Jeremiah 23:9-24
World English Bible
9 Concerning the prophets:
My heart within me is broken.
All my bones shake.
I am like a drunken man,
and like a man whom wine has overcome,
because of Yahweh,
and because of his holy words.
10 For the land is full of adulterers;
for because of the curse the land mourns.
The pastures of the wilderness have dried up.
Their course is evil,
and their might is not right;
11 for both prophet and priest are profane.
Yes, in my house I have found their wickedness,” says Yahweh.
12 Therefore their way will be to them as slippery places in the darkness.
They will be driven on,
and fall therein;
for I will bring evil on them,
even the year of their visitation,” says Yahweh.
13 “I have seen folly in the prophets of Samaria.
They prophesied by Baal,
and caused my people Israel to err.
14 In the prophets of Jerusalem I have also seen a horrible thing:
they commit adultery and walk in lies.
They strengthen the hands of evildoers,
so that no one returns from his wickedness.
They have all become to me as Sodom,
and its inhabitants as Gomorrah.”
15 Therefore Yahweh of Armies says concerning the prophets:
“Behold, I will feed them with wormwood,
and make them drink poisoned water;
for from the prophets of Jerusalem ungodliness has gone out into all the land.”
16 Yahweh of Armies says,
“Don’t listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you.
They teach you vanity.
They speak a vision of their own heart,
and not out of the mouth of Yahweh.
17 They say continually to those who despise me,
‘Yahweh has said, “You will have peace;”’
and to everyone who walks in the stubbornness of his own heart they say,
‘No evil will come on you.’
18 For who has stood in the council of Yahweh,
that he should perceive and hear his word?
Who has listened to my word, and heard it?
19 Behold, Yahweh’s storm, his wrath, has gone out.
Yes, a whirling storm:
It will burst on the head of the wicked.
20 Yahweh’s anger will not return until he has executed,
and until he has performed the intents of his heart.
In the latter days, you will understand it perfectly.
21 I didn’t send these prophets, yet they ran.
I didn’t speak to them, yet they prophesied.
22 But if they had stood in my council,
then they would have caused my people to hear my words,
and would have turned them from their evil way,
and from the evil of their doings.
23 “Am I a God at hand,” says Yahweh,
“and not a God afar off?
24 Can anyone hide himself in secret places
so that I can’t see him?” says Yahweh.
“Don’t I fill heaven and earth?” says Yahweh.
Jeremiah 23:9-24
New Living Translation
Judgment on False Prophets
9 My heart is broken because of the false prophets,
and my bones tremble.
I stagger like a drunkard,
like someone overcome by wine,
because of the holy words
the Lord has spoken against them.
10 For the land is full of adultery,
and it lies under a curse.
The land itself is in mourning—
its wilderness pastures are dried up.
For they all do evil
and abuse what power they have.
11 “Even the priests and prophets
are ungodly, wicked men.
I have seen their despicable acts
right here in my own Temple,”
says the Lord.
12 “Therefore, the paths they take
will become slippery.
They will be chased through the dark,
and there they will fall.
For I will bring disaster upon them
at the time fixed for their punishment.
I, the Lord, have spoken!
13 “I saw that the prophets of Samaria were terribly evil,
for they prophesied in the name of Baal
and led my people of Israel into sin.
14 But now I see that the prophets of Jerusalem are even worse!
They commit adultery and love dishonesty.
They encourage those who are doing evil
so that no one turns away from their sins.
These prophets are as wicked
as the people of Sodom and Gomorrah once were.”
15 Therefore, this is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says concerning the prophets:
“I will feed them with bitterness
and give them poison to drink.
For it is because of Jerusalem’s prophets
that wickedness has filled this land.”
16 This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says to his people:
“Do not listen to these prophets when they prophesy to you,
filling you with futile hopes.
They are making up everything they say.
They do not speak for the Lord!
17 They keep saying to those who despise my word,
‘Don’t worry! The Lord says you will have peace!’
And to those who stubbornly follow their own desires,
they say, ‘No harm will come your way!’
18 “Have any of these prophets been in the Lord’s presence
to hear what he is really saying?
Has even one of them cared enough to listen?
19 Look! The Lord’s anger bursts out like a storm,
a whirlwind that swirls down on the heads of the wicked.
20 The anger of the Lord will not diminish
until it has finished all he has planned.
In the days to come
you will understand all this very clearly.
21 “I have not sent these prophets,
yet they run around claiming to speak for me.
I have given them no message,
yet they go on prophesying.
22 If they had stood before me and listened to me,
they would have spoken my words,
and they would have turned my people
from their evil ways and deeds.
23 Am I a God who is only close at hand?” says the Lord.
“No, I am far away at the same time.
24 Can anyone hide from me in a secret place?
Am I not everywhere in all the heavens and earth?”
says the Lord.
Jeremiah 23:9-24
New International Version
Lying Prophets
9 Concerning the prophets:
My heart(A) is broken within me;
all my bones tremble.(B)
I am like a drunken man,
like a strong man overcome by wine,
because of the Lord
and his holy words.(C)
10 The land is full of adulterers;(D)
because of the curse[a](E) the land lies parched
and the pastures(F) in the wilderness are withered.(G)
The prophets follow an evil course
and use their power unjustly.
11 “Both prophet and priest are godless;(H)
even in my temple(I) I find their wickedness,”
declares the Lord.
12 “Therefore their path will become slippery;(J)
they will be banished to darkness
and there they will fall.
I will bring disaster on them
in the year they are punished,(K)”
declares the Lord.
13 “Among the prophets of Samaria
I saw this repulsive thing:
They prophesied by Baal(L)
and led my people Israel astray.(M)
14 And among the prophets of Jerusalem
I have seen something horrible:(N)
They commit adultery and live a lie.(O)
They strengthen the hands of evildoers,(P)
so that not one of them turns from their wickedness.(Q)
They are all like Sodom(R) to me;
the people of Jerusalem are like Gomorrah.”(S)
15 Therefore this is what the Lord Almighty says concerning the prophets:
“I will make them eat bitter food
and drink poisoned water,(T)
because from the prophets of Jerusalem
ungodliness(U) has spread throughout the land.”
16 This is what the Lord Almighty says:
“Do not listen(V) to what the prophets are prophesying to you;
they fill you with false hopes.
They speak visions(W) from their own minds,
not from the mouth(X) of the Lord.
17 They keep saying(Y) to those who despise me,
‘The Lord says: You will have peace.’(Z)
And to all who follow the stubbornness(AA) of their hearts
they say, ‘No harm(AB) will come to you.’
18 But which of them has stood in the council(AC) of the Lord
to see or to hear his word?
Who has listened and heard his word?
19 See, the storm(AD) of the Lord
will burst out in wrath,
a whirlwind(AE) swirling down
on the heads of the wicked.
20 The anger(AF) of the Lord will not turn back(AG)
until he fully accomplishes
the purposes of his heart.
In days to come
you will understand it clearly.
21 I did not send(AH) 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,(AI)
they would have proclaimed(AJ) my words to my people
and would have turned(AK) them from their evil ways
and from their evil deeds.(AL)
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 23:10 Or because of these things
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