False Prophets Condemned

⁹ Concerning the prophets:

¹⁵ Therefore, this is what the Lord of Armies says concerning the prophets:

¹⁶ This is what the Lord of Armies says: “Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you. They are deluding you. They speak visions from their own minds,^(N) not from the Lord’s mouth.^{(O) 17} They keep on saying to those who despise me,^(P) ‘The Lord has spoken: You will have peace.’^(Q) They have said to everyone who follows the stubbornness of his heart, ‘No harm will come to you.’”

²³ “Am I a God who is only near”^(Y)—this is the Lord’s declaration—“and not a God who is far away? ²⁴ Can a person hide in secret places where I cannot see him?” ^(Z)—the Lord’s declaration. “Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?” ^(AA)—the Lord’s declaration.

²⁵ “I have heard what the prophets who prophesy a lie in my name have said: ‘I had a dream! I had a dream!’ ^{(AB) 26} How long will this continue in the minds of the prophets prophesying lies, prophets of the deceit of their own minds? ²⁷ Through their dreams that they tell one another, they plan to cause my people to forget my name as their ancestors forgot my name through Baal worship.^{(AC) 28} The prophet who has only a dream should recount the dream, but the one who has my word should speak my word truthfully, for what is straw compared to grain?”—this is the Lord’s declaration. ²⁹ “Is not my word like fire”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“and like a hammer that pulverizes rock? ³⁰ Therefore, take note! I am against the prophets”^(AD)—the Lord’s declaration—“who steal my words from each other. ³¹ I am against the prophets”—the Lord’s declaration—“who use their own tongues to make a declaration. ³² I am against those who prophesy false dreams”^(AE)—the Lord’s declaration—“telling them and leading my people astray with their reckless lies. It was not I who sent or commanded them, and they are of no benefit at all^(AF) to these people”—this is the Lord’s declaration.

The Burden of the Lord

³³ “Now when these people or a prophet or a priest asks you, ‘What is the burden^[c] of the Lord?’ you will respond to them, ‘What is the burden? I will throw you away! This is the Lord’s declaration.’ ³⁴ As for the prophet, priest, or people who say, ‘The burden of the Lord,’ I will punish that man and his household. ³⁵ This is what each man is to say to his friend and to his brother: ‘What has the Lord answered?’ or ‘What has the Lord spoken?’ ³⁶ But no longer refer to^[d] the burden of the Lord, for each man’s word becomes his burden and you pervert the words of the living God, the Lord of Armies, our God. ³⁷ 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,’ then this is what the Lord says: Because you have said, ‘The burden of the Lord,’ and I specifically told you not to say, ‘The burden of the Lord,’ ³⁹ I will surely forget you.^[e] I will throw you away from my presence—both you and the city that I gave you and your ancestors. ⁴⁰ I will bring on you everlasting disgrace and humiliation^(AG) that will never be forgotten.”

The Good and the Bad Figs

24 After King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had deported Jeconiah^[a] son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, the officials of Judah, and the craftsmen and metalsmiths^(A) from Jerusalem and had brought them to Babylon, the Lord showed me two baskets of figs^(B) placed in front of the temple of the Lord. ² One basket contained very good figs, like early figs,^(C) but the other basket contained very bad figs, so bad they were inedible. ³ The Lord said to me, “What do you see, Jeremiah?”

I said, “Figs! The good figs are very good, but the bad figs are extremely bad, so bad they are inedible.”

⁴ The word of the Lord came to me: ⁵ “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Like these good figs, so I regard as good the exiles from Judah I sent away from this place to the land of the Chaldeans. ⁶ I will keep my eyes on them for their good^(D) and will return them to this land. I will build them up and not demolish them; I will plant them and not uproot them.^{(E) 7} I will give them a heart to know me,^(F) that I am the Lord. They will be my people, and I will be their God because they will return to me with all their heart.^(G)

⁸ “But as for the bad figs, so bad they are inedible,^(H) this is what the Lord says: In this way I will deal with King Zedekiah of Judah, his officials, and the remnant of Jerusalem—those remaining in this land or living in the land of Egypt.^{(I) 9} I will make them an object of horror^(J) and a disaster to all the kingdoms of the earth, an example for disgrace, scorn, ridicule,^(K) and cursing, wherever I have banished them.^{(L) 10} I will send the sword, famine, and plague^(M) against them until they have perished from the land I gave to them and their ancestors.”

The Seventy-Year Exile

25 This is the word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah in the fourth year of Jehoiakim^(A) son of Josiah, king of Judah (which was the first year of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon). ² The prophet Jeremiah spoke concerning all the people of Judah and all the residents of Jerusalem as follows: ³ “From the thirteenth year of Josiah son of Amon,^(B) king of Judah, until this very day—twenty-three years—the word of the Lord has come to me, and I have spoken to you time and time again,^[a](C) but you have not obeyed. ⁴ The Lord sent all his servants the prophets to you time and time again,^[b] but you have not obeyed or even paid attention.^{[c](D) 5} He announced, ‘Turn, each of you, from your evil way of life and from your evil deeds.^(E) Live in the land the Lord gave to you and your ancestors long ago and forever.^{(F) 6} Do not follow other gods to serve them and to bow in worship to them,^(G) and do not anger me by the work of your hands.^(H) Then I will do you no harm.

⁷ “‘But you have not obeyed me’—this is the Lord’s declaration—‘with the result that you have angered me by the work of your hands and brought disaster on yourselves.’

⁸ “Therefore, this is what the Lord of Armies says: ‘Because you have not obeyed my words, ⁹ I am going to send for all the families of the north’^(I)—this is the Lord’s declaration—‘and send for my servant^(J) Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and I will bring them against this land, against its residents, and against all these surrounding nations, and I will completely destroy them and make them an example of horror^(K) and scorn, and ruins forever.^{(L) 10} I will eliminate the sound of joy and gladness from them—the voice of the groom and the bride,^(M) the sound of the millstones and the light of the lamp. ¹¹ This whole land will become a desolate ruin, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon for seventy years.^{(N) 12} When the seventy years are completed, I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation’—this is the Lord’s declaration—‘the land of the Chaldeans, for their iniquity, and I will make it a ruin forever.^{(O) 13} I will bring on that land all my words I have spoken against it, all that is written in this book that Jeremiah prophesied against all the nations. ¹⁴ For many nations and great kings will enslave them, and I will repay them according to their deeds and the work of their hands.’”^(P)