Woe be unto the pastors
that destroy
and scatter
the sheep
of my pasture
! saith
the LORD
.
Therefore thus saith the LORD
God
of Israel
against the pastors
that feed
my people
; Ye have scattered
my flock
, and driven them away
, and have not visited
them: behold, I will visit
upon you the evil
of your doings
, saith
the LORD
.
And I will gather the remnant
of my flock
out of all countries
whither I have driven
them, and will bring them again
to their folds
; and they shall be fruitful
and increase
.
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
, saith
the LORD
.
Behold, the days come
, saith
the LORD
, that I will raise
unto David
a righteous
Branch
, and a King
shall reign
and prosper
, and shall execute
judgment
and justice
in the earth
.
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
.
Therefore, behold, the days come
, saith
the LORD
, that they shall no more say
, The LORD
liveth
, which brought up
the children
of Israel
out of the land
of Egypt
;
But, The LORD liveth
, which brought up
and which led
the seed
of the house
of Israel
out of the north
country
, and from all countries
whither I had driven
them; and they shall dwell
in their own land
.
Mine 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
hath overcome
, because
of the LORD
, and because of the words
of his holiness
.
For the land is full
of adulterers
; for because
of swearing
the land
mourneth
; the pleasant places
of the wilderness
are dried up
, and their course
is evil
, and their force
is not right.
For both prophet and priest
are profane
; yea, in my house
have I found
their wickedness
, saith
the LORD
.
Wherefore their way shall be unto them as slippery
ways in the darkness
: they shall be driven on
, and fall
therein: for I will bring
evil
upon them, even the year
of their visitation
, saith
the LORD
.
And I have seen folly
in the prophets
of Samaria
; they prophesied
in Baal
, and caused my people
Israel
to err
.
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
doth return
from his wickedness
: they are all of them unto me as Sodom
, and the inhabitants
thereof as Gomorrah
.
Therefore thus saith 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
.
Thus saith the LORD
of hosts
, Hearken
not unto the words
of the prophets
that prophesy
unto you: they make you vain
: they speak
a vision
of their own heart
, and not out of the mouth
of the LORD
.
They say still
unto them that despise
me, The LORD
hath said
, Ye shall have peace
; and they say
unto every one that walketh
after the imagination
of his own heart
, No evil
shall come
upon you.
For who hath stood in the counsel
of the LORD
, and hath perceived
and heard
his word
? who hath marked
his word
, and heard
it ?
Behold, a whirlwind of the LORD
is gone forth
in fury
, even a grievous
whirlwind
: it shall fall grievously
upon the head
of the wicked
.
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
ye shall consider
it perfectly
.
I have not sent these prophets
, yet they ran
: I have not spoken
to them, yet they prophesied
.
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
.
Am I a God at hand
, saith
the LORD
, and not a God
afar off
?
Can any hide
himself in secret places
that I shall not see
him? saith
the LORD
. Do not I fill
heaven
and earth
? saith
the LORD
.
I have heard what the prophets
said
, that prophesy
lies
in my name
, saying
, I have dreamed
, I have dreamed
.
How long shall this be in the heart
of the prophets
that prophesy
lies
? yea, they are prophets
of the deceit
of their own heart
;
Which think to cause my people
to forget
my name
by their dreams
which they tell
every man
to his neighbour
, as their fathers
have forgotten
my name
for Baal
.
The prophet that hath a dream
, let him tell
a dream
; and he that hath my word
, let him speak
my word
faithfully
. What is the chaff
to the wheat
? saith
the LORD
.
Is not my word like
as a fire
? saith
the LORD
; and like a hammer
that breaketh
the rock
in pieces
?
Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets, saith
the LORD
, that steal
my words
every one
from his neighbour
.
Behold, I am against the prophets, saith
the LORD
, that use
their tongues
, and say
, He saith
.
Behold, I am against them that prophesy false
dreams
, saith
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
, saith
the LORD
.
And when this people, or the prophet
, or a priest
, shall ask
thee, saying
, What is the burden
of the LORD
? thou shalt then say
unto them, What burden
? I will even forsake
you, saith
the LORD
.
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
.
Thus shall ye say every one
to his neighbour
, and every one
to his brother
, What hath the LORD
answered
? and, What hath the LORD
spoken
?
And the burden of the LORD
shall ye mention
no more: for every man's
word
shall be his burden
; for ye have perverted
the words
of the living
God
, of the LORD
of hosts
our God
.
Thus shalt thou say to the prophet
, What hath the LORD
answered
thee? and, What hath the LORD
spoken
?
But since ye say
, The burden
of the LORD
; therefore thus saith
the LORD
; Because ye say
this word
, The burden
of the LORD
, and I have sent
unto you, saying
, Ye shall not say
, The burden
of the LORD
;
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
:
And I will bring an everlasting
reproach
upon you, and a perpetual
shame
, which shall not be forgotten
.