¹⁶ Thus says the Lord of hosts:

¹⁴ And the Lord said to me, ^(A)“The prophets prophesy lies in My name. ^(B)I have not sent them, commanded them, nor spoken to them; they prophesy to you a false vision, ^[a]divination, a worthless thing, and the ^(C)deceit of their heart.

^6 (A)They have envisioned futility and false divination, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord!’ But the Lord has ^(B)not sent them; yet they hope that the word may ^[a]be confirmed.

⁹ Therefore do not listen to your prophets, your diviners, your ^[a]dreamers, your soothsayers, or your sorcerers, who speak to you, saying, “You shall not serve the king of Babylon.” ¹⁰ For they prophesy a ^(A)lie to you, to remove you far from your land; and I will drive you out, and you will perish.

You Will Know Them by Their Fruits^(A)

^15 (B)“Beware of false prophets, ^(C)who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.

³ Thus says the Lord God: “Woe to the foolish prophets, who follow their own spirit and have seen ^[a]nothing!

¹⁴ Therefore ^(A)do not listen to the words of the prophets who speak to you, saying, ‘You shall not serve the king of Babylon,’ for they prophesy ^(B)a lie to you; ¹⁵ for I have ^(C)not sent them,” says the Lord, “yet they prophesy a lie in My name, that I may drive you out, and that you may perish, you and the prophets who prophesy to you.”

¹⁶ Also I spoke to the priests and to all this people, saying, “Thus says the Lord: ‘Do not listen to the words of your prophets who prophesy to you, saying, “Behold, ^(D)the vessels of the Lord’s house will now shortly be brought back from Babylon”; for they prophesy a lie to you. ¹⁷ Do not listen to them; serve the king of Babylon, and live! Why should this city be laid waste?

Love for God and One Another

4 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but ^(A)test the spirits, whether they are of God; because ^(B)many false prophets have gone out into the world.