Lying Prophets

13 Then I said: “Ah, Lord God, behold, the prophets (A)say to them, ‘You shall not see the sword, nor shall you have famine, but I will give you assured peace in this place.’” 14 And the Lord said to me: “The (B)prophets are prophesying lies in my name. (C)I did not send them, nor did I command them or speak to them. They are prophesying to you a lying vision, (D)worthless divination, and (E)the deceit of their own minds. 15 Therefore thus says the Lord concerning the prophets who prophesy in my name although (F)I did not send them, and who say, (G)‘Sword and famine shall not come upon this land’: (H)By sword and famine those prophets shall be consumed. 16 And the people to whom they prophesy shall be cast out in the streets of Jerusalem, victims of famine and sword, (I)with none to bury them—them, their wives, their sons, and their daughters. For I will pour out their evil upon them.

17 “You shall say to them this word:
(J)‘Let my eyes run down with tears night and day,
    and let them not cease,
for the virgin (K)daughter of my people is shattered with a great wound,
    (L)with a very grievous blow.
18 (M)If I go out into the field,
    behold, those pierced by the sword!
(N)And if I enter the city,
    behold, the diseases of famine!
(O)For both prophet and priest ply their trade through the land
    and have no knowledge.’”

19 (P)Have you utterly rejected Judah?
    Does your soul loathe Zion?
Why have you struck us down
    (Q)so that there is no healing for us?
(R)We looked for peace, but no good came;
    (S)for a time of healing, but behold, terror.
20 (T)We acknowledge our wickedness, O Lord,
    and the iniquity of our fathers,
    (U)for we have sinned against you.
21 Do not spurn us, (V)for your name's sake;
    do not dishonor your glorious throne;
    (W)remember and do not break your covenant with us.
22 Are there any among (X)the false gods of the nations (Y)that can bring rain?
    Or can the heavens give showers?
Are you not he, O Lord our God?
    We set our hope on you,
    (Z)for you do all these things.

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13 But I said, “Alas, Sovereign Lord! The prophets(A) keep telling them, ‘You will not see the sword or suffer famine.(B) Indeed, I will give you lasting peace(C) in this place.’”

14 Then the Lord said to me, “The prophets are prophesying lies(D) in my name. I have not sent(E) them or appointed them or spoken to them. They are prophesying to you false visions,(F) divinations,(G) idolatries[a] and the delusions of their own minds. 15 Therefore this is what the Lord says about the prophets who are prophesying in my name: I did not send them, yet they are saying, ‘No sword or famine will touch this land.’ Those same prophets will perish(H) by sword and famine.(I) 16 And the people they are prophesying to will be thrown out into the streets of Jerusalem because of the famine and sword. There will be no one to bury(J) them, their wives, their sons and their daughters.(K) I will pour out on them the calamity they deserve.(L)

17 “Speak this word to them:

“‘Let my eyes overflow with tears(M)
    night and day without ceasing;
for the Virgin(N) Daughter, my people,
    has suffered a grievous wound,
    a crushing blow.(O)
18 If I go into the country,
    I see those slain by the sword;
if I go into the city,
    I see the ravages of famine.(P)
Both prophet and priest
    have gone to a land they know not.(Q)’”

19 Have you rejected Judah completely?(R)
    Do you despise Zion?
Why have you afflicted us
    so that we cannot be healed?(S)
We hoped for peace
    but no good has come,
for a time of healing
    but there is only terror.(T)
20 We acknowledge(U) our wickedness, Lord,
    and the guilt of our ancestors;(V)
    we have indeed sinned(W) against you.
21 For the sake of your name(X) do not despise us;
    do not dishonor your glorious throne.(Y)
Remember your covenant(Z) with us
    and do not break it.
22 Do any of the worthless idols(AA) of the nations bring rain?(AB)
    Do the skies themselves send down showers?
No, it is you, Lord our God.
    Therefore our hope is in you,
    for you are the one who does all this.(AC)

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Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 14:14 Or visions, worthless divinations