⁶ So the king of Israel brought together the prophets—about four hundred men—and asked them, “Shall I go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall I refrain?”

“Go,”^(A) they answered, “for the Lord will give it into the king’s hand.”^(B)

¹⁹ Now summon^(A) the people from all over Israel to meet me on Mount Carmel.^(B) And bring the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.”^(C)

¹⁵ Therefore this is what the Lord Almighty says concerning the prophets:

¹⁶ This is what the Lord Almighty says:

²² Because you disheartened the righteous with your lies,^(A) when I had brought them no grief, and because you encouraged the wicked not to turn from their evil ways and so save their lives,^(B)

⁷ Have you not seen false visions^(A) and uttered lying divinations when you say, “The Lord declares,” though I have not spoken?

⁸ “‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because of your false words and lying visions, I am against you,^(B) declares the Sovereign Lord. ⁹ My hand will be against the prophets who see false visions and utter lying^(C) divinations. They will not belong to the council of my people or be listed in the records^(D) of Israel, nor will they enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Sovereign Lord.^(E)

¹⁰ “‘Because they lead my people astray,^(F) saying, “Peace,”^(G) when there is no peace, and because, when a flimsy wall is built, they cover it with whitewash,^{(H) 11} therefore tell those who cover it with whitewash that it is going to fall. Rain will come in torrents, and I will send hailstones^(I) hurtling down,^(J) and violent winds will burst forth.^{(K) 12} When the wall collapses, will people not ask you, “Where is the whitewash you covered it with?”

¹³ “‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: In my wrath I will unleash a violent wind, and in my anger hailstones^(L) and torrents of rain^(M) will fall with destructive fury.^{(N) 14} I will tear down the wall^(O) you have covered with whitewash and will level it to the ground so that its foundation^(P) will be laid bare. When it^[a] falls,^(Q) you will be destroyed in it; and you will know that I am the Lord. ¹⁵ So I will pour out my wrath against the wall and against those who covered it with whitewash. I will say to you, “The wall is gone and so are those who whitewashed it, ¹⁶ those prophets of Israel who prophesied to Jerusalem and saw visions of peace for her when there was no peace, declares the Sovereign Lord.^(R)”’

The False Prophet Hananiah

28 In the fifth month of that same year, the fourth year, early in the reign of Zedekiah^(A) king of Judah, the prophet Hananiah son of Azzur, who was from Gibeon,^(B) said to me in the house of the Lord in the presence of the priests and all the people: ² “This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘I will break the yoke^(C) of the king of Babylon. ³ Within two years I will bring back to this place all the articles^(D) of the Lord’s house that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon removed from here and took to Babylon. ⁴ I will also bring back to this place Jehoiachin^[a](E) son of Jehoiakim king of Judah and all the other exiles from Judah who went to Babylon,’ declares the Lord, ‘for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.’”^(F)

⁵ Then the prophet Jeremiah replied to the prophet Hananiah before the priests and all the people who were standing in the house of the Lord. ⁶ He said, “Amen! May the Lord do so! May the Lord fulfill the words you have prophesied by bringing the articles of the Lord’s house and all the exiles back to this place from Babylon.^{(G) 7} Nevertheless, listen to what I have to say in your hearing and in the hearing of all the people: ⁸ From early times the prophets who preceded you and me have prophesied war, disaster and plague^(H) against many countries and great kingdoms. ⁹ But the prophet who prophesies peace will be recognized as one truly sent by the Lord only if his prediction comes true.^(I)”

²⁰ But the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet^(A) who had performed the signs^(B) on its behalf.^(C) With these signs he had deluded^(D) those who had received the mark of the beast^(E) and worshiped its image.^(F) The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake^(G) of burning sulfur.^(H)

False Teachers and Their Destruction

2 But there were also false prophets^(A) among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you.^(B) They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord^(C) who bought them^(D)—bringing swift destruction on themselves. ² Many will follow their depraved conduct^(E) and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. ³ In their greed^(F) these teachers will exploit you^(G) with fabricated stories. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.

³ For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine.^(A) Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.^(B)