1 Woe be to the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! said the LORD.
2 Therefore thus said the LORD God of Israel against the pastors that feed my people; You have scattered my flock, and driven them away, and have not visited them: behold, I will visit on you the evil of your doings, said the LORD.
3 And I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all countries where I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase.
4 And I will set up shepherds over them which shall feed them: and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall they be lacking, said the LORD.
5 Behold, the days come, said the LORD, that I will raise to David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.
6 In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.
7 Therefore, behold, the days come, said the LORD, that they shall no more say, The LORD lives, which brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt;
8 But, The LORD lives, which brought up and which led the seed of the house of Israel out of the north country, and from all countries where I had driven them; and they shall dwell in their own land.
9 My heart within me is broken because of the prophets; all my bones shake; I am like a drunken man, and like a man whom wine has overcome, because of the LORD, and because of the words of his holiness.
10 For the land is full of adulterers; for because of swearing the land mourns; the pleasant places of the wilderness are dried up, and their course is evil, and their force is not right.
11 For both prophet and priest are profane; yes, in my house have I found their wickedness, said the LORD.
12 Why their way shall be to them as slippery ways in the darkness: they shall be driven on, and fall therein: for I will bring evil on them, even the year of their visitation, said the LORD.
13 And I have seen folly in the prophets of Samaria; they prophesied in Baal, and caused my people Israel to err.
14 I have seen also in the prophets of Jerusalem an horrible thing: they commit adultery, and walk in lies: they strengthen also the hands of evildoers, that none does return from his wickedness; they are all of them to me as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrah.
15 Therefore thus said the LORD of hosts concerning the prophets; Behold, I will feed them with wormwood, and make them drink the water of gall: for from the prophets of Jerusalem is profaneness gone forth into all the land.
16 Thus said the LORD of hosts, Listen not to the words of the prophets that prophesy to you: they make you vain: they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the LORD.
17 They say still to them that despise me, The LORD has said, You shall have peace; and they say to every one that walks after the imagination of his own heart, No evil shall come on you.
18 For who has stood in the counsel of the LORD, and has perceived and heard his word? who has marked his word, and heard it?
19 Behold, a whirlwind of the LORD is gone forth in fury, even a grievous whirlwind: it shall fall grievously on the head of the wicked.
20 The anger of the LORD shall not return, until he have executed, and till he have performed the thoughts of his heart: in the latter days you shall consider it perfectly.
21 I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran: I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied.
22 But if they had stood in my counsel, and had caused my people to hear my words, then they should have turned them from their evil way, and from the evil of their doings.
23 Am I a God at hand, said the LORD, and not a God afar off?
24 Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? said the LORD. Do not I fill heaven and earth? said the LORD.
25 I have heard what the prophets said, that prophesy lies in my name, saying, I have dreamed, I have dreamed.
26 How long shall this be in the heart of the prophets that prophesy lies? yes, they are prophets of the deceit of their own heart;
27 Which think to cause my people to forget my name by their dreams which they tell every man to his neighbor, as their fathers have forgotten my name for Baal.
28 The prophet that has a dream, let him tell a dream; and he that has my word, let him speak my word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat? said the LORD.
29 Is not my word like as a fire? said the LORD; and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?
30 Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets, said the LORD, that steal my words every one from his neighbor.
31 Behold, I am against the prophets, said the LORD, that use their tongues, and say, He said.
32 Behold, I am against them that prophesy false dreams, said the LORD, and do tell them, and cause my people to err by their lies, and by their lightness; yet I sent them not, nor commanded them: therefore they shall not profit this people at all, said the LORD.
33 And when this people, or the prophet, or a priest, shall ask you, saying, What is the burden of the LORD? you shall then say to them, What burden? I will even forsake you, said the LORD.
34 And as for the prophet, and the priest, and the people, that shall say, The burden of the LORD, I will even punish that man and his house.
35 Thus shall you say every one to his neighbor, and every one to his brother, What has the LORD answered? and, What has the LORD spoken?
36 And the burden of the LORD shall you mention no more: for every man' word shall be his burden; for you have perverted the words of the living God, of the LORD of hosts our God.
37 Thus shall you say to the prophet, What has the LORD answered you? and, What has the LORD spoken?
38 But since you say, The burden of the LORD; therefore thus said the LORD; Because you say this word, The burden of the LORD, and I have sent to you, saying, You shall not say, The burden of the LORD;
39 Therefore, behold, I, even I, will utterly forget you, and I will forsake you, and the city that I gave you and your fathers, and cast you out of my presence:
40 And I will bring an everlasting reproach on you, and a perpetual shame, which shall not be forgotten.
1 Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of My pasture! says Jehovah.
2 Therefore thus says Jehovah the God of Israel, against the shepherds who feed My people, You have scattered My flock, and have driven them away, and have not attended to them. Behold, I will attend to you for the evil of your doings, says Jehovah.
3 And I will gather the remnant of My flock out of all the lands where I have driven them, and will bring them back to their folds. And they shall be fruitful and multiply.
4 And I will set up shepherds over them who will feed them. And they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed; nor shall they be lacking, says Jehovah.
5 Behold, the days are coming, says Jehovah, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King who shall reign and act prudently, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the earth.
6 In His days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely. And this is His name by which He shall be called, JEHOVAH, OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.
7 Therefore, behold, the days come, says Jehovah, that they shall no longer say, Jehovah lives, who brought the sons of Israel up out of the land of Egypt;
8 but, Jehovah lives, who brought up and led the seed of the house of Israel out of the land of the north, and from all lands where I have driven them. And they shall dwell in their own land.
9 My heart within me is broken because of the prophets; all my bones shake. I am like a drunken man, and like a man whom wine has overcome, because of Jehovah, and because of the Words of His holiness.
10 For the land is full of adulterers. Yes, because of cursing the land mourns; the pleasant places of the wilderness are dried up, and their course is evil, and their strength is not right.
11 For both prophet and priest are corrupt; yes, in My house I have found their evil, says Jehovah.
12 So their way shall be to them as slippery ways in the darkness; they shall be driven on, and fall in them; for I will bring evil upon them, even the year of their punishment, says Jehovah.
13 And I have seen folly in the prophets of Samaria; they prophesied by Baal and caused My people Israel to go astray.
14 I have also seen in the prophets of Jerusalem a horrible thing; they commit adultery and walk in falsehood. They also strengthen the hands of evildoers, so that no one turns back from his evil; they are all of them like Sodom to Me, and its inhabitants like Gomorrah.
15 Therefore thus says Jehovah of Hosts concerning the prophets: Behold, I will feed them wormwood, and make them drink bitter water; for godlessness has gone forth from the prophets of Jerusalem into all the land.
16 Thus says Jehovah of Hosts, Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you. They fill you with vanities; they speak a vision from their own heart, not out of the mouth of Jehovah.
17 They speak to those who despise Me, promising, Jehovah has said, You shall have peace! And they say to everyone who walks after the stubbornness of his own heart, No evil shall come upon you!
18 For who has stood in the counsel of Jehovah, and has perceived and heard His Word? Who has paid attention to His Word and heeded it?
19 Behold, a tempest from Jehovah has gone forth in fury, a whirling tempest. It shall whirl upon the head of the wicked.
20 The anger of Jehovah shall not turn back, until He has executed and until He has fulfilled the purposes of His heart; in the latter days you shall diligently consider it with understanding.
21 I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran; I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied.
22 But if they had stood in My counsel and had caused My people to hear My Words, then they would have turned them from their evil way and from the evil of their doings.
23 Am I a God near by, says Jehovah, and not a God afar off?
24 Can anyone hide himself in secret places so that I shall not see him? says Jehovah. Do I not fill the heavens and earth? says Jehovah.
25 I have heard what the prophets have said, who prophesy lies in My name, saying, I have dreamed, I have dreamed.
26 How long shall this be in the heart of the prophets who prophesy lies? Indeed, they are prophets of the deceit of their own heart,
27 who think to cause My people to forget My name by their dreams which they tell, each one to his neighbor, as their fathers have forgotten My name for Baal.
28 The prophet who has a dream, let him tell a dream. And he who has My Word, let him speak My Word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat? says Jehovah.
29 Is not My Word like a fire? says Jehovah; and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?
30 Therefore thus says Jehovah, Behold, I am against the prophets who steal My Words each one from his neighbor.
31 Jehovah says, Behold, I am against the prophets who use their tongues and say, He says.
32 Jehovah says, Behold, I am against those who prophesy false dreams and tell them, and cause My people to go astray by their lies and by their foolishness. Yet I did not send them nor command them; therefore they shall not profit this people at all, says Jehovah.
33 And when this people, or the prophet, or a priest, shall ask you, saying, What is the burden of Jehovah? You shall then say to them, What burden? I will even forsake you, says Jehovah.
34 And as for the prophet, and the priest, and the people, who shall say, The burden of Jehovah! I will even punish that man and his house.
35 And you shall say each one to his neighbor, and each one to his brother, What has Jehovah answered? and, What has Jehovah spoken?
36 And you shall mention the burden of Jehovah no more. For every mans word shall be his burden; for you have perverted the Words of the living God, of Jehovah of Hosts our God.
37 Thus you shall say to the prophet, What has Jehovah answered you? and, What has Jehovah spoken?
38 But since you say, The burden of Jehovah! therefore thus says Jehovah, Because you say this word (The burden of Jehovah), and I have sent to you saying, You shall not say, The burden of Jehovah;
39 therefore behold, I, even I, will completely forget you, and I will forsake you and the city that I gave you and your fathers, and will cast you out of My presence.
40 And I will bring an everlasting reproach upon you, and a perpetual shame, which shall not be forgotten.