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16 The Lord who rules over all says to the people of Judah,

“Do not listen to what the prophets are saying to you.
    They fill you with false hopes.
They talk about visions that come from their own minds.
    What they say does not come from my mouth.
17 They keep speaking to those who hate me. They say,
    ‘The Lord says you will have peace.’
They speak to all those who do
    what their stubborn hearts want them to do.
    They tell them, ‘No harm will come to you.’
18 But which of them has ever stood in my courts?
    Have they been there to see a vision or hear my message?
    Who has listened and heard my message there?
19 A storm will burst out
    because of my great anger.
A windstorm will sweep down
    on the heads of sinful people.
20 My anger will not turn back.
    I will accomplish everything
    I plan to do.
In days to come
    you will understand it clearly.
21 I did not send these prophets.
    But they have run to tell you their message anyway.
I did not speak to them.
    But they have still prophesied.
22 Suppose they had stood in my courts.
    Then they would have announced my message to my people.
They would have turned my people from their evil ways.
    They would have turned them away from their sins.

23 “Am I only a God who is nearby?”
    announces the Lord.
    “Am I not a God who is also far away?
24 Who can hide in secret places
    so that I can’t see them?”
    announces the Lord.
“Don’t I fill heaven and earth?”
    announces the Lord.

25 “I have heard what the prophets are saying. They prophesy lies in my name. They say, ‘I had a dream! The Lord has given me a dream!’

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16 This is what the Lord Almighty says:

“Do not listen(A) to what the prophets are prophesying to you;
    they fill you with false hopes.
They speak visions(B) from their own minds,
    not from the mouth(C) of the Lord.
17 They keep saying(D) to those who despise me,
    ‘The Lord says: You will have peace.’(E)
And to all who follow the stubbornness(F) of their hearts
    they say, ‘No harm(G) will come to you.’
18 But which of them has stood in the council(H) of the Lord
    to see or to hear his word?
    Who has listened and heard his word?
19 See, the storm(I) of the Lord
    will burst out in wrath,
a whirlwind(J) swirling down
    on the heads of the wicked.
20 The anger(K) of the Lord will not turn back(L)
    until he fully accomplishes
    the purposes of his heart.
In days to come
    you will understand it clearly.
21 I did not send(M) 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,(N)
    they would have proclaimed(O) my words to my people
and would have turned(P) them from their evil ways
    and from their evil deeds.(Q)

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

25 “I have heard what the prophets say who prophesy lies(U) in my name. They say, ‘I had a dream!(V) I had a dream!’

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