Jeremiah 23
New International Version

The Righteous Branch

23 “Woe to the shepherds^(A)who are destroying and scattering^(B)the sheep of my pasture!”^(C)declares theLord.²Therefore this is what theLord, the God of Israel, says to the shepherds^(D)who tend my people: “Because you have scattered my flock^(E)and driven them away and have not bestowed care on them, I will bestow punishment on you for the evil^(F)you have done,” declares theLord.³“I myself will gather the remnant^(G)of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them and will bring them back to their pasture,^(H)where they will be fruitful and increase in number.⁴I will place shepherds^(I)over them who will tend them, and they will no longer be afraid^(J)or terrified, nor will any be missing,^(K)” declares theLord.

⁵“The days are coming,” declares theLord,
    “when I will raise up for David^[a]a righteous Branch,^(L)
a King^(M)who will reign^(N)wisely
    and do what is just and right^(O)in the land.
⁶In his days Judah will be saved
    and Israel will live in safety.^(P)
This is the name^(Q)by which he will be called:
    TheLordOur Righteous Savior.^(R)

⁷“So then, the days are coming,”^(S)declares theLord, “when people will no longer say, ‘As surely as theLordlives, who brought the Israelites up out of Egypt,’^(T)⁸but they will say, ‘As surely as theLordlives, who brought the descendants of Israel up out of the land of the north and out of all the countries where he had banished them.’ Then they will live in their own land.”^(U)

Lying Prophets

⁹Concerning the prophets:

My heart^(V)is broken within me;
    all my bones tremble.^(W)
I am like a drunken man,
    like a strong man overcome by wine,
because of theLord
    and his holy words.^(X)
¹⁰The land is full of adulterers;^(Y)
    because of the curse^[b]^(Z)the land lies parched
    and the pastures^(AA)in the wilderness are withered.^(AB)
The prophets follow an evil course
    and use their power unjustly.

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

¹³“Among the prophets of Samaria
    I saw this repulsive thing:
They prophesied by Baal^(AG)
    and led my people Israel astray.^(AH)
¹⁴And among the prophets of Jerusalem
    I have seen something horrible:^(AI)
    They commit adultery and live a lie.^(AJ)
They strengthen the hands of evildoers,^(AK)
    so that not one of them turns from their wickedness.^(AL)
They are all like Sodom^(AM)to me;
    the people of Jerusalem are like Gomorrah.”^(AN)

¹⁵Therefore this is what theLordAlmighty says concerning the prophets:

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

¹⁶This is what theLordAlmighty says:

“Do not listen^(AQ)to what the prophets are prophesying to you;
    they fill you with false hopes.
They speak visions^(AR)from their own minds,
    not from the mouth^(AS)of theLord.
¹⁷They keep saying^(AT)to those who despise me,
    ‘TheLordsays: You will have peace.’^(AU)
And to all who follow the stubbornness^(AV)of their hearts
    they say, ‘No harm^(AW)will come to you.’
¹⁸But which of them has stood in the council^(AX)of theLord
    to see or to hear his word?
    Who has listened and heard his word?
¹⁹See, the storm^(AY)of theLord
    will burst out in wrath,
a whirlwind^(AZ)swirling down
    on the heads of the wicked.
²⁰The anger^(BA)of theLordwill not turn back^(BB)
    until he fully accomplishes
    the purposes of his heart.
In days to come
    you will understand it clearly.
²¹I did not send^(BC)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,^(BD)
    they would have proclaimed^(BE)my words to my people
and would have turned^(BF)them from their evil ways
    and from their evil deeds.^(BG)

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

²⁵“I have heard what the prophets say who prophesy lies^(BK)in my name. They say, ‘I had a dream!^(BL)I had a dream!’²⁶How long will this continue in the hearts of these lying prophets, who prophesy the delusions^(BM)of their own minds?^(BN)²⁷They think the dreams they tell one another will make my people forget^(BO)my name, just as their ancestors forgot^(BP)my name through Baal worship.^(BQ)²⁸Let the prophet who has a dream^(BR)recount the dream, but let the one who has my word^(BS)speak it faithfully. For what has straw to do with grain?” declares theLord.²⁹“Is not my word like fire,”^(BT)declares theLord, “and like a hammer^(BU)that breaks a rock in pieces?

³⁰“Therefore,” declares theLord, “I am against^(BV)the prophets^(BW)who steal from one another words supposedly from me.³¹Yes,” declares theLord, “I am against the prophets who wag their own tongues and yet declare, ‘TheLorddeclares.’^(BX)³²Indeed, I am against those who prophesy false dreams,^(BY)” declares theLord. “They tell them and lead my people astray^(BZ)with their reckless lies,^(CA)yet I did not send^(CB)or appoint them. They do not benefit^(CC)these people in the least,” declares theLord.

False Prophecy

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