Jeremiah 23:15-39
New American Standard Bible 1995
15 “Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts concerning the prophets,
‘Behold, I am going to (A)feed them wormwood
And make them drink poisonous water,
For from the prophets of Jerusalem
Pollution has gone forth into all the land.’”
16 Thus says the Lord of hosts,
“(B)Do not listen to the words of the prophets who are prophesying to you.
They are (C)leading you into futility;
They speak a (D)vision of their own [a]imagination,
Not (E)from the mouth of the Lord.
17 “They keep saying to those who (F)despise Me,
‘The Lord has said, “(G)You will have peace”’;
And as for everyone who walks in the (H)stubbornness of his own heart,
They say, ‘(I)Calamity will not come upon you.’
18 “But (J)who has stood in the council of the Lord,
That he should see and hear His word?
Who has given (K)heed to [b]His word and listened?
19 “Behold, the (L)storm of the Lord has gone forth in wrath,
Even a whirling tempest;
It will swirl down on the head of the wicked.
20 “The (M)anger of the Lord will not turn back
Until He has (N)performed and carried out the purposes of His heart;
(O)In the last days you will clearly understand it.
21 “(P)I did not send these prophets,
But they ran.
I did not speak to them,
But they prophesied.
22 “But if they had (Q)stood in My council,
Then they would have (R)announced My words to My people,
And would have turned them back from their evil way
And from the evil of their deeds.
23 “Am I a God who is (S)near,” declares the Lord,
“And not a God far off?
24 “Can a man (T)hide himself in hiding places
So I do not see him?” declares the Lord.
“(U)Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?” declares the Lord.
25 “I have (V)heard what the prophets have said who (W)prophesy falsely in My name, saying, ‘I had a (X)dream, I had a dream!’ 26 How long? Is there anything in the hearts of the prophets who prophesy falsehood, even these prophets of the (Y)deception of their own heart, 27 who intend to (Z)make My people forget My name by their dreams which they relate to one another, just as their fathers (AA)forgot My name because of Baal? 28 The prophet who has a dream may relate his dream, but let him who has (AB)My word speak My word in truth. (AC)What does straw have in common with grain?” declares the Lord. 29 “Is not My word like (AD)fire?” declares the Lord, “and like a (AE)hammer which shatters a rock? 30 Therefore behold, (AF)I am against the prophets,” declares the Lord, “who steal My words from each other. 31 Behold, I am against the prophets,” declares the Lord, “who use their tongues and declare, ‘The Lord declares.’ 32 Behold, I am against those who have prophesied (AG)false dreams,” declares the Lord, “and related them and led My people astray by their falsehoods and (AH)reckless boasting; yet (AI)I did not send them or command them, nor do they (AJ)furnish this people the slightest benefit,” declares the Lord.
33 “Now when this people or the prophet or a priest asks you saying, ‘What is the [c](AK)oracle of the Lord?’ then you shall say to them, ‘What [d]oracle?’ The Lord declares, ‘I will (AL)abandon you.’ 34 Then as for the prophet or the priest or the people who say, ‘The (AM)oracle of the Lord,’ I will bring punishment upon that man and his household. 35 Thus will each of you say to his neighbor and to his brother, ‘(AN)What has the Lord answered?’ or, ‘What has the Lord spoken?’ 36 For you will no longer remember the oracle of the Lord, because every man’s own word will become the oracle, and you have (AO)perverted the words of the (AP)living God, the Lord of hosts, our God. 37 Thus you will say to that prophet, ‘What has the Lord answered you?’ and, ‘What has the Lord spoken?’ 38 For if you say, ‘The oracle of the Lord!’ surely thus says the Lord, ‘Because you said this word, “The oracle of the Lord!” I have also sent to you, saying, “You shall not say, ‘The oracle of the Lord!’”’ 39 Therefore behold, (AQ)I will surely forget you and cast you away from My presence, along with the city which I gave you and your fathers.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Jeremiah 23:16 Lit heart
- Jeremiah 23:18 Another reading is My
- Jeremiah 23:33 Or burden, and so throughout the ch
- Jeremiah 23:33 Or burden, and so throughout the ch
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
