Jeremiah 23:21-40

21I did not send those prophets. But they have still run to speak to you. I did not tell them what to say, but they have continued to prophesy.

22If they had really met with me, they would have spoken my message to my people. They would have caused my people to turn away from their wicked way of life. They would have stopped my people doing evil things.’

23The Lord says, ‘Am I a God in only one place? No! I see everything everywhere!

24Do you think you can hide in a place where I cannot see you? You should know that I am everywhere, in the heavens above and on the earth.’ That is what the Lord says.

25‘I have heard the lies that these prophets are saying. They say that they have messages from me. They say, “God has spoken to me in a dream!”

26But all their words are lies. Their messages are their own ideas. When will they stop deceiving people?

27They want to make my people forget who I am. They use their dreams to do this. They tell them to each other. They are as bad as their ancestors. They also forgot who I am when they worshipped the false god, Baal.

28If a prophet has a dream, he should say what it is. If a prophet receives a message from me, he should speak that message faithfully. But dreams are very different from my messages. Straw is not the same as wheat!

29A message from me is like a fire that burns things. It is like a hammer that breaks a rock into pieces.’ That is what the Lord says.

30‘I tell you that I am against those prophets! They say that they speak messages from me. But they are using each other's ideas.

31They say, “This message is from the Lord,” but it is their own words that they speak.

32Yes, I am against those who have dreams and use them to deceive people. They are using cruel lies to lead the people away from me. I did not send those prophets to speak on my behalf. They do nothing to help my people.’ That is what the Lord says.

33The Lord said, ‘Jeremiah, someone may ask you a question. He may be one of these people or a prophet or a priest. He may ask you, “What message of trouble is the Lord telling us now?” Then you must say to him, “You are the trouble! The Lord says that he will go away from you.”

34If a prophet, a priest, or anyone else says, “I have a message of trouble from the Lord,” I will punish that person. I will punish his whole family too.

35Instead, each of you should ask your friends, “What is the Lord's answer?” or “What has the Lord said?”

36But you must not speak any more about “a message of trouble from the Lord”. It is the person's own message that brings the trouble. In that way, you change the true message of our God, the living God who is the Lord Almighty.

37You should ask the prophet, “What answer did the Lord give to you?” or “What did the Lord say?”

38You must no longer say, “What is the message of trouble from the Lord?” If you continue to say that when I have told you not to say it, this is what will happen:

39I will pick you up and I will throw you away! I will send you all a long way away from me. I will chase out all the people of this city that I gave to you and to your ancestors.

40I will make you very ashamed. People will never forget your great shame.’