Jeremiah 23:9-24
Legacy Standard Bible
False Prophets Condemned
9 As for the prophets:
My (A)heart is broken within me;
All my bones tremble;
I have become like a drunken man,
Even like a man overcome with wine,
Because of Yahweh
And because of His holy words.
10 For the land is full of (B)adulterers;
For the land (C)mourns because of the curse.
The (D)pastures of the wilderness have dried up.
Their course also is evil,
And their might is not right.
11 “For (E)both prophet and priest are polluted;
Even in My house I have found their evil,” declares Yahweh.
12 “Therefore their way will be like (F)slippery paths to them;
They will be driven away into the (G)thick darkness and fall down in it;
For I will bring their (H)evil upon them,
The year of their [a]punishment,” declares Yahweh.
13 “Moreover, among the prophets of Samaria I saw an (I)offensive thing:
They (J)prophesied by Baal and (K)led My people Israel astray.
14 Also among the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen an (L)appalling thing:
The committing of (M)adultery and walking in lying;
And they strengthen the hands of (N)evildoers,
So that no one has turned back from his evil.
All of them have become to Me like (O)Sodom,
And her inhabitants like Gomorrah.
15 Therefore thus says Yahweh of hosts concerning the prophets,
‘Behold, I am going to (P)feed them wormwood
And make them drink [b]poisoned water,
For from the prophets of Jerusalem
Pollution has gone forth into all the land.’”
16 Thus says Yahweh of hosts,
“(Q)Do not listen to the words of the prophets who are prophesying to you.
They are (R)leading you into vanity;
They speak a (S)vision of their own heart,
Not (T)from the mouth of Yahweh.
17 They keep saying to those who (U)spurn Me,
‘Yahweh has said, “(V)You will have peace”’;
And as for everyone who walks in the (W)stubbornness of his own heart,
They say, ‘(X)Evil will not come upon you.’
18 But (Y)who has stood in the council of Yahweh,
That he should see and hear His word?
Who has given (Z)heed to [c]His word and heard?
19 Behold, the (AA)storm of Yahweh has gone forth in wrath,
Even a whirling storm;
It will whirl down on the head of the wicked.
20 The (AB)anger of Yahweh will not turn back
Until He has (AC)done and established the purposes of His heart;
(AD)In the last days you will clearly understand it.
21 (AE)I did not send these prophets,
But they ran.
I did not speak to them,
But they prophesied.
22 But if they had (AF)stood in My council,
Then they would have (AG)caused My words to be heard by 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 (AH)near,” declares Yahweh,
“And not a God far off?
24 Can a man (AI)hide himself in hiding places
So I do not see him?” declares Yahweh.
“(AJ)Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?” declares Yahweh.
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 23:12 Or visitation
- Jeremiah 23:15 Or gall
- Jeremiah 23:18 Or My
Jeremiah 23:9-24
American Standard Version
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 hath overcome, because of Jehovah, and because of his holy words. 10 For the land is full of adulterers; for because of [a]swearing the land mourneth; the pastures of the wilderness are dried up. And their course is evil, and their might is not right; 11 for both prophet and priest are profane; yea, in my house have I found their wickedness, saith Jehovah. 12 Wherefore their way shall be unto them as slippery places in the darkness: they shall be driven on, and fall therein; for I will bring evil upon them, [b]even the year of their visitation, saith Jehovah.
13 And 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 also I have seen a horrible thing: they commit adultery, and walk in lies; and they strengthen the hands of evil-doers, so that none doth return from his wickedness: they are all of them become unto me as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrah. 15 Therefore thus saith Jehovah of hosts concerning the prophets: Behold, I will feed them with wormwood, and make them drink the water of [c]gall; for from the prophets of Jerusalem is ungodliness gone forth into all the land.
16 Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you: they teach you vanity; they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of Jehovah. 17 They say continually unto them that despise me, Jehovah hath said, Ye shall have peace; and unto every one that walketh in the stubbornness of his own heart they say, No evil shall come upon you. 18 For who hath stood in the council of Jehovah, that he should perceive and hear his word? who hath marked [d]my word, and heard it? 19 Behold, the tempest of Jehovah, even his wrath, is gone forth, yea, a whirling tempest: it shall burst upon the head of the wicked. 20 The anger of Jehovah shall not return, until he have [e]executed, and till he have performed the intents of his heart: in the latter days ye shall [f]understand it perfectly. 21 I sent not these prophets, yet they ran: I spake not unto them, yet they prophesied. 22 But if they had stood in my council, then had they caused my people to hear my words, and had turned them from their evil way, and from the evil of their doings.
23 Am I a God at hand, saith Jehovah, and not a God afar off? 24 Can any hide himself in secret places so that I shall not see him? saith Jehovah. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith Jehovah.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Jeremiah 23:10 Or, the curse
- Jeremiah 23:12 Or, in the year
- Jeremiah 23:15 Or, poison
- Jeremiah 23:18 Another reading is, his
- Jeremiah 23:20 Or, done it
- Jeremiah 23:20 Or, consider
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