Jeremiah 23:9-40

9As for the prophets: My 1heart is broken within me, All my bones tremble; I have become like a drunken man, Even like a man overcome with wine, Because of the Lord And because of His holy words.10For the land is full of 2adulterers; For the land 3mourns because of the curse. The 4pastures of the wilderness have dried up. Their course also is evil And their might is not right.11“For 5both prophet and priest are polluted; Even in My house I have found their wickedness,” declares the Lord.12“Therefore their way will be like 6slippery paths to them, They will be driven away into the 7gloom and fall down in it; For I will bring 8calamity upon them, The year of their punishment,” declares the Lord.

13“Moreover, among the prophets of Samaria I saw an 9offensive thing: They 10prophesied by Baal and 11led My people Israel astray.14Also among the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen a 12horrible thing: The committing of 13adultery and walking in falsehood; And they strengthen the hands of 14evildoers, So that no one has turned back from his wickedness. All of them have become to Me like 15Sodom, And her inhabitants like Gomorrah. 15Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts concerning the prophets, ‘Behold, I am going to 16feed them wormwood And make them drink poisonous water, For from the prophets of Jerusalem Pollution has gone forth into all the land.’”

16Thus says the Lord of hosts, “17Do not listen to the words of the prophets who are prophesying to you. They are 18leading you into futility; They speak a 19vision of their own 20imagination, Not 21from the mouth of the Lord.17They keep saying to those who 22despise Me, ‘The Lord has said, “23You will have peace”’; And as for everyone who walks in the 24stubbornness of his own heart, They say, ‘25Calamity will not come upon you.’18But 26who has stood in the council of the Lord, That he should see and hear His word? Who has given 27heed to 28His word and listened?19Behold, the 29storm of the Lord has gone forth in wrath, Even a whirling tempest; It will swirl down on the head of the wicked.20The 30anger of the Lord will not turn back Until He has 31performed and carried out the purposes of His heart; 32In the last days you will clearly understand it.2133I did not send these prophets, But they ran. I did not speak to them, But they prophesied.22But if they had 34stood in My council, Then they would have 35announced My words to My people, And would have turned them back from their evil way And from the evil of their deeds.

23“Am I a God who is 36near,” declares the Lord, “And not a God far off?24Can a man 37hide himself in hiding places So I do not see him?” declares the Lord. “38Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?” declares the Lord.

25“I have 39heard what the prophets have said who 40prophesy falsely in My name, saying, ‘I had a 41dream, I had a dream!’ 26How long? Is there anything in the hearts of the prophets who prophesy falsehood, even these prophets of the 42deception of their own heart, 27who intend to 43make My people forget My name by their dreams which they relate to one another, just as their fathers 44forgot My name because of Baal? 28The prophet who has a dream may relate his dream, but let him who has 45My word speak My word in truth. 46What does straw have in common with grain?” declares the Lord. 29“Is not My word like 47fire?” declares the Lord, “and like a 48hammer which shatters a rock? 30Therefore behold, 49I am against the prophets,” declares the Lord, “who steal My words from each other. 31Behold, I am against the prophets,” declares the Lord, “who use their tongues and declare, ‘The Lord declares.’ 32Behold, I am against those who have prophesied 50false dreams,” declares the Lord, “and related them and led My people astray by their falsehoods and 51reckless boasting; yet 52I did not send them or command them, nor do they 53furnish this people the slightest benefit,” declares the Lord.

33“Now when this people or the prophet or a priest asks you saying, ‘What is the 5455oracle of the Lord?’ then you shall say to them, ‘What 56oracle?’ The Lord declares, ‘I will 57abandon you.’ 34Then as for the prophet or the priest or the people who say, ‘The 58oracle of the Lord,’ I will bring punishment upon that man and his household. 35Thus will each of you say to his neighbor and to his brother, ‘59What has the Lord answered?’ or, ‘What has the Lord spoken?’ 36For you will no longer remember the oracle of the Lord, because every man’s own word will become the oracle, and you have 60perverted the words of the 61living God, the Lord of hosts, our God. 37Thus you will say to that prophet, ‘What has the Lord answered you?’ and, ‘What has the Lord spoken?’ 38For if you say, ‘The oracle of the Lord!’ surely thus says the Lord, ‘Because you said this word, “The oracle of the Lord!” I have also sent to you, saying, “You shall not say, ‘The oracle of the Lord!’”’ 39Therefore behold, 62I will surely forget you and cast you away from My presence, along with the city which I gave you and your fathers. 40I will put an everlasting 63reproach on you and an everlasting humiliation which will not be forgotten.”