Jeremiah 23

1 Woe unto the shepherds that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith the LORD.ERV — Jeremiah 23:1

2 Therefore thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, against the shepherds that feed my people: Ye have scattered my flock, and driven them away, and have not visited them; behold, I will visit upon you the evil of your doings, saith the LORD.ERV — Jeremiah 23:2

3 And I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries whither I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and multiply.ERV — Jeremiah 23:3

4 And I will set up shepherds over them which shall feed them: and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall any be lacking, saith the LORD.ERV — Jeremiah 23:4

5 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute judgment and justice in the land.ERV — Jeremiah 23:5

6 In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, The LORD is our righteousness.ERV — Jeremiah 23:6

7 Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that they shall no more say, As the LORD liveth, which brought up the Children of Israel out of the land of Egypt;ERV — Jeremiah 23:7

8 but, As the LORD liveth, which brought up and which led the seed of the house of Israel out of the north country, and from all the countries whither I had driven them; and they shall dwell in their own land.ERV — Jeremiah 23:8

9 Concerning the prophets. Mine 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 the LORD, and because of his holy words.ERV — Jeremiah 23:9

10 For the land is full of adulterers; for because of swearing the land mourneth; the pastures of the wilderness are dried up; and their course is evil, and their force is not right.ERV — Jeremiah 23:10

11 for both prophet and priest are profane; yea, in my house have I found their wickedness, saith the LORD.ERV — Jeremiah 23:11

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, even the year of their visitation, saith the LORD.ERV — Jeremiah 23:12

13 And I have seen folly in the prophets of Samaria; they prophesied by Baal, and caused my people Israel to err.ERV — Jeremiah 23:13

14 In the prophets of Jerusalem also I have seen an horrible thing; they commit adultery, and walk in lies, and they strengthen the hands of evil-doers, that none doth return from his wickedness: they are all of them become unto me as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrah.ERV — Jeremiah 23:14

15 Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts concerning the prophets: Behold, I will feed them with wormwood, and make them drink the water of gall: for from the prophets of Jerusalem is profaneness gone forth into all the land.ERV — Jeremiah 23:15

16 Thus saith the LORD 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 the LORD.ERV — Jeremiah 23:16

17 They say continually unto them that despise me, The LORD 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.ERV — Jeremiah 23:17

18 For who hath stood in the council of the LORD, that he should perceive and hear his word? who hath marked my word, and heard it?ERV — Jeremiah 23:18

19 Behold, the tempest of the LORD, even his fury, is gone forth, yea, a whirling tempest: it shall burst upon the head of the wicked.ERV — Jeremiah 23:19

20 The anger of the LORD shall not return, until he have executed, and till he have performed the intents of his heart: in the latter days ye shall understand it perfectly.ERV — Jeremiah 23:20

21 I sent not these prophets, yet they ran: I spake not unto them, yet they prophesied.ERV — Jeremiah 23:21

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.ERV — Jeremiah 23:22

23 Am I a God at hand, saith the LORD, and not a God afar off?ERV — Jeremiah 23:23

24 Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the LORD. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the LORD.ERV — Jeremiah 23:24

25 I have heard what the prophets have said, that prophesy lies in my name, saying, I have dreamed, I have dreamed.ERV — Jeremiah 23:25

26 How long shall this be in the heart of the prophets that prophesy lies; even the prophets of the deceit of their own heart?ERV — Jeremiah 23:26

27 which think to cause my people to forget my name by their dreams which they tell every man to his neighbour, as their fathers forgat my name for Baal.ERV — Jeremiah 23:27

28 The prophet that hath a dream, let him tell a dream; and he that hath my word, let him speak my word faithfully. What is the straw to the wheat? saith the LORD.ERV — Jeremiah 23:28

29 Is not my word like as fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?ERV — Jeremiah 23:29

30 Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets, saith the LORD, that steal my words every one from his neighbour.ERV — Jeremiah 23:30

31 Behold, I am against the prophets, saith the LORD, that use their tongues, and say, He saith.ERV — Jeremiah 23:31

32 Behold, I am against them that prophesy lying dreams, saith the LORD, and do tell them, and cause my people to err by their lies, and by their vain boasting: yet I sent them not, nor commanded them; neither shall they profit this people at all, saith the LORD.ERV — Jeremiah 23:32

33 And when this people, or the prophet, or a priest, shall ask thee, saying, What is the burden of the LORD? then shalt thou say unto them, What burden! I will cast you off, saith the LORD.ERV — Jeremiah 23:33

34 And as for the prophet, and the priest, and the people, that shall say, The burden of the LORD, I will even punish that man and his house.ERV — Jeremiah 23:34

35 Thus shall ye say every one to his neighbour, and every one to his brother, What hath the LORD answered? and, What hath the LORD spoken?ERV — Jeremiah 23:35

36 And the burden of the LORD shall ye mention no more: for every man's own word shall be his burden; for ye have perverted the words of the living God, of the LORD of hosts our God.ERV — Jeremiah 23:36

37 Thus shalt thou say to the prophet, What hath the LORD answered thee? and, What hath the LORD spoken?ERV — Jeremiah 23:37

38 But if ye say, The burden of the LORD; therefore thus saith the LORD: Because ye say this word, The burden of the LORD, and I have sent unto you, saying, Ye shall not say, The burden of the LORD;ERV — Jeremiah 23:38

39 therefore, behold, I will utterly forget you, and I will cast you off, and the city that I gave unto you and to your fathers, away from my presence:ERV — Jeremiah 23:39

40 and I will bring an everlasting reproach upon you, and a perpetual shame which shall not be forgotten.ERV — Jeremiah 23:40