Jeremiah 23
World English Bible
23 “Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!” says Yahweh. 2 Therefore Yahweh, the God of Israel, says against the shepherds who feed my people: “You have scattered my flock, driven them away, and have not visited them. Behold, I will visit on you the evil of your doings,” says Yahweh. 3 “I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds; and they will be fruitful and multiply. 4 I will set up shepherds over them, who will feed them. They will no longer be afraid or dismayed, neither will any be lacking,” says Yahweh.
5 “Behold, the days come,” says Yahweh,
“that I will raise to David a righteous Branch,
and he will reign as king and deal wisely,
and will execute justice and righteousness in the land.
6 In his days Judah will be saved,
and Israel will dwell safely.
This is his name by which he will be called:
Yahweh our righteousness.
7 “Therefore behold, the days come,” says Yahweh, “that they will no more say, ‘As Yahweh lives, who brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt;’ 8 but, ‘As Yahweh lives, who brought up and who led the offspring of the house of Israel out of the north country, and from all the countries where I had driven them.’ Then they will dwell in their own land.”
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.
25 “I have heard what the prophets have said, who prophesy lies in my name, saying, ‘I had a dream! I had a dream!’ 26 How long will this be in the heart of the prophets who prophesy lies, even the prophets of the deceit of their own heart? 27 They intend to cause my people to forget my name by their dreams which they each tell his neighbor, as their fathers forgot my name because of Baal. 28 The prophet who has a dream, let him tell a dream; and he who has my word, let him speak my word faithfully. What is the straw to the wheat?” says Yahweh. 29 “Isn’t my word like fire?” says Yahweh; “and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?
30 “Therefore behold, I am against the prophets,” says Yahweh, “who each steal my words from his neighbor. 31 Behold, I am against the prophets,” says Yahweh, “who use their tongues, and say, ‘He says.’ 32 Behold, I am against those who prophesy lying dreams,” says Yahweh, “who tell them, and cause my people to err by their lies, and by their vain boasting; yet I didn’t send them or command them. They don’t profit this people at all,” says Yahweh.
33 “When this people, or the prophet, or a priest, asks you, saying, ‘What is the message from Yahweh?’ Then you shall tell them, ‘“What message? I will cast you off,” says Yahweh.’ 34 As for the prophet, the priest, and the people, who say, ‘The message from Yahweh,’ I will even punish that man and his household. 35 You will say everyone to his neighbor, and everyone to his brother, ‘What has Yahweh answered?’ and, ‘What has Yahweh said?’ 36 You will mention the message from Yahweh no more: for every man’s own word has become his message; for you have perverted the words of the living God, of Yahweh of Armies, our God. 37 You will say to the prophet, ‘What has Yahweh answered you?’ and, ‘What has Yahweh spoken?’ 38 Although you say, ‘The message from Yahweh;’ therefore Yahweh says: ‘Because you say this word, “The message from Yahweh,” and I have sent to you, telling you not to say, “The message from Yahweh;” 39 therefore, behold, I will utterly forget you, and I will cast you off, and the city that I gave to you and to your fathers, away from my presence. 40 I will bring an everlasting reproach on you, and a perpetual shame, which will not be forgotten.’”
Jeremiah 23
English Standard Version
The Righteous Branch
23 (A)“Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!” declares the Lord. 2 Therefore thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning (B)the shepherds who care for my people: “You have scattered my flock and have driven them away, and you have not attended to them. (C)Behold, I will attend to you for your evil deeds, declares the Lord. 3 (D)Then I will gather the remnant of my flock (E)out of all the countries where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their fold, (F)and they shall be fruitful and multiply. 4 (G)I will set shepherds over them who will care for them, and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall any be missing, declares the Lord.
5 (H)“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous (I)Branch, and (J)he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. 6 In his days Judah will be saved, and (K)Israel will (L)dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: (M)‘The Lord is our righteousness.’
7 (N)“Therefore, behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when they shall no longer say, ‘As the Lord lives who brought up the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt,’ 8 but ‘As the Lord lives who brought up and led the offspring of the house of Israel out of the north country and out of all the countries where he[a] had driven them.’ Then they shall dwell in their own land.”
Lying Prophets
9 Concerning the prophets:
(O)My heart is broken within me;
(P)all my bones shake;
I am like a drunken man,
like a man overcome by wine,
because of the Lord
and because of his holy words.
10 (Q)For the land is full of adulterers;
(R)because of the curse (S)the land mourns,
and (T)the pastures of the wilderness are dried up.
(U)Their course is evil,
and their might is not right.
11 (V)“Both prophet and priest are ungodly;
even (W)in my house I have found their evil,
declares the Lord.
12 (X)Therefore their way shall be to them
like slippery paths (Y)in the darkness,
into which they shall be driven and fall,
for I will bring disaster upon them
(Z)in the year of their punishment,
declares the Lord.
13 In the prophets of (AA)Samaria
(AB)I saw an unsavory thing:
(AC)they prophesied by Baal
(AD)and led my people Israel astray.
14 But in the prophets of Jerusalem
I have seen a horrible thing:
(AE)they commit adultery and walk in lies;
(AF)they strengthen the hands of evildoers,
so that no one turns from his evil;
(AG)all of them have become like Sodom to me,
(AH)and its inhabitants like Gomorrah.”
15 Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts concerning the prophets:
(AI)“Behold, I will feed them with bitter food
(AJ)and give them (AK)poisoned water to drink,
for from the prophets of Jerusalem
ungodliness has gone out into all the land.”
16 Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you, (AL)filling you with vain hopes. (AM)They speak visions of their own minds, not from the mouth of the Lord. 17 They say continually to those who despise the word of the Lord, (AN)‘It shall be well with you’; and to everyone who (AO)stubbornly follows his own heart, they say, (AP)‘No disaster shall come upon you.’”
18 For (AQ)who among them has stood in the council of the Lord
to see and to hear his word,
or who has paid attention to his word and listened?
19 (AR)Behold, the storm of the Lord!
Wrath has gone forth,
(AS)a whirling tempest;
it will burst upon the head of the wicked.
20 (AT)The anger of the Lord will not turn back
until he has executed and (AU)accomplished
the intents of his heart.
(AV)In the latter days you will understand it clearly.
21 (AW)“I did not send the prophets,
yet they ran;
I did not speak to them,
yet they prophesied.
22 (AX)But if they had stood in my council,
then they would have proclaimed my words to my people,
(AY)and they would have turned them from their evil way,
and (AZ)from the evil of their deeds.
23 (BA)“Am I a God at hand, declares the Lord, and not a God far away? 24 (BB)Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? declares the Lord. (BC)Do I not fill heaven and earth? declares the Lord. 25 I have heard what the prophets have said (BD)who prophesy lies in my name, saying, (BE)‘I have dreamed, I have dreamed!’ 26 How long shall there be lies in the heart of (BF)the prophets who prophesy lies, and who prophesy the deceit of their own heart, 27 who think to make my people forget my name (BG)by their dreams that they tell one another, even as their (BH)fathers forgot my name for Baal? 28 (BI)Let the prophet who has a dream (BJ)tell the dream, but let him who has my word speak my word faithfully. (BK)What has straw in common with wheat? declares the Lord. 29 (BL)Is not my word like fire, declares the Lord, and (BM)like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces? 30 (BN)Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets, declares the Lord, who steal my words from one another. 31 Behold, I am against the prophets, declares the Lord, who use their tongues and declare, ‘declares the Lord.’ 32 Behold, I am against those who prophesy lying dreams, declares the Lord, and who tell them and (BO)lead my people astray by their lies and their recklessness, when (BP)I did not send them or charge them. So they do not profit this people at all, declares the Lord.
33 (BQ)“When one of this people, or a prophet or a priest asks you, ‘What is the burden of the Lord?’ you shall say to them, ‘You are the burden,[b] and (BR)I will cast you off, declares the Lord.’ 34 And as for the prophet, priest, or one of the people who says, ‘The burden of the Lord,’ (BS)I will punish that man and his household. 35 Thus shall you say, every one to his neighbor and every one to his brother, ‘What has the Lord answered?’ or ‘What has the Lord spoken?’ 36 But ‘the burden of the Lord’ you shall mention no more, for the burden is every man's own word, and (BT)you pervert the words of (BU)the living God, the Lord of hosts, our God. 37 Thus you shall say to the prophet, ‘What has the Lord answered you?’ or ‘What has the Lord spoken?’ 38 But if you say, ‘The burden of the Lord,’ thus says the Lord, ‘Because you have said these words, “The burden of the Lord,” when I sent to you, saying, “You shall not say, ‘The burden of the Lord,’” 39 therefore, behold, I will surely lift you up[c] and (BV)cast you away from my presence, you and the city that I gave to you and your fathers. 40 (BW)And I will bring upon you everlasting reproach and (BX)perpetual shame, which shall not be forgotten.’”
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 23:8 Septuagint; Hebrew I
- Jeremiah 23:33 Septuagint, Vulgate; Hebrew What burden?
- Jeremiah 23:39 Or surely forget you
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The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
