Jeremiah 23
23
The Righteous Descendant
1“What sorrow awaits the leaders of my people—the shepherds of my sheep—for they have destroyed and scattered the very ones they were expected to care for,” says the Lord.
2Therefore, this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says to these shepherds: “Instead of caring for my flock and leading them to safety, you have deserted them and driven them to destruction. Now I will pour out judgment on you for the evil you have done to them. 3But I will gather together the remnant of my flock from the countries where I have driven them. I will bring them back to their own sheepfold, and they will be fruitful and increase in number. 4Then I will appoint responsible shepherds who will care for them, and they will never be afraid again. Not a single one will be lost or missing. I, the Lord, have spoken!
5“For the time is coming,”
says the Lord,
“when I will raise up a righteous descendant#23:5 Hebrew a righteous branch.
from King David’s line.
He will be a King who rules with wisdom.
He will do what is just and right throughout the land.
6And this will be his name:
‘The Lord Is Our Righteousness.’#23:6 Hebrew Yahweh Tsidqenu.
In that day Judah will be saved,
and Israel will live in safety.
7“In that day,” says the Lord, “when people are taking an oath, they will no longer say, ‘As surely as the Lord lives, who rescued the people of Israel from the land of Egypt.’ 8Instead, they will say, ‘As surely as the Lord lives, who brought the people of Israel back to their own land from the land of the north and from all the countries to which he had exiled them.’ Then they will live in their own land.”
Judgment on False Prophets
9My heart is broken because of the false prophets,
and my bones tremble.
I stagger like a drunkard,
like someone overcome by wine,
because of the holy words
the Lord has spoken against them.
10For the land is full of adultery,
and it lies under a curse.
The land itself is in mourning—
its wilderness pastures are dried up.
For they all do evil
and abuse what power they have.
11“Even the priests and prophets
are ungodly, wicked men.
I have seen their despicable acts
right here in my own Temple,”
says the Lord.
12“Therefore, the paths they take
will become slippery.
They will be chased through the dark,
and there they will fall.
For I will bring disaster upon them
at the time fixed for their punishment.
I, the Lord, have spoken!
13“I saw that the prophets of Samaria were terribly evil,
for they prophesied in the name of Baal
and led my people of Israel into sin.
14But now I see that the prophets of Jerusalem are even worse!
They commit adultery and love dishonesty.
They encourage those who are doing evil
so that no one turns away from their sins.
These prophets are as wicked
as the people of Sodom and Gomorrah once were.”
15Therefore, this is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says concerning the prophets:
“I will feed them with bitterness
and give them poison to drink.
For it is because of Jerusalem’s prophets
that wickedness has filled this land.”
16This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says to his people:
“Do not listen to these prophets when they prophesy to you,
filling you with futile hopes.
They are making up everything they say.
They do not speak for the Lord!
17They keep saying to those who despise my word,
‘Don’t worry! The Lord says you will have peace!’
And to those who stubbornly follow their own desires,
they say, ‘No harm will come your way!’
18“Have any of these prophets been in the Lord’s presence
to hear what he is really saying?
Has even one of them cared enough to listen?
19Look! The Lord’s anger bursts out like a storm,
a whirlwind that swirls down on the heads of the wicked.
20The anger of the Lord will not diminish
until it has finished all he has planned.
In the days to come
you will understand all this very clearly.
21“I have not sent these prophets,
yet they run around claiming to speak for me.
I have given them no message,
yet they go on prophesying.
22If they had stood before me and listened to me,
they would have spoken my words,
and they would have turned my people
from their evil ways and deeds.
23Am I a God who is only close at hand?” says the Lord.
“No, I am far away at the same time.
24Can anyone hide from me in a secret place?
Am I not everywhere in all the heavens and earth?”
says the Lord.
25“I have heard these prophets say, ‘Listen to the dream I had from God last night.’ And then they proceed to tell lies in my name. 26How long will this go on? If they are prophets, they are prophets of deceit, inventing everything they say. 27By telling these false dreams, they are trying to get my people to forget me, just as their ancestors did by worshiping the idols of Baal.
28“Let these false prophets tell their dreams,
but let my true messengers faithfully proclaim my every word.
There is a difference between straw and grain!
29Does not my word burn like fire?”
says the Lord.
“Is it not like a mighty hammer
that smashes a rock to pieces?
30“Therefore,” says the Lord, “I am against these prophets who steal messages from each other and claim they are from me. 31I am against these smooth-tongued prophets who say, ‘This prophecy is from the Lord!’ 32I am against these false prophets. Their imaginary dreams are flagrant lies that lead my people into sin. I did not send or appoint them, and they have no message at all for my people. I, the Lord, have spoken!
False Prophecies and False Prophets
33“Suppose one of the people or one of the prophets or priests asks you, ‘What prophecy has the Lord burdened you with now?’ You must reply, ‘You are the burden!#23:33 As in Greek version and Latin Vulgate; Hebrew reads What burden? The Lord says he will abandon you!’
34“If any prophet, priest, or anyone else says, ‘I have a prophecy from the Lord,’ I will punish that person along with his entire family. 35You should keep asking each other, ‘What is the Lord’s answer?’ or ‘What is the Lord saying?’ 36But stop using this phrase, ‘prophecy from the Lord.’ For people are using it to give authority to their own ideas, turning upside down the words of our God, the living God, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
37“This is what you should say to the prophets: ‘What is the Lord’s answer?’ or ‘What is the Lord saying?’ 38But suppose they respond, ‘This is a prophecy from the Lord!’ Then you should say, ‘This is what the Lord says: Because you have used this phrase, “prophecy from the Lord,” even though I warned you not to use it, 39I will forget you completely.#23:39 Some Hebrew manuscripts and Greek version read I will surely lift you up. I will expel you from my presence, along with this city that I gave to you and your ancestors. 40And I will make you an object of ridicule, and your name will be infamous throughout the ages.’”
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Jeremiah 23: NLT
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Holy Bible, New Living Translation copyright 1996, 2004, 2007, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation.
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Yirmeyah 23
23
1Woe be unto the ro'im that destroy and scatter the tzon of My pasture! saith Hashem.
2Therefore thus saith Hashem Elohei Yisroel against the ro'im that shepherd My people; Ye have scattered My tzon, and driven them away, and have not attended to them; hineni, I will attend to you for the rah of your doings, saith Hashem.
3And I will gather the she'erit (remnant) of My tzon out of all countries where I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase.
4And I will set up ro'im (shepherds) over them which shall shepherd them; and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall they be lacking, saith Hashem.
5Hinei, the days come, saith Hashem, that I will raise up unto Dovid a Tzemach Tzaddik,#23:5 i.e., Moshiach Ben Dovid Yehoshua, see 30:9; 33:15; Zech 3:8; Ezra 3:8; Zech 6:11-12; Mt 2:23; Isa 4:2; 9:2-7; 11:1-12; 53:2,11; Moshiach the new “Joshua” Isa 49:8 and a Melech shall reign and act wisely, and shall execute mishpat and tzedakah in ha'aretz.
6In his days Yehudah shall be saved, and Yisroel shall dwell safely; and this is Shmo whereby he shall be called Adonoi (Hashem) Tzidkeinu.
7Therefore, hinei, the days are coming, saith Hashem, that they shall no more say, Hashem liveth, which brought up the Bnei Yisroel out of Eretz Mitzrayim;
8But, Hashem liveth, which brought up and which led the zera Bais Yisroel out of the eretz tzafonah, and from all countries to where I had driven them; and they shall dwell in their own land.
9Mine lev within me is broken because of the nevi'im; all my atzmot shake; I am like an ish shikkor, and like a gever (man) whom yayin hath overcome, because of Hashem, and because of Divrei Kadsho (His Holy Devarim).
10For ha'aretz is full of mena'afim; for because of a curse ha'aretz mourneth; the pleasant places of the midbar are dried up, and their course is ra'ah, and their gevurah is not right.
11For both navi and kohen are profane; indeed, in My Beis have I found their wickedness, saith Hashem.
12Therefore their derech shall be unto them as slippery ways in the darkness; they shall be driven on, and fall therein; for I will bring ra'ah upon them, even the year of their visitation [for punishment], saith Hashem.
13And I have seen a repulsive thing in the nevi'im of Shomron; they prophesied by Ba'al, and caused My people Yisroel to err.
14I have seen also in the nevi'im of Yerushalayim a horrible thing; they commit ni'uf and walk in sheker; they strengthen also the hands of evildoers, that none doth turn back from his wickedness; they are all of them unto Me as Sodom and the inhabitants thereof as Amora (Gomorrah).
15Therefore thus saith Hashem Tzva'os concerning the nevi'im; Hineni, I will feed them with wormwood, and make them drink the bitter water of gall; for from the nevi'im of Yerushalayim is chanupah (profaneness) gone forth into kol ha'aretz.
16Thus saith Hashem Tzva'os, Pay no heed unto the devarim of the nevi'im that prophesy unto you; they are deluding you; they speak a chazon (vision) of their own lev, and not out of the mouth of Hashem.
17They say continually unto them that despise Me, Hashem hath said, Ye shall have shalom; and they say unto everyone that walketh after the sherirut (stubbornness) of his own lev, No ra'ah shall come upon you.
18For who hath stood in the sod (council) of Hashem, and hath perceived and heard His Devar? Who hath marked His word, and heard it?
19Hinei, a whirlwind of Hashem is gone forth in fury, even a violent whirlwind; it shall fall grievously upon the rosh of the resha'im.
20The anger of Hashem shall not turn back, until He have executed, and until He have performed, the mezimmot (designs) of His lev; in the acharit hayamim ye shall understand it perfectly.
21I have not sent these nevi'im, yet they ran; I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied.
22But if they had stood in My sod (council), and had caused My people to hear My Devarim, then they should have turned them from their derech harah, and from the ra'ah of their doings.
23Am I Elohei mikarov, saith Hashem, and not Elohei merachok?
24Can any ish hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith Hashem. Do not I fill Shomayim and Ha'Aretz? saith Hashem.
25I have heard what the nevi'im said, that prophesy sheker (lies) biShmi (in My Name), saying, I have dreamed, I have dreamed.
26How long shall this be in the lev of the nevi'im that prophesy sheker? Indeed, they are nevi'im of the delusion of their own lev;
27Which think to cause My people to forget My Shem by their chalomot (dreams) which they tell every ish to his neighbor, as their avot have forgotten My Shem through Ba'al [worship].
28The navi that hath a chalom, let him tell a chalom; and he that hath My Devar, let him speak My Devar emes (faithfully). What is the chaff to the wheat? saith Hashem.
29Is not My Devar like an eish? saith Hashem. And like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?
30Therefore, hineni, I am against the nevi'im, saith Hashem, that steal My devarim every ish from his neighbor.
31Hineni, I am against the nevi'im, saith Hashem, that use their [own] lashon, and say, He saith.
32Hineni, I am against them that prophesy chalomot sheker, saith Hashem, and do tell them, and cause My people to err by their lies, and by their recklessness; yet I sent them not, nor commanded them: therefore they shall not profit this people at all, saith Hashem.
33And when this people, or the navi, or a kohen, shall ask thee, saying, What is the massa (burden, prophecy) of Hashem? Thou shalt then say unto them, What massa (burden)? I will even forsake you, saith Hashem.
34And as for the navi, and the kohen, and HaAm, that shall say, The massa (burden) of Hashem, I will even punish that ish and his bais.
35Thus shall ye say every ish to his neighbor, and every ish to his brother, What hath Hashem answered? And, What hath Hashem spoken?
36And the massa (burden) of Hashem shall ye mention no more; for every manʼs word shall be his massa (burden); for ye have perverted the Devarim of the Elohim Chayyim, of Hashem Tzva'os Eloheinu.
37Thus shalt thou say to the navi, What hath Hashem answered thee? And, What hath Hashem spoken?
38But since ye say, The massa (burden) of Hashem; therefore thus saith Hashem, Because ye say this word, The massa (burden) of Hashem, and I have sent unto you, saying, Ye shall not say, The massa (burden) of Hashem;
39Therefore, hineni, I, even I, will utterly forget you, and I will forsake you, and the Ir that I gave you and avoteichem, and cast you out of My presence;
40And I will bring a cherpat olam (everlasting disgrace) upon you, and a kelimut olam (perpetual dishonor), which shall not be forgotten.
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