Olive Tree Bible App

Jeremiah 23:9-40 New International Version (NIV)

Lying Prophets

⁹Concerning the prophets:

My heart^(A) is broken within me;
    all my bones tremble.^(B)
I am like a drunken man,
    like a strong man overcome by wine,
because of the Lord
    and his holy words.^(C)
¹⁰The land is full of adulterers;^(D)
    because of the curse^[a]^(E) the land lies parched
    and the pastures^(F) in the wilderness are withered.^(G)
The prophets follow an evil course
    and use their power unjustly.

¹¹“Both prophet and priest are godless;^(H)
    even in my temple^(I) I find their wickedness,”
declares the Lord.
¹²“Therefore their path will become slippery;^(J)
    they will be banished to darkness
    and there they will fall.
I will bring disaster on them
    in the year they are punished,^(K)”
declares the Lord.

¹³“Among the prophets of Samaria
    I saw this repulsive thing:
They prophesied by Baal^(L)
    and led my people Israel astray.^(M)
¹⁴And among the prophets of Jerusalem
    I have seen something horrible:^(N)
    They commit adultery and live a lie.^(O)
They strengthen the hands of evildoers,^(P)
    so that not one of them turns from their wickedness.^(Q)
They are all like Sodom^(R) to me;
    the people of Jerusalem are like Gomorrah.”^(S)

¹⁵Therefore this is what the Lord Almighty says concerning the prophets:

“I will make them eat bitter food
and drink poisoned water,^(T)
because from the prophets of Jerusalem
ungodliness^(U) has spread throughout the land.”

¹⁶This is what the Lord Almighty says:

“Do not listen^(V) to what the prophets are prophesying to you;
    they fill you with false hopes.
They speak visions^(W) from their own minds,
    not from the mouth^(X) of the Lord.
¹⁷They keep saying^(Y) to those who despise me,
    ‘The Lord says: You will have peace.’^(Z)
And to all who follow the stubbornness^(AA) of their hearts
    they say, ‘No harm^(AB) will come to you.’
¹⁸But which of them has stood in the council^(AC) of the Lord
    to see or to hear his word?
    Who has listened and heard his word?
¹⁹See, the storm^(AD) of the Lord
    will burst out in wrath,
a whirlwind^(AE) swirling down
    on the heads of the wicked.
²⁰The anger^(AF) of the Lord will not turn back^(AG)
    until he fully accomplishes
    the purposes of his heart.
In days to come
    you will understand it clearly.
²¹I did not send^(AH) these prophets,
    yet they have run with their message;
I did not speak to them,
    yet they have prophesied.
²²But if they had stood in my council,^(AI)
    they would have proclaimed^(AJ) my words to my people
and would have turned^(AK) them from their evil ways
    and from their evil deeds.^(AL)

²³“Am I only a God nearby,^(AM)”
declares the Lord,
    “and not a God far away?
²⁴Who can hide^(AN) in secret places
    so that I cannot see them?”
declares the Lord.
    “Do not I fill heaven and earth?”^(AO)
declares the Lord.

²⁵“I have heard what the prophets say who prophesy lies^(AP) in my name. They say, ‘I had a dream!^(AQ) I had a dream!’ ²⁶How long will this continue in the hearts of these lying prophets, who prophesy the delusions^(AR) of their own minds?^(AS) ²⁷They think the dreams they tell one another will make my people forget^(AT) my name, just as their ancestors forgot^(AU) my name through Baal worship.^(AV) ²⁸Let the prophet who has a dream^(AW) recount the dream, but let the one who has my word^(AX) speak it faithfully. For what has straw to do with grain?” declares the Lord. ²⁹“Is not my word like fire,”^(AY) declares the Lord, “and like a hammer^(AZ) that breaks a rock in pieces?

³⁰“Therefore,” declares the Lord, “I am against^(BA) the prophets^(BB) who steal from one another words supposedly from me. ³¹Yes,” declares the Lord, “I am against the prophets who wag their own tongues and yet declare, ‘The Lord declares.’^(BC) ³²Indeed, I am against those who prophesy false dreams,^(BD)” declares the Lord. “They tell them and lead my people astray^(BE) with their reckless lies,^(BF) yet I did not send^(BG) or appoint them. They do not benefit^(BH) these people in the least,” declares the Lord.

False Prophecy

³³“When these people, or a prophet or a priest, ask you, ‘What is the message^(BI) from the Lord?’ say to them, ‘What message? I will forsake^(BJ) you, declares the Lord.’ ³⁴If a prophet or a priest or anyone else claims, ‘This is a message^(BK) from the Lord,’ I will punish^(BL) them and their household. ³⁵This is what each of you keeps saying to your friends and other Israelites: ‘What is the Lord’s answer?’^(BM) or ‘What has the Lord spoken?’ ³⁶But you must not mention ‘a message from the Lord’ again, because each one’s word becomes their own message. So you distort^(BN) the words of the living God,^(BO) the Lord Almighty, our God. ³⁷This is what you keep saying to a prophet: ‘What is the Lord’s answer to you?’ or ‘What has the Lord spoken?’ ³⁸Although you claim, ‘This is a message from the Lord,’ this is what the Lord says: You used the words, ‘This is a message from the Lord,’ even though I told you that you must not claim, ‘This is a message from the Lord.’ ³⁹Therefore, I will surely forget you and cast^(BP) you out of my presence along with the city I gave to you and your ancestors. ⁴⁰I will bring on you everlasting disgrace^(BQ)—everlasting shame that will not be forgotten.”

New International Version (NIV)