disgrace[bl] and an everlasting shame[bm] that will not be forgotten.”
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 23:1 Literally “a declaration of”
- Jeremiah 23:2 Literally “To thus”
- Jeremiah 23:2 Literally “a declaration of”
- Jeremiah 23:4 Literally “a declaration of”
- Jeremiah 23:5 Literally “a declaration of”
- Jeremiah 23:6 Literally “with confidence”
- Jeremiah 23:7 Literally “To thus”
- Jeremiah 23:7 Literally “a declaration of”
- Jeremiah 23:7 Literally “the life of Yahweh”
- Jeremiah 23:7 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
- Jeremiah 23:8 Literally “the life of Yahweh”
- Jeremiah 23:9 Literally “words of his holiness”
- Jeremiah 23:10 Or “wilderness”
- Jeremiah 23:11 Literally “a declaration of”
- Jeremiah 23:12 Literally “To thus”
- Jeremiah 23:12 Literally “a declaration of”
- Jeremiah 23:14 Hebrew “the lie”
- Jeremiah 23:15 Literally “To thus”
- Jeremiah 23:16 Literally “heart”
- Jeremiah 23:17 Here the subject and verb are supplied from context in the English translation
- Jeremiah 23:17 Literally “all”
- Jeremiah 23:18 Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
- Jeremiah 23:20 Literally “nose”
- Jeremiah 23:20 Literally “heart”
- Jeremiah 23:20 Literally “In the last of the days”
- Jeremiah 23:23 Literally “a declaration of”
- Jeremiah 23:24 Literally “a declaration of”
- Jeremiah 23:24 Literally “a declaration of”
- Jeremiah 23:25 Hebrew “lie”
- Jeremiah 23:25 Literally “to say”
- Jeremiah 23:26 Literally “Until when”
- Jeremiah 23:26 Hebrew “heart”
- Jeremiah 23:26 Hebrew “the lie”
- Jeremiah 23:26 Hebrew “heart”
- Jeremiah 23:27 Or “fathers”
- Jeremiah 23:28 Here the subject is supplied from context in the English translation
- Jeremiah 23:28 Literally “What to the straw in comparison with the wheat”
- Jeremiah 23:28 Literally “a declaration of”
- Jeremiah 23:29 Literally “a declaration of”
- Jeremiah 23:30 Literally “To thus”
- Jeremiah 23:30 Literally “a declaration of”
- Jeremiah 23:31 Literally “a declaration of”
- Jeremiah 23:31 Hebrew “tongue”
- Jeremiah 23:31 Literally “a declaration of”
- Jeremiah 23:32 Hebrew “lie”
- Jeremiah 23:32 Literally “a declaration of”
- Jeremiah 23:32 Literally “a declaration of”
- Jeremiah 23:33 Literally “to say”
- Jeremiah 23:33 Or “oracle”
- Jeremiah 23:33 Literally “What burden”
- Jeremiah 23:33 Literally “a declaration of”
- Jeremiah 23:34 Or “oracle”
- Jeremiah 23:36 Or “oracle”
- Jeremiah 23:36 Or “oracle”
- Jeremiah 23:38 Or “oracle”
- Jeremiah 23:38 Literally “to thus”
- Jeremiah 23:38 Hebrew “word”
- Jeremiah 23:38 Or “oracle”
- Jeremiah 23:38 Literally “to say”
- Jeremiah 23:38 Or “oracle”
- Jeremiah 23:39 Literally “To thus”
- Jeremiah 23:39 Or “fathers”
- Jeremiah 23:39 Literally “my face”
- Jeremiah 23:40 Literally “a disgrace of eternity”
- Jeremiah 23:40 Literally “a shame of eternity”
耶利米书 23
Chinese New Version (Traditional)
將來的指望
23 “那些殘殺和趕散我牧場上的羊群的牧人，有禍了！”這是耶和華的宣告。 2 因此，耶和華以色列的 神論到牧養他（“他”原文作“我”）子民的牧人這樣說：“你們使我的羊群四散，把牠們趕走，並沒有看顧牠們；看哪！我必因你們的惡行懲罰你們。”這是耶和華的宣告。 3 “我要親自把我羊群中餘剩的，從我把牠們趕逐到的各地，招聚出來，領牠們歸回自己的羊圈，使牠們繁殖增多。 4 我要興起牧人，牧養牠們；牠們必不再恐懼驚慌，一個也不會失掉。”這是耶和華的宣告。
5 “看哪！日子快到
（這是耶和華的宣告），
我必給大衛興起一個公義的苗裔；
他必執政為王，行事有智慧，
在地上施行公正和公義。
6 在他執政的日子，猶大必得救，
以色列也必安然居住。
人要稱他的名字為‘耶和華我們的義’。”
7 “因此，看哪！日子快到（這是耶和華的宣告），人不再指著那領以色列人從埃及地上來的永活的耶和華起誓， 8 卻要指著那領以色列家的後裔從北方之地、從他（“他”原文作“我”）把他們趕逐到的各地上來的、永活的耶和華起誓。他們就必住在自己的地方。”
假先知的罪惡與報應
9 論到那些先知，
我的心在我裡面破碎，
我全身的骨頭都發抖。
因為耶和華的緣故，
又因為他的聖言的緣故，
我就像一個醉酒的人，
像一個被酒灌醉的人。
10 因為這地滿了行淫的人；
因受咒詛，地就悲哀，
曠野的草場都枯乾了；
他們走的路是邪惡的，
他們的權力誤用了。
11 “先知和祭司都不敬虔，
甚至在我殿裡我也看見他們的邪惡。”
這是耶和華的宣告。
12 “因此，他們的路必像滑地；
他們必被趕逐到黑暗中，
必在那裡仆倒。
因為到了懲罰他們的年日，
我必使災禍臨到他們。”
這是耶和華的宣告。
13 “在撒瑪利亞的先知中，
我看見可厭的事：
他們竟奉巴力的名說預言，
使我的子民以色列走錯了路。
14 在耶路撒冷的先知中，
我看見可怕的事。
他們犯姦淫，行事虛假，
堅固惡人的手，
以致沒有人離棄惡行；
在我看來，他們都像所多瑪人，
耶路撒冷的居民也像蛾摩拉人一樣。”
15 因此，論到這些先知，萬軍之耶和華這樣說：
“看哪！我必使他們吃苦堇，喝毒水，
因為有不敬虔的風氣，
從耶路撒冷的先知中散播出來，遍及全地。”
16 萬軍之耶和華這樣說：
“不要聽從這些向你們說預言的先知所說的話，
他們使你們存有虛幻的希望；
他們所講的異象是出於自己的心思，
不是出於耶和華的口。
17 他們不斷對那些藐視我的人說：
‘耶和華說：你們必平安無事！’
又對所有隨從自己頑梗的心行事的人說：
‘災禍必不臨到你們！’”
18 可是他們中間有誰曾參與耶和華的議會，
看見或聽見他的話呢？
有誰曾留心聽他的話而實在聽見呢？
19 看哪！耶和華的旋風，
在震怒中發出，
是旋轉的狂風，
必捲到惡人的頭上。
20 耶和華的怒氣必不轉消，
直到他作成和實現他心中的計劃。
在末後的日子，
你們就會完全明白這事。
21 “我沒有差派這些先知，
但他們自己到處跑；
我沒有對他們說話，
他們竟擅自說預言。
22 如果他們曾參與我的議會，
就必向我的子民宣告我的信息，
使他們轉離他們的惡道，
離開他們的惡行。
23 難道我只是近處的 神嗎？
不也是遠處的 神嗎？”
這是耶和華的宣告。
24 “人怎能躲藏在隱密處，
以致我看不見他呢？
（這是耶和華的宣告）。
我豈不是充滿天地嗎？”
這是耶和華的宣告。
25 “那些先知所說的話我都聽見了，他們冒我的名說虛假的預言：‘我作了夢！我作了夢！’ 26 那些先知心裡存著這樣的意念要到幾時呢？他們說虛假的預言，說出自己心中的詭詐； 27 他們以為藉著互相傳述自己的夢，就可以使我的子民忘記我的名，好像他們的列祖因巴力忘記了我的名一樣。 28 作了夢的先知，讓他把夢述說出來；但得了我話語的先知，該忠實地傳講我的話。禾稈怎能和麥子相比呢？”這是耶和華的宣告。 29 “我的話不是像火，不是像能打碎巖石的大鎚嗎？”這是耶和華的宣告。 30 “所以，看哪！那些先知互相偷取對方的話，當作我的話，我要對付他們。”這是耶和華的宣告。 31 “看哪！那些先知用自己的舌頭說：‘這是耶和華的宣告’，我要對付他們。”這是耶和華的宣告。 32 “看哪！那些藉虛假的夢說預言的，我要對付他們。”這是耶和華的宣告。“他們述說這些夢，以虛謊和誇張的話使我的子民走錯了路。我沒有差派他們，也沒有吩咐他們；他們對這人民毫無益處。”這是耶和華的宣告。
耶和華的默示
33 “如果這人民、或先知、或祭司問你說：‘耶和華有甚麼默示呢？’你要回答他們：‘你們就是重擔（按照《馬索拉文本》，“你們就是重擔”應作“甚麼默示？”；現參照《七十士譯本》翻譯。“重擔”和“默示”原文是同一個字），我要丟棄你們。’”這是耶和華的宣告。 34 “無論是先知、是祭司，或是人民，凡說‘這是耶和華的默示’的，我都要懲罰那人和他的家。”
35 你們各人對自己的鄰舍，對自己的兄弟要這樣說：“耶和華回答了甚麼？耶和華說了甚麼？” 36 你們不可再提耶和華的默示，你們各人所說的話將成為自己的重擔；因為你們曲解永活的 神萬軍之耶和華我們 神的話了。 37 你們要對 神的先知（“你們要對 神的先知”或譯：“耶利米啊，你要對那些先知”）說：“耶和華回答了你甚麼？耶和華說了甚麼呢？” 38 如果你們仍說：“這是耶和華的默示”，耶和華就必這樣說：“你們既然說‘這是耶和華的默示’這句話，而我又曾差派人去告訴你們不可再說‘這是耶和華的默示’； 39 因此，看哪！我必把你們當作重擔舉起來（“我必把你們當作重擔舉起來”或譯：“我必定忘記你們”），把你們連同我賜給你們和你們列祖的城都從我面前丟棄。 40 我必使你們蒙受永遠的凌辱、永遠的羞恥，是不能忘記的。”
Jeremiah 23
King James Version
23 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.
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