Yirmeyahu (Jeremiah) 23
23
1“Woe to the shepherds destroying and scattering the sheep of My pasture!”#See Jer. 10:21; Jer. 50:5, 6; Eze. 34:1-23; Zec. 10:2; Mat. 9:36. declares יהוה.
2Therefore thus said יהוה Elohim of Yisra’ĕl against the shepherds who feed My people, “You have scattered My flock, driven them away, and have not tended them. See, I am punishing you for the evil of your deeds,” declares יהוה.
3“Therefore I shall gather the remnant of My flock out of all the lands where I have driven them, and shall bring them back to their fold. And they shall bear and increase.
4“And I shall raise up shepherds over them, and they shall feed them.#See Jer. 3:14-17 And they shall fear no more, nor be discouraged, nor shall they be lacking,” declares יהוה.
5“See, the days are coming,” declares יהוה, “when I shall raise for Dawiḏ a Branch#Or Sprout. of righteousness, and a Sovereign shall reign and act wisely, and shall do right-ruling and righteousness in the earth.
6“In His days Yehuḏah shall be saved, and Yisra’ĕl dwell safely. And this is His Name whereby He shall be called: ‘יהוה our Righteousness.’
7“Therefore, see, the days are coming,” declares יהוה, “when they shall say no more, ‘As יהוה lives who brought up the children of Yisra’ĕl out of the land of Mitsrayim,’
8but, ‘As יהוה lives who brought up and led the seed of the house of Yisra’ĕl out of the land of the north and from all the lands where I had driven them.’ And they shall dwell on their own soil.”
9My heart within me is broken because of the prophets; all my bones shake. I am like a drunken man, and like a man overcome by wine, because of יהוה, and because of His set-apart words.
10For the land is filled with adulterers; for the land mourns because of a curse. 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 have become defiled. Even in My house I have found their evil,” declares יהוה.
12“Therefore their way is to them like slippery ways in the dark. They are driven on and they shall fall in them. For I bring evil on them, the year of their punishment,” declares יהוה.
13“And I have seen folly in the prophets of Shomeron: they prophesied by Ba‛al and led My people Yisra’ĕl astray.
14“And among the prophets of Yerushalayim I have seen a horrible matter: committing adultery and walking in falsehood. And they strengthen the hands of evil ones, so that no one turns back from his evil. All of them are like Seḏom to Me, and her inhabitants like Amorah.
15“Therefore thus said יהוה of hosts concerning the prophets, ‘See, I am making them eat wormwood, and shall make them drink poisoned water. For defilement has gone out into all the land from the prophets of Yerushalayim.’ ”
16Thus said יהוה of hosts, “Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you, they lead you astray. They speak a vision of their own heart, not from the mouth of יהוה.
17“They keep on saying to those who despise Me, ‘יהוה has said you shall have peace.’ And to all who walk according to the stubbornness of their own heart they say, ‘No evil comes upon you.’ ”
18For who has stood in the counsel of יהוה, and has seen and heard His word? Who has listened to His word and obeyed it?
19See, a storm of יהוה shall go forth in a rage, a whirling storm! It whirls on the head of the wrong.
20The displeasure of יהוה shall not turn back until He has done and established the purposes of His heart. In the latter days you shall understand it perfectly.#See Jer. 30:24
21“I did not send these prophets, yet they ran. I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied.#See Jer. 14:14, 15; Jer. 23:32; Jer. 28:15; Jer. 29:9
22“But if they had stood in My counsel, then they would have let My people hear My Words, and they would have turned them from their evil way and from the evil of their deeds.
23“Am I an Elohim close by,” declares יהוה, “and not an Elohim afar off?
24“If anyone is hidden in secret places, would I not see him?” declares יהוה. “Do I not fill the heavens and earth?” declares יהוה.
25“I have heard what the prophets have said who prophesy falsehood in My Name, saying, ‘I have dreamed, I have dreamed!’
26“Till when shall it be in the heart of the prophets? – the prophets of falsehood and prophets of the deceit of their own heart,
27who try to make My people forget My Name by their dreams which everyone relates to his neighbour, as their fathers forgot My Name for Ba‛al.
28“The prophet who has a dream, let him relate the dream, and he who has My Word, let him speak My Word in truth. What is the chaff to the wheat?” declares יהוה.
29“Is not My Word like a fire?” declares יהוה, “and like a hammer that shatters a rock?
30“Therefore see, I am against the prophets,” declares יהוה, “who steal My Words every one from his neighbour.
31“See, I am against the prophets,” declares יהוה, “who use their tongues and say, ‘He declares.’
32“See, I am against those who prophesy false dreams,” declares יהוה, “and relate them, and lead My people astray by their falsehoods and by their reckless boasting. But I Myself did not send them nor have I commanded them. And they do not profit this people at all,” declares יהוה.
33“And when these people or the prophet or the priest ask you, saying, ‘What is the message of יהוה?’ then you shall say to them, ‘What message?’ I shall forsake you,” declares יהוה.
34“As for the prophet and the priest and the people who say, ‘The message of יהוה,’ I shall punish that man and his house.
35“This is what each one says to his neighbour, and each one to his brother, ‘What has יהוה answered?’ and, ‘What has יהוה spoken?’
36“But the message of יהוה you no longer remember! For every man’s message is his own word, for you have changed#Or overthrown. See Isa. 24:5 the Words of the living Elohim, יהוה of hosts, our Elohim!
37“This is what you say to the prophet, ‘What has יהוה answered you?’ and, ‘What has יהוה spoken?’
38“But since you say, ‘The message of יהוה!’ therefore thus said יהוה, ‘Because you say this word, “The message of יהוה!” and I have sent to you, saying, “Do not say, ‘The message of יהוה!’ ”
39therefore see, I, I shall utterly forget you and cast you away from My presence, along with the city that I gave you and your fathers.
40And I shall put an everlasting reproach on you, and an everlasting shame that is not forgotten.’ ”
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Yirmeyahu (Jeremiah) 23: TS2009
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Jeremiah 23
23
A Message of Hope
The Lord said:
1 #
Ez 34.1-6,23,24; Jn 10.14-16. You 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 punish you severely and make you 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 of my people will be there, and they will never again be frightened.
5 #
Jr 33.14-16. Someday I will appoint
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 pasturelands
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 repulsive to me,
because they preached
in the name of Baal
and led my people astray.
14 #
Gn 18.20; Ez 16.49. And you prophets in Jerusalem
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 please.
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.
Someday 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,
24 #
Ws 1.7; Si 16.17. in 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 worshiped 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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