Jeremiah 23
23
Gathering His Flock
1“Woe to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep of My pasture!” It is a declaration of Adonai.
2Therefore thus says Adonai, the God of Israel, about the shepherds who feed My people: “You have scattered My flock, driven them away, and have not taken care of them. I will soon visit on you the evil of your deeds.” It is a declaration of Adonai.
3“I will gather the remnant of My flock out of all the countries where I have driven them, and will bring them back to their folds, and they will be fruitful and multiply.
4I will raise up shepherds over them who will feed them. They will no longer be afraid or dismayed, nor will any be missing,” It is a declaration of Adonai.
The Righteous Branch
5“Behold, days are coming” —it is a declaration of Adonai— “when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and He will reign as king wisely, and execute justice and righteousness in the land.
6In His days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell in safely; and this is His Name by which He will be called: Adonai our righteousness.
7“Therefore behold, days are coming,” says Adonai, “when they will no longer say: ‘As Adonai lives, who brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt.’
8Rather, ‘As Adonai lives, who brought up and led the offspring of the house of Israel out of the north country and from all the lands where He had banished them.’ So they will dwell in their own soil.
Avoid Ungodly Prophets
9As for the prophets: My heart within me is broken, all my bones shake. I am like a drunken man, like a man overcome by wine because of Adonai, because of His holy words.
10For the land is full of adulterers. The land mourns because of a curse. Pastures of the wilderness are dry. Their running is evil, and their might is not right.
11For both prophet and kohen are ungodly. Even in My House I found their evil.” It is a declaration of Adonai.
12“Therefore their way will be for them like slippery places in the gloom. They will be driven away and fall there, for I will bring calamity on them, even the year of their visitation.” It is a declaration of Adonai.
13Moreover, I have seen unseemliness in the prophets of Samaria: they prophesied by Baal, and led My people Israel astray.
14But in the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen a horrible thing: committing adultery and walking in lies. They strengthen the hands of evildoers. No one turns back from his evil. They are all like Sodom to Me and her inhabitants like Gomorrah.”
15Therefore thus says Adonai-Tzva’ot concerning the prophets: “I myself will feed them wormwood and make them drink poisoned water. For from the prophets of Jerusalem pollution has spread into all the land.”
16Thus says Adonai-Tzva’ot: “Do not listen to the words of prophets who are prophesying to you. They are leading you into illusion, speaking a vision of their own heart and not out of the mouth of Adonai.
17They keep saying to those who despise Me, ‘Adonai has said, you will have shalom.’ To everyone who walks in the stubbornness of his own heart they say: ‘No evil will come on you.’”
18For who has stood in the council of Adonai, that he should see and hear His word? Who has heard to His word and obeyed?
19Look, a storm of Adonai goes out in fury, yes, a whirling tempest will swirl down on the head of the wicked.
20The anger of Adonai will not turn until He has executed and fulfilled the purposes of His heart. In the last days you will discern it clearly.
21“I did not send those prophets, yet they ran. I did not speak to them, yet they prophesied.
22If they have stood in My council, then they would have announced My words to My people, and turned them from their evil way, and from the evil of their deeds.”
23“Am I God only when near” —it is a declaration of Adonai— “and not God when far off?
24Can anyone hide himself in places so secret that I will not see him? Do I not fill heaven and earth?” It is a declaration of Adonai.
25“I have heard what the prophets said, who prophesy lies in My Name, saying: ‘I had a dream, I had a dream!’
26How long will this continue? Is there anything in the heart of such prophets prophesying lies? These prophets have deception in their heart.
27Through their dreams that they each tell to his companion, that intend to make My people forget My Name—just as their fathers forgot My Name because of Baal.
28“The prophet who has a dream may recount a dream, but let the one who has My word speak My word in truth. For what is straw compared with wheat?” It is a declaration of Adonai.
29“Is not My word like fire?” says Adonai, “or like a hammer that shatters rock?
30“Therefore here I am against the prophets”—it is a declaration of Adonai—“who steal My words from each other.
31Indeed, I am against the prophets”, declares Adonai, “who use their tongues to utter a prophecy, ‘It is a declaration!’
32Behold, I am against those who prophesy lying dreams,” declares Adonai, “and tell them, and so lead My people astray with their lies and with their reckless boasts. Yet I never sent them or commanded them. Nor do they benefit this people at all.” It is a declaration of Adonai.
33“Now when this people or a prophet or a kohen is asking you: ‘What is the burden of Adonai?’ then you are to say to them, ‘What burden? I will cast you off!’” It is a declaration of Adonai.
34“As for the prophet or kohen or people who keep saying, ‘The burden of Adonai!’—I will punish that man and his household.
35Thus each of you may say to his companion and each one to his brother, ‘What has Adonai answered?’ or ‘What has Adonai spoken?’
36But you should no longer remember ‘the burden of Adonai’—for to each one, his own word is becoming ‘the burden’! So you have perverted the words of the living God, of Adonai-Tzva’ot our God.
37“So you are to say to such a prophet, ‘What has Adonai answered you?’ and ‘What has Adonai spoken?’
38But if you say, ‘The burden of Adonai,’” then surely Adonai says, “because you keep saying this word: ‘The burden of Adonai,’ when I sent this word to you, you are not to say ‘The burden of Adonai’—
39therefore, I will surely forget you when I will cast you off, along with the city that I gave to you and to your fathers, away from My presence.
40Then I will bring everlasting disgrace on you and everlasting shame that will not be forgotten.”
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Jeremiah 23: TLV
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Copyright © 2014 - Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society
Jeremiah 23
23
A message of hope
The LORD said:
1You leaders of my people are like shepherds that kill and scatter the sheep. 2You were supposed to take care of my people, but instead you chased them away. So now I'll really take care of you, and believe me, you will pay for your crimes!
3I will bring the rest of my people home from the lands where I have scattered them, and they will grow into a mighty nation. 4I promise to choose leaders who will care for them like real shepherds. All my people will be there, and they will never again be frightened.
5Some day I will appoint#Jr 33.14-16.
an honest king
from the family of David,
a king who will be wise
and rule with justice.
6As long as he is king,
Israel will have peace,
and Judah will be safe.
The name of this king will be
“The LORD Gives Justice”.
7A time will come when you will again worship me. But you will no longer call me the Living God who rescued Israel from Egypt. 8Instead, you will call me the Living God who rescued you from the land in the north and from all the other countries where I had forced you to go. And you will once again live in your own land.
Jeremiah thinks about unfaithful prophets
9When I think of the prophets,
I am shocked, and I tremble#23.9 tremble: Or “become weak”.
like someone drunk,
because of the LORD
and his sacred words.
10Those unfaithful prophets
misuse their power
all over the country.
So God turned the pasture lands
into scorching deserts.#23.10 deserts: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 10.
The LORD will punish unfaithful prophets
11The LORD told me to say:
You prophets and priests
think so little of me, the LORD,
that you even sin
in my own temple!
12Now I will punish you
with disaster,
and you will slip and fall
in the darkness.
I, the LORD, have spoken.
13The prophets in Samaria
were disgusting to me,
because they preached
in the name of Baal
and led my people astray.
14And you prophets in Jerusalem#Gn 18.20; Ez 16.49.
are even worse.
You're unfaithful in marriage#23.14 in marriage: Or “to me”.
and never tell the truth.#23.14 never tell the truth: Or “worship other gods”.
You even lead others to sin
instead of helping them
turn back to me.
You and the people of Jerusalem
are evil like Sodom
and Gomorrah.#23.14 Sodom and Gomorrah: Two cities that the LORD destroyed because their people were so evil (see Genesis 18.16—19.29).
15You prophets in Jerusalem
have spread evil everywhere.
That's why I, the LORD, promise
to give you bitter poison
to eat and drink.
The LORD gives a warning
The LORD said:
16Don't listen to the lies
of these false prophets,
you people of Judah!
The message they preach
is something they imagined;
it did not come from me,
the LORD All-Powerful.
17These prophets go to people
who refuse to respect me
and who are stubborn
and do whatever they want.
The prophets tell them,
“The LORD has promised
everything will be fine.”
18But I, the LORD, tell you
that these prophets
have never attended a meeting
of my council in heaven#23.18 a meeting of my council in heaven: Sometimes, prophets had visions of the LORD meeting with his angels (see 1 Kings 22.19-23).
or heard me speak.
19They are evil! So in my anger
I will strike them
like a violent storm.
20I won't calm down,
until I have finished
what I have decided to do.
Some day you will understand
exactly what I mean.
21I did not send these prophets
or speak to them,
but they ran to find you
and to preach their message.
22If they had been in a meeting
of my council in heaven,
they would have told
you people of Judah
to give up your sins
and come back to me.
23I am everywhere—
both near and far,
24in heaven and on earth.
There are no secret places
where you can hide from me.
25These unfaithful prophets claim that I have given them a dream or a vision, and then they tell lies in my name. 26But everything they say comes from their own twisted minds. How long can this go on? 27They tell each other their dreams and try to get my people to reject me, just as their ancestors left me and worshipped Baal. 28Their dreams and my truth are as different as straw and wheat. But when prophets speak for me, they must say only what I have told them. 29My words are a powerful fire; they are a hammer that shatters rocks.
30-32These unfaithful prophets claim I give them their dreams, but it isn't true. I didn't choose them to be my prophets, and yet they babble on and on, speaking in my name, while stealing words from each other. And when my people hear these liars, they are led astray instead of being helped. So I warn you that I am now the enemy of these prophets. I, the LORD, have spoken.
News and nuisance
The LORD said to me:
33Jeremiah, when a prophet or a priest or anyone else comes to you and asks, “Does the LORD have news for us?” tell them, “You people are a nuisance#23.33 news…nuisance: The Hebrew word for “news” in verses 33-38 is the same as “nuisance” and is related to “pick up” in verse 39. to the LORD, and he#23.33 You people are a nuisance to the LORD, and he: Two ancient translations; Hebrew “Does the LORD have news for us? He”. will get rid of you.”
34If any of you say, “Here is news from the LORD,” I will punish you and your families, even if you are a prophet or a priest. 35Instead, you must ask your friends and relatives, “What answer did the LORD give?” or “What has the LORD said?” 36It seems that you each have your own news! So if you say, “Here is news from the LORD,” you are twisting my words into a lie. Remember that I am your God, the LORD All-Powerful.
37If you go to a prophet, it's all right to ask, “What answer did the LORD give to my question?” or “What has the LORD said?” 38But if you disobey me and say, “Here is news from the LORD,” 39I will pick you up#23.39 pick you up: A few Hebrew manuscripts and three ancient translations; most Hebrew manuscripts “forget you completely”. and throw you far away. And I will abandon this city of Jerusalem that I gave to your ancestors. 40You will never be free from your shame and disgrace.
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