Jeremiah 23:9-22

Denunciation of the Lying Prophets

⁹ In reference to the prophets: Broken hath been my heart in my midst, Fluttered have all my bones, I have been as a man—a drunkard, And as a man—wine hath passed over him, Because of Jehovah, and of His holy words. ¹⁰ For of adulterers hath the land been full, For because of these hath the land mourned, Dried up hath been the pleasant places of the wilderness, And their course is evil, and their might—not right. ¹¹ For both prophet and priest have been profane, Yea, in My house I found their wickedness, An affirmation of Jehovah. ¹² Therefore is their way to them as slippery places, Into thick darkness they are driven, And they have fallen in it, For I bring in against them evil, The year of their inspection, An affirmation of Jehovah. ¹³ And in prophets of Samaria I have seen folly, They have prophesied by Baal, And cause my people—Israel—to err. ¹⁴ And in prophets of Jerusalem I have seen a horrible thing, Committing adultery, and walking falsely, Yea, they strengthened the hands of evil doers, So that they have not turned back Each from his wickedness, They have been to me—all of them—as Sodom, And its inhabitants as Gomorrah. ¹⁵ Therefore, thus said Jehovah of Hosts, concerning the prophets: Lo, I am causing them to eat wormwood, And have caused them to drink water of gall, For, from prophets of Jerusalem Hath profanity gone forth to all the land. ¹⁶ Thus said Jehovah of Hosts: Ye do not hearken unto the words Of the prophets who are prophesying to you, They are making you vain things, A vision of their own heart they speak, Not from the mouth of Jehovah. ¹⁷ Saying diligently to those despising The word of Jehovah: Peace is for you, And 'to' every one walking in the stubbornness of his heart they have said: Evil doth not come in unto you. ¹⁸ For who hath stood in the counsel of Jehovah, And seeth and heareth His word? Who hath regarded My word, and hearkeneth? ¹⁹ Lo, a whirlwind of Jehovah—Fury hath gone out, even a piercing whirlwind, On the head of the wicked it stayeth. ²⁰ The anger of Jehovah doth not turn back Till His doing, and till His establishing, The thoughts of His heart, In the latter end of the days ye attend to it With understanding. ²¹ I have not sent the prophets, and they have run, I have not spoken unto them, and they have prophesied. ²² But—if they stood in My counsel, Then they cause My people to hear My words, And they turn them back from their evil way, And from the evil of their doings.