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The Righteous Branch

23 “How horrible it will be for the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep in my care,” declares Yahweh. “This is what I, Yahweh Elohim of Israel, said to the shepherds who take care of my people: You have scattered my sheep and chased them away. You have not taken care of them, so now I will take care of you by punishing you for the evil you have done,” declares Yahweh.

“Then I will gather the remaining part of my flock from all the countries where I chased them. I will bring them back to their pasture, and they will be fertile and increase in number. I will put shepherds over them. Those shepherds will take care of them. My sheep will no longer be afraid or terrified, and not one of them will be missing,” declares Yahweh.

“The days are coming,” declares Yahweh,
    “when I will grow a righteous Tsemach for David.
        He will be a king who will rule wisely.
            He will do what is fair and right in the land.
In his lifetime, Judah will be saved,
    and Israel will live in safety.
    This is the name that he will be given:
    Yahweh Tsidqenu.

“That is why the days are coming,” declares Yahweh, “when people’s oaths will no longer be, ‘Yahweh brought the people of Israel out of Egypt. As Yahweh lives. . . .’ Instead, their oaths will be, ‘Yahweh brought the descendants of the nation of Israel out of the land of the north and all the lands where he[a] had scattered them. As Yahweh lives. . . .’ At that time they will live in their own land.

Warnings to the False Prophets

“Say this about the prophets:

I am deeply disturbed.
    All my bones tremble.
    I am like a drunk,
    like a person who has had too much wine,
        because of Yahweh and his holy words.
10 The land is filled with adulterers.
    The land mourns because of the curse.
    Pastures in the wilderness have dried up.
        The people are evil,
            and they use their strength to do the wrong things.
11 The prophets and priests are godless.
    Even in my temple I’ve found them doing evil,” declares Yahweh.
12 “That is why their own way will become
    like slippery paths in the dark.
    They will be chased away, and they will fall down in the dark.
    I will bring disaster on them.
        It is time for them to be punished,” declares Yahweh.

13 “Say this about the prophets of Samaria:

I saw something disgusting.
    The prophets of Samaria prophesied by Baal
        and led my people Israel astray.

14 “Say this about the prophets of Jerusalem:

I see something horrible.
    The prophets of Jerusalem commit adultery and live a lie.
        They support those who do evil
            so that no one turns back from his wickedness.
        They are all like Sodom to me,
            and those who live in Jerusalem are like Gomorrah.”

15 This is what Yahweh Tsebaoth says about the prophets:

I will give them wormwood to eat and poison to drink.
    The prophets of Jerusalem have spread godlessness
        throughout the land.

16 This is what Yahweh Tsebaoth says:

Don’t listen to what the prophets are saying to you.
    They fill you with false hope.
        They speak about visions that they dreamed up.
        These visions are not from Yahweh.
17 They keep saying to those who despise me,
    Yahweh says, ‘Everything will go well for you.’”
    They tell all who live by their own stubborn ways,
        “Nothing bad will happen to you.”
18 Who is in Yahweh’s inner circle
    and sees and hears his word?
    Who pays attention and listens to his word?
19 The storm of Yahweh will come with his anger.
    Like a windstorm, it will swirl down on the heads of the wicked.
20 The anger of Yahweh will not turn back
    until he has done everything he intends to do.
    In the last days you will understand this clearly.
21 I didn’t send these prophets,
    yet they ran with their message.
    I didn’t speak to them,
    yet they prophesied.
22 If they had been in my inner circle,
    they would have announced my words to my people.
        They would have turned back from their evil ways
            and the evil they have done.

23 “I am an Elohim who is near.
    I am also an Elohim who is far away,” declares Yahweh.
24 “No one can hide so that I can’t see him,” declares Yahweh.
    “I fill heaven and earth!” declares Yahweh.

25 “I’ve heard the prophets who speak lies in my name. They say, ‘I had a dream! I had a dream!’ 26 How long will these prophets continue to lie and deceive? 27 They tell each other the dreams they had, because they want to make my people forget my name, as their ancestors forgot my name because of Baal. 28 The prophet who has a dream should tell his dream. However, the person who has my word should honestly speak my word. What does grain have to do with straw?” asks Yahweh. 29 “Isn’t my word like fire or like a hammer that shatters a rock?” asks Yahweh. 30 “I’m against the prophets who steal my words from each other,” declares Yahweh. 31 “I’m against the prophets who speak their own thoughts and say that they speak for me. 32 I’m against those who prophesy dreams they made up,” declares Yahweh. “They tell the dreams they made up and lead my people astray with their lies and their wild talk. I didn’t send them or command them to go. They don’t help these people at all,” declares Yahweh.

33 “When these people, the prophets, or the priests ask you, ‘What revelation has Yahweh burdened you with now?’ say to them, ‘You are the burden! I will abandon you, declares Yahweh.’ 34 Suppose the prophets, the priests, or these people say, ‘This is Yahweh’s revelation!’ I will punish them and their families. 35 They should ask their neighbors and their relatives, ‘What is Yahweh’s answer?’ and ‘What did Yahweh say?’ 36 They should never again say, ‘This is Yahweh’s revelation,’ because each person’s word becomes the revelation. They will twist the words of Elohim Chay, Yahweh Tsebaoth, our Elohim.

37 “Jeremiah, say this to the prophets, ‘What was Yahweh’s answer to you?’ and ‘What did Yahweh say?’ 38 Suppose they say, ‘This is Yahweh’s revelation!’ Then say, ‘This is what Yahweh says: Because you have said, “This is Yahweh’s revelation!” even though I commanded you not to repeat this saying, 39 I will certainly forget you. I will throw you out of my presence and out of the city that I gave you and your ancestors. 40 I will bring eternal disgrace and shame on you. It will never be forgotten.’”

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 23:8 Greek; Masoretic Text “I.”

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