Judgment on Ammon

49 (A)Concerning the Ammonites.

Thus says the Lord:

“Has Israel no sons?
    Has he no heir?
Why then has (B)Milcom[a] (C)dispossessed Gad,
    and his people settled in its cities?
Therefore, behold, the days are coming,
    declares the Lord,
when I will cause (D)the battle cry to be heard
    against (E)Rabbah of the Ammonites;
it shall become a desolate (F)mound,
    and its villages shall be burned with fire;
then Israel shall dispossess those who dispossessed him,
    says the Lord.

“Wail, O (G)Heshbon, for Ai is laid waste!
    Cry out, O daughters of (H)Rabbah!
(I)Put on sackcloth,
    lament, and run to and fro among the hedges!
For (J)Milcom shall go into exile,
    (K)with his priests and his officials.
Why do you boast of your valleys,[b]
    (L)O faithless daughter,
(M)who trusted in her treasures, saying,
    ‘Who will come against me?’
Behold, (N)I will bring terror upon you,
    declares the Lord God of hosts,
    from all who are around you,
and you shall be driven out, every man straight before him,
    with none to gather the fugitives.

“But (O)afterward I will restore the fortunes of the Ammonites, declares the Lord.”

Judgment on Edom

Concerning (P)Edom.

Thus says the Lord of hosts:

(Q)“Is wisdom no more in (R)Teman?
    (S)Has counsel perished from the prudent?
    (T)Has their wisdom vanished?
(U)Flee, turn back, dwell in the depths,
    O inhabitants of (V)Dedan!
For I will bring the calamity of Esau upon him,
    (W)the time when I punish him.
(X)If grape gatherers came to you,
    would they not leave (Y)gleanings?
(Z)If thieves came by night,
    would they not destroy only enough for themselves?
10 (AA)But I have stripped Esau bare;
    (AB)I have uncovered his hiding places,
    and he is not able to conceal himself.
His children are destroyed, and his brothers,
    and his neighbors; and (AC)he is no more.
11 (AD)Leave your fatherless children; I will keep them alive;
    (AE)and let your widows trust in me.”

12 For thus says the Lord: (AF)“If those who did not deserve to drink the cup must drink it, (AG)will you go unpunished? You shall not go unpunished, but you must drink. 13 (AH)For I have sworn by myself, declares the Lord, that (AI)Bozrah shall become (AJ)a horror, a taunt, a waste, and a curse, and all her cities shall be perpetual wastes.”

14 (AK)I have heard a message from the Lord,
    and an envoy has been sent among the nations:
(AL)“Gather yourselves together and come against her,
    and rise up for battle!
15 For behold, I will make you small among the nations,
    despised among mankind.
16 The horror you inspire has deceived you,
    and the pride of your heart,
you who live in the clefts of the rock,[c]
    who hold the height of the hill.
Though you (AM)make your nest as high as the eagle's,
    I will bring you down from there,
declares the Lord.

17 (AN)“Edom shall become a horror. (AO)Everyone who passes by it will be horrified (AP)and will hiss because of all its disasters. 18 (AQ)As when Sodom and Gomorrah and their (AR)neighboring cities were overthrown, says the Lord, (AS)no man shall dwell there, (AT)no man shall sojourn in her. 19 (AU)Behold, (AV)like a lion coming up from (AW)the jungle of the Jordan against a perennial pasture, I will suddenly make him[d] run away from her. And I will appoint over her whomever I choose. (AX)For who is like me? (AY)Who will summon me? (AZ)What shepherd can stand before me? 20 Therefore hear the plan that the Lord has made against (BA)Edom and the purposes that he has formed against the inhabitants of (BB)Teman: (BC)Even the little ones of the flock shall be dragged away. Surely their fold shall be appalled at their fate. 21 At the sound of their fall (BD)the earth shall tremble; the sound of their cry shall be heard at the Red Sea. 22 Behold, (BE)one shall mount up and fly swiftly like an eagle and spread his wings against (BF)Bozrah, and the heart of the warriors of Edom shall be in that day like the heart (BG)of a woman in her birth pains.”

Judgment on Damascus

23 Concerning (BH)Damascus:

(BI)“Hamath and (BJ)Arpad are confounded,
    for they have heard bad news;
they melt in fear,
    (BK)they are troubled like the sea that cannot be quiet.
24 (BL)Damascus has become feeble, (BM)she turned to flee,
    and panic seized her;
anguish and sorrows have taken hold of her,
    as (BN)of a woman in labor.
25 How is (BO)the famous city not forsaken,
    the city of my joy?
26 (BP)Therefore her young men shall fall in her squares,
    and all her soldiers shall be destroyed in that day,
declares the Lord of hosts.
27 And (BQ)I will kindle a fire in the wall of (BR)Damascus,
    and it shall devour the strongholds of (BS)Ben-hadad.”

Judgment on Kedar and Hazor

28 Concerning (BT)Kedar and the kingdoms of Hazor that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon struck down.

Thus says the Lord:
(BU)“Rise up, advance against (BV)Kedar!
    Destroy (BW)the people of the east!
29 (BX)Their tents and their flocks shall be taken,
    their (BY)curtains and all their goods;
their camels shall be led away from them,
    and men shall cry to them: (BZ)‘Terror on every side!’
30 (CA)Flee, wander far away, dwell in the depths,
    O inhabitants of Hazor!
declares the Lord.
For Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon
    has made a plan against you
    and formed a purpose against you.

31 (CB)“Rise up, advance against a nation (CC)at ease,
    (CD)that dwells securely,
declares the Lord,
(CE)that has no gates or bars,
    that dwells alone.
32 (CF)Their camels shall become plunder,
    their herds of livestock a spoil.
(CG)I will scatter to every wind
    (CH)those who cut the corners of their hair,
and I will bring their calamity
    from every side of them,
declares the Lord.
33 Hazor shall become (CI)a haunt of jackals,
    an everlasting waste;
(CJ)no man shall dwell there;
    (CK)no man shall sojourn in her.”

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Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 49:1 Or their king; also verse 3
  2. Jeremiah 49:4 Hebrew boast of your valleys, your valley flows
  3. Jeremiah 49:16 Or of Sela
  4. Jeremiah 49:19 Septuagint, Syriac them

A Message About Ammon

49 Concerning the Ammonites:(A)

This is what the Lord says:

“Has Israel no sons?
    Has Israel no heir?
Why then has Molek[a](B) taken possession of Gad?(C)
    Why do his people live in its towns?
But the days are coming,”
    declares the Lord,
“when I will sound the battle cry(D)
    against Rabbah(E) of the Ammonites;
it will become a mound of ruins,(F)
    and its surrounding villages will be set on fire.
Then Israel will drive out
    those who drove her out,(G)
says the Lord.
“Wail, Heshbon,(H) for Ai(I) is destroyed!
    Cry out, you inhabitants of Rabbah!
Put on sackcloth(J) and mourn;
    rush here and there inside the walls,
for Molek(K) will go into exile,(L)
    together with his priests and officials.
Why do you boast of your valleys,
    boast of your valleys so fruitful?
Unfaithful Daughter Ammon,(M)
    you trust in your riches(N) and say,
    ‘Who will attack me?’(O)
I will bring terror on you
    from all those around you,”
declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty.
“Every one of you will be driven away,
    and no one will gather the fugitives.(P)

“Yet afterward, I will restore(Q) the fortunes of the Ammonites,”
declares the Lord.

A Message About Edom(R)(S)

Concerning Edom:(T)

This is what the Lord Almighty says:

“Is there no longer wisdom in Teman?(U)
    Has counsel perished from the prudent?
    Has their wisdom decayed?
Turn and flee, hide in deep caves,(V)
    you who live in Dedan,(W)
for I will bring disaster on Esau
    at the time when I punish him.
If grape pickers came to you,
    would they not leave a few grapes?
If thieves came during the night,
    would they not steal only as much as they wanted?
10 But I will strip Esau bare;
    I will uncover his hiding places,(X)
    so that he cannot conceal himself.
His armed men are destroyed,
    also his allies and neighbors,
    so there is no one(Y) to say,
11 ‘Leave your fatherless children;(Z) I will keep them alive.
    Your widows(AA) too can depend on me.’”

12 This is what the Lord says: “If those who do not deserve to drink the cup(AB) must drink it, why should you go unpunished?(AC) You will not go unpunished, but must drink it. 13 I swear(AD) by myself,” declares the Lord, “that Bozrah(AE) will become a ruin and a curse,[b] an object of horror(AF) and reproach;(AG) and all its towns will be in ruins forever.”(AH)

14 I have heard a message from the Lord;
    an envoy was sent to the nations to say,
“Assemble yourselves to attack it!
    Rise up for battle!”

15 “Now I will make you small among the nations,
    despised by mankind.
16 The terror you inspire
    and the pride(AI) of your heart have deceived you,
you who live in the clefts of the rocks,(AJ)
    who occupy the heights of the hill.
Though you build your nest(AK) as high as the eagle’s,
    from there I will bring you down,”
declares the Lord.
17 “Edom will become an object of horror;(AL)
    all who pass by will be appalled and will scoff
    because of all its wounds.(AM)
18 As Sodom(AN) and Gomorrah(AO) were overthrown,
    along with their neighboring towns,”
says the Lord,
“so no one will live there;
    no people will dwell(AP) in it.

19 “Like a lion(AQ) coming up from Jordan’s thickets(AR)
    to a rich pastureland,
I will chase Edom from its land in an instant.
    Who is the chosen one I will appoint for this?
Who is like(AS) me and who can challenge me?(AT)
    And what shepherd(AU) can stand against me?”

20 Therefore, hear what the Lord has planned against Edom,(AV)
    what he has purposed(AW) against those who live in Teman:(AX)
The young of the flock(AY) will be dragged away;
    their pasture will be appalled at their fate.(AZ)
21 At the sound of their fall the earth will tremble;(BA)
    their cry(BB) will resound to the Red Sea.[c]
22 Look! An eagle will soar and swoop(BC) down,
    spreading its wings over Bozrah.(BD)
In that day the hearts of Edom’s warriors(BE)
    will be like the heart of a woman in labor.(BF)

A Message About Damascus

23 Concerning Damascus:(BG)

“Hamath(BH) and Arpad(BI) are dismayed,
    for they have heard bad news.
They are disheartened,
    troubled like[d] the restless sea.(BJ)
24 Damascus has become feeble,
    she has turned to flee
    and panic has gripped her;
anguish and pain have seized her,
    pain like that of a woman in labor.(BK)
25 Why has the city of renown not been abandoned,
    the town in which I delight?
26 Surely, her young men(BL) will fall in the streets;
    all her soldiers will be silenced(BM) in that day,”
declares the Lord Almighty.
27 “I will set fire(BN) to the walls of Damascus;(BO)
    it will consume(BP) the fortresses of Ben-Hadad.(BQ)

A Message About Kedar and Hazor

28 Concerning Kedar(BR) and the kingdoms of Hazor,(BS) which Nebuchadnezzar(BT) king of Babylon attacked:

This is what the Lord says:

“Arise, and attack Kedar
    and destroy the people of the East.(BU)
29 Their tents and their flocks(BV) will be taken;
    their shelters will be carried off
    with all their goods and camels.
People will shout to them,
    ‘Terror(BW) on every side!’

30 “Flee quickly away!
    Stay in deep caves,(BX) you who live in Hazor,(BY)
declares the Lord.
“Nebuchadnezzar(BZ) king of Babylon has plotted against you;
    he has devised a plan against you.

31 “Arise and attack a nation at ease,
    which lives in confidence,”
declares the Lord,
“a nation that has neither gates nor bars;(CA)
    its people live far from danger.
32 Their camels(CB) will become plunder,
    and their large herds(CC) will be spoils of war.
I will scatter to the winds(CD) those who are in distant places[e](CE)
    and will bring disaster on them from every side,”
declares the Lord.
33 “Hazor(CF) will become a haunt of jackals,(CG)
    a desolate(CH) place forever.
No one will live there;
    no people will dwell(CI) in it.”

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Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 49:1 Or their king; also in verse 3
  2. Jeremiah 49:13 That is, its name will be used in cursing (see 29:22); or, others will see that it is cursed.
  3. Jeremiah 49:21 Or the Sea of Reeds
  4. Jeremiah 49:23 Hebrew on or by
  5. Jeremiah 49:32 Or who clip the hair by their foreheads

(A)Now the rest of the deeds of Jehoiakim and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? So Jehoiakim (B)slept with his fathers, and Jehoiachin his son reigned in his place. (C)And the king of Egypt did not come again out of his land, (D)for the king of Babylon had taken all that belonged to the king of Egypt (E)from the Brook of Egypt to the river Euphrates.

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As for the other events of Jehoiakim’s reign,(A) and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? Jehoiakim rested(B) with his ancestors. And Jehoiachin(C) his son succeeded him as king.

The king of Egypt(D) did not march out from his own country again, because the king of Babylon(E) had taken all his territory, from the Wadi of Egypt to the Euphrates River.

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(A)Against him came up Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon (B)and bound him in chains (C)to take him to Babylon. (D)Nebuchadnezzar also carried part of the vessels of the house of the Lord to Babylon and put them in his palace in Babylon. (E)Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim, and the abominations that he did, and what was found against him, behold, they are written in the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah. And Jehoiachin his son reigned in his place.

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Nebuchadnezzar(A) king of Babylon attacked him and bound him with bronze shackles to take him to Babylon.(B) Nebuchadnezzar also took to Babylon articles from the temple of the Lord and put them in his temple[a] there.(C)

The other events of Jehoiakim’s reign, the detestable things he did and all that was found against him, are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah. And Jehoiachin his son succeeded him as king.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 36:7 Or palace

Jehoiachin Reigns in Judah

(A)Jehoiachin was (B)eighteen years old when he became king, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Nehushta the daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem. And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, (C)according to all that his father had done.

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Jehoiachin King of Judah(A)

Jehoiachin(B) was eighteen years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. His mother’s name was Nehushta(C) daughter of Elnathan; she was from Jerusalem. He did evil(D) in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father had done.

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(A)Jehoiachin was eighteen[a] years old when he became king, and he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem. He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 36:9 Septuagint (compare 2 Kings 24:8); most Hebrew manuscripts eight

Jehoiachin King of Judah(A)

Jehoiachin(B) was eighteen[a] years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months and ten days. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 36:9 One Hebrew manuscript, some Septuagint manuscripts and Syriac (see also 2 Kings 24:8); most Hebrew manuscripts eight

24 (A)“As I live, declares the Lord, though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, were (B)the signet ring on my right hand, yet I would tear you off 25 and (C)give you (D)into the hand of those who seek your life, into the hand of those of whom you are afraid, even into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and into the hand of the Chaldeans. 26 (E)I will hurl you and (F)the mother who bore you into another country, where you were not born, and there you shall die. 27 But to the land to which they will long to return, there they shall not return.”

28 Is this man (G)Coniah a despised, broken pot,
    a (H)vessel no one cares for?
Why are he and his children hurled and cast
    into a (I)land that they do not know?
29 (J)O land, land, land,
    hear the word of the Lord!
30 Thus says the Lord:
“Write this man down as (K)childless,
    a man who shall not succeed in his days,
(L)for none of his offspring shall succeed
    (M)in sitting on the throne of David
    and ruling again in Judah.”

The Righteous Branch

23 (N)“Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!” declares the Lord. Therefore thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning (O)the shepherds who care for my people: “You have scattered my flock and have driven them away, and you have not attended to them. (P)Behold, I will attend to you for your evil deeds, declares the Lord. (Q)Then I will gather the remnant of my flock (R)out of all the countries where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their fold, (S)and they shall be fruitful and multiply. (T)I will set shepherds over them who will care for them, and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall any be missing, declares the Lord.

(U)“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous (V)Branch, and (W)he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In his days Judah will be saved, and (X)Israel will (Y)dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: (Z)‘The Lord is our righteousness.’

(AA)“Therefore, behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when they shall no longer say, ‘As the Lord lives who brought up the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt,’ but ‘As the Lord lives who brought up and led the offspring of the house of Israel out of the north country and out of all the countries where he[a] had driven them.’ Then they shall dwell in their own land.”

Lying Prophets

Concerning the prophets:

(AB)My heart is broken within me;
    (AC)all my bones shake;
I am like a drunken man,
    like a man overcome by wine,
because of the Lord
    and because of his holy words.
10 (AD)For the land is full of adulterers;
    (AE)because of the curse (AF)the land mourns,
    and (AG)the pastures of the wilderness are dried up.
(AH)Their course is evil,
    and their might is not right.
11 (AI)“Both prophet and priest are ungodly;
    even (AJ)in my house I have found their evil,
declares the Lord.
12 (AK)Therefore their way shall be to them
    like slippery paths (AL)in the darkness,
    into which they shall be driven and fall,
for I will bring disaster upon them
    (AM)in the year of their punishment,
declares the Lord.
13 In the prophets of (AN)Samaria
    (AO)I saw an unsavory thing:
(AP)they prophesied by Baal
    (AQ)and led my people Israel astray.
14 But in the prophets of Jerusalem
    I have seen a horrible thing:
(AR)they commit adultery and walk in lies;
    (AS)they strengthen the hands of evildoers,
    so that no one turns from his evil;
(AT)all of them have become like Sodom to me,
    (AU)and its inhabitants like Gomorrah.”
15 Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts concerning the prophets:
(AV)“Behold, I will feed them with bitter food
    (AW)and give them (AX)poisoned water to drink,
for from the prophets of Jerusalem
    ungodliness has gone out into all the land.”

16 Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you, (AY)filling you with vain hopes. (AZ)They speak visions of their own minds, not from the mouth of the Lord. 17 They say continually to those who despise the word of the Lord, (BA)‘It shall be well with you’; and to everyone who (BB)stubbornly follows his own heart, they say, (BC)‘No disaster shall come upon you.’”

18 For (BD)who among them has stood in the council of the Lord
    to see and to hear his word,
    or who has paid attention to his word and listened?
19 (BE)Behold, the storm of the Lord!
    Wrath has gone forth,
(BF)a whirling tempest;
    it will burst upon the head of the wicked.
20 (BG)The anger of the Lord will not turn back
    until he has executed and (BH)accomplished
    the intents of his heart.
(BI)In the latter days you will understand it clearly.

21 (BJ)“I did not send the prophets,
    yet they ran;
I did not speak to them,
    yet they prophesied.
22 (BK)But if they had stood in my council,
    then they would have proclaimed my words to my people,
(BL)and they would have turned them from their evil way,
    and (BM)from the evil of their deeds.

23 (BN)“Am I a God at hand, declares the Lord, and not a God far away? 24 (BO)Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? declares the Lord. (BP)Do I not fill heaven and earth? declares the Lord. 25 I have heard what the prophets have said (BQ)who prophesy lies in my name, saying, (BR)‘I have dreamed, I have dreamed!’ 26 How long shall there be lies in the heart of (BS)the prophets who prophesy lies, and who prophesy the deceit of their own heart, 27 who think to make my people forget my name (BT)by their dreams that they tell one another, even as their (BU)fathers forgot my name for Baal? 28 (BV)Let the prophet who has a dream (BW)tell the dream, but let him who has my word speak my word faithfully. (BX)What has straw in common with wheat? declares the Lord. 29 (BY)Is not my word like fire, declares the Lord, and (BZ)like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces? 30 (CA)Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets, declares the Lord, who steal my words from one another. 31 Behold, I am against the prophets, declares the Lord, who use their tongues and declare, ‘declares the Lord.’ 32 Behold, I am against those who prophesy lying dreams, declares the Lord, and who tell them and (CB)lead my people astray by their lies and their recklessness, when (CC)I did not send them or charge them. So they do not profit this people at all, declares the Lord.

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 23:8 Septuagint; Hebrew I

24 “As surely as I live,” declares the Lord, “even if you, Jehoiachin[a](A) son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, were a signet ring(B) on my right hand, I would still pull you off. 25 I will deliver(C) you into the hands of those who want to kill you, those you fear—Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and the Babylonians.[b] 26 I will hurl(D) you and the mother(E) who gave you birth into another country, where neither of you was born, and there you both will die. 27 You will never come back to the land you long to return(F) to.”

28 Is this man Jehoiachin(G) a despised, broken pot,(H)
    an object no one wants?
Why will he and his children be hurled(I) out,
    cast into a land(J) they do not know?
29 O land,(K) land, land,
    hear the word of the Lord!
30 This is what the Lord says:
“Record this man as if childless,(L)
    a man who will not prosper(M) in his lifetime,
for none of his offspring(N) will prosper,
    none will sit on the throne(O) of David
    or rule anymore in Judah.”

The Righteous Branch

23 “Woe to the shepherds(P) who are destroying and scattering(Q) the sheep of my pasture!”(R) declares the Lord. Therefore this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says to the shepherds(S) who tend my people: “Because you have scattered my flock(T) and driven them away and have not bestowed care on them, I will bestow punishment on you for the evil(U) you have done,” declares the Lord. “I myself will gather the remnant(V) of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them and will bring them back to their pasture,(W) where they will be fruitful and increase in number. I will place shepherds(X) over them who will tend them, and they will no longer be afraid(Y) or terrified, nor will any be missing,(Z)” declares the Lord.

“The days are coming,” declares the Lord,
    “when I will raise up for David[c] a righteous Branch,(AA)
a King(AB) who will reign(AC) wisely
    and do what is just and right(AD) in the land.
In his days Judah will be saved
    and Israel will live in safety.(AE)
This is the name(AF) by which he will be called:
    The Lord Our Righteous Savior.(AG)

“So then, the days are coming,”(AH) declares the Lord, “when people will no longer say, ‘As surely as the Lord lives, who brought the Israelites up out of Egypt,’(AI) but they will say, ‘As surely as the Lord lives, who brought the descendants of Israel up out of the land of the north and out of all the countries where he had banished them.’ Then they will live in their own land.”(AJ)

Lying Prophets

Concerning the prophets:

My heart(AK) is broken within me;
    all my bones tremble.(AL)
I am like a drunken man,
    like a strong man overcome by wine,
because of the Lord
    and his holy words.(AM)
10 The land is full of adulterers;(AN)
    because of the curse[d](AO) the land lies parched
    and the pastures(AP) in the wilderness are withered.(AQ)
The prophets follow an evil course
    and use their power unjustly.

11 “Both prophet and priest are godless;(AR)
    even in my temple(AS) I find their wickedness,”
declares the Lord.
12 “Therefore their path will become slippery;(AT)
    they will be banished to darkness
    and there they will fall.
I will bring disaster on them
    in the year they are punished,(AU)
declares the Lord.

13 “Among the prophets of Samaria
    I saw this repulsive thing:
They prophesied by Baal(AV)
    and led my people Israel astray.(AW)
14 And among the prophets of Jerusalem
    I have seen something horrible:(AX)
    They commit adultery and live a lie.(AY)
They strengthen the hands of evildoers,(AZ)
    so that not one of them turns from their wickedness.(BA)
They are all like Sodom(BB) to me;
    the people of Jerusalem are like Gomorrah.”(BC)

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

“I will make them eat bitter food
    and drink poisoned water,(BD)
because from the prophets of Jerusalem
    ungodliness(BE) has spread throughout the land.”

16 This is what the Lord Almighty says:

“Do not listen(BF) to what the prophets are prophesying to you;
    they fill you with false hopes.
They speak visions(BG) from their own minds,
    not from the mouth(BH) of the Lord.
17 They keep saying(BI) to those who despise me,
    ‘The Lord says: You will have peace.’(BJ)
And to all who follow the stubbornness(BK) of their hearts
    they say, ‘No harm(BL) will come to you.’
18 But which of them has stood in the council(BM) of the Lord
    to see or to hear his word?
    Who has listened and heard his word?
19 See, the storm(BN) of the Lord
    will burst out in wrath,
a whirlwind(BO) swirling down
    on the heads of the wicked.
20 The anger(BP) of the Lord will not turn back(BQ)
    until he fully accomplishes
    the purposes of his heart.
In days to come
    you will understand it clearly.
21 I did not send(BR) these prophets,
    yet they have run with their message;
I did not speak to them,
    yet they have prophesied.
22 But if they had stood in my council,(BS)
    they would have proclaimed(BT) my words to my people
and would have turned(BU) them from their evil ways
    and from their evil deeds.(BV)

23 “Am I only a God nearby,(BW)
declares the Lord,
    “and not a God far away?
24 Who can hide(BX) in secret places
    so that I cannot see them?”
declares the Lord.
    “Do not I fill heaven and earth?”(BY)
declares the Lord.

25 “I have heard what the prophets say who prophesy lies(BZ) in my name. They say, ‘I had a dream!(CA) I had a dream!’ 26 How long will this continue in the hearts of these lying prophets, who prophesy the delusions(CB) of their own minds?(CC) 27 They think the dreams they tell one another will make my people forget(CD) my name, just as their ancestors forgot(CE) my name through Baal worship.(CF) 28 Let the prophet who has a dream(CG) recount the dream, but let the one who has my word(CH) speak it faithfully. For what has straw to do with grain?” declares the Lord. 29 “Is not my word like fire,”(CI) declares the Lord, “and like a hammer(CJ) that breaks a rock in pieces?

30 “Therefore,” declares the Lord, “I am against(CK) the prophets(CL) who steal from one another words supposedly from me. 31 Yes,” declares the Lord, “I am against the prophets who wag their own tongues and yet declare, ‘The Lord declares.’(CM) 32 Indeed, I am against those who prophesy false dreams,(CN)” declares the Lord. “They tell them and lead my people astray(CO) with their reckless lies,(CP) yet I did not send(CQ) or appoint them. They do not benefit(CR) these people in the least,” declares the Lord.

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 22:24 Hebrew Koniah, a variant of Jehoiachin; also in verse 28
  2. Jeremiah 22:25 Or Chaldeans
  3. Jeremiah 23:5 Or up from David’s line
  4. Jeremiah 23:10 Or because of these things