Jeremiah Chapter 23
The Righteous Branch
23:[1] 2This is what Yahveh God of Israel says about shepherds that scatter and destroy his sheep instead of tending to them, “I’m about to tend to you for the evil you’ve done. 3 But I’ll gather the remnant of my flock out of the countries where I’ve driven them, and bring them back to their pasture to reproduce and multiply. 4 I’ll raise up shepherds to tend them. They won’t be afraid anymore, and none of them will go missing.
5“The time’s coming
when I’ll raise up a good Branch for David;
he’ll reign as King, deal wisely,
and carry out justice and goodness in the land.
6 In his time Judah will be safe;
Israel will live safely.
They’ll call him Yahveh Our Goodness.
7 People won’t swear then, ‘As sure as sure as Yahveh lives who brought the Israelites out of Egypt.’ 8 They’ll swear, ‘As sure as Yahveh lives who brought Israel’s descendants back from the north countries where he’d banished them.’ They’ll live again on their own land.”
Jer 23:1-8
Message About False Prophets
9 As for the false prophets:
My heart’s broken; my body’s shaking;
I’m like someone drunk on wine
because of Yahveh and his holy message.
10 The country is full of adultery;
it languishes under a curse.
The pastures have dried up;
the prophets all do evil;
they misuse their authority.
Jer 23:9-10
11 “Prophet and priest are ungodly;
I’ve found their wickedness right in my Temple.
12 So their road will be a slippery path in the dark
where they’ll be driven and fall down.
I’ll bring catastrophe on them
when I punish them.
Jer 23:11-12
13 “I’ve seen something offensive about the prophets in Samaria;
they’ve prophesied by Baal and misled my people.
14 Now I’ve seen something horrible about the prophets in Jerusalem;
they’ve committed adultery and followed lies.
They encourage the ones that do evil,
so nobody turns back from sin.
They’ve become like Sodom to me,
like the people in Gomorrah.
15 So this is what Yahveh says about the prophets:
‘I’ll feed them bitter plants to eat
and give them poisoned water to drink,
because the prophets in Jerusalem
have spread ungodliness in the land.’”
Jer 23:13-15
16 Yahveh of Hosts says,
“Ignore your prophets;
they’re giving you false hopes.
They talk to you about visions they imagine,
not visions from me.
17 They keep telling those who despise me
that Yahveh has said they’ll have peace;
they say to the ones who follow their own stubborn heart
that catastrophe won’t happen to them.
18 But who has stood in the council of Yahveh
to see and hear his message?
Who has paid attention to what he says?
19 An angry storm has gone out like a tornado,
like a micro-burst on the heads of sinners.
20 Yahveh’s anger won’t let up
till he’s carried out his intentions.
Later, you’ll understand.
Jer 23:16-20
21 “I didn’t send those prophets;
yet they hurried to deliver their ideas;
I didn’t speak to them;
yet they kept on prophesying.
22 If they’d stood in my council,
they would’ve delivered my message
and turned back from their own ways and deeds.
23 “Am I a God that’s close by
and not one that’s far off?
24Can anybody hide from me?
Don’t I fill earth and sky?
Jer 23:21-24
25 “I’ve heard what the false prophets have lied in my name, ‘I have dreamed! I have dreamed!’ 26 How long will they prophesy lies from their imagination, 27 and try to get my people to forget me by telling dreams to one another like their ancestors who forgot me for Baal? 28 The prophet that has a dream can go ahead and tell it, but he must tell my message faithfully. Straw’s different from wheat. 29 My word is like fire, like a sledgehammer that breaks rock into pieces. 30 I’m against prophets that steal messages from one another 31 and claim IY said it, 32 that prophesy lying dreams and mislead my people so recklessly. They’re no benefit them at all.
Jer 23:25-32
33 “When a prophet, priest, or layman asks you, ‘What’s Yahveh’s burden?’ tell him he’s the burden, and Yahveh is going to throw him off. 34 Any prophet, priest, or layman that says, ‘Yahveh’s burden,’ I’ll punish along with his family. 35 You’re to ask your brother and fellow citizen, ‘What has Yahveh answered?’ ‘What has Yahveh said?’ 36 Don’t use the expression ‘Yahveh’s burden’ anymore; that ‘burden’ is nothing but somebody’s own idea that perverts the message from the living God, Yahveh of Hosts, our God. 37 So ask the prophet, ‘What has Yahveh answered you?’ ‘What has Yahveh said?’ 38 If you say, ‘Yahveh’s burden,’ 39 I’ll throw you away with the city I gave you and your ancestors. 40 I’ll permanently disgrace you.’”
Jer 23:33-40