Dual Panel1The Lord <03068> says <05002>, “The leaders of my people are sure to be judged <01945>. They were supposed to watch over my people like shepherds <07462> watch over their sheep <06629>. But they are causing my people to be destroyed <06> and scattered <06327>.
2So <03651> the Lord <03068> God <0430> of Israel <03478> has this to say <0559> about <05921> the leaders <07462> who are ruling over <07462> his people <05971>: “You <0859> have caused my people <06629> to be dispersed <06327> and driven <05080> into exile. You have not <03808> taken care <06485> of them. So I will punish <06485> you for <05921> the evil <07455> that you have done <04611>. I, the Lord <03068>, affirm <05002> it!
3Then I myself <0589> will regather <06908> those of my people <06629> who are still alive <07611> from all <03605> the countries <0776> where <0834> I have driven <05080> them. I will bring <07725> them back <07725> to their homeland <05116>. They will greatly <06509> increase <07235> in number.
4I will install <06965> rulers <07462> over <05921> them who will care for <07462> them. Then they will no <03808> longer <05750> need to fear <03372> or <03808> be terrified <02865>. None <03808> of them will turn up missing <06485>. I, the Lord <03068>, promise <05002> it!
5“I, the Lord <03068>, promise <05002> that a new time <03117> will certainly come <0935> when I will raise up <06965> for them a righteous <06662> branch <06780>, a descendant of David <01732>. He will rule over <04427> them with wisdom and understanding <07919> and will do <06213> what is just <04941> and right <06666> in the land <0776>.
6Under his rule <03117> Judah <03063> will enjoy safety <03467> and Israel <03478> will live <07931> in security <0983>. This <02088> is the name <08034> he will go <07121> by: ‘The Lord <03068> has provided us with justice <06664>.’
7“So <03651> I, the Lord <03068>, say <0559>: ‘A new time <03117> will certainly come <0935>. People now affirm <05002> their oaths with “I swear as surely as the Lord <03068> lives <02416> who <0834> delivered <05927> the people <01121> of Israel <03478> out of Egypt <04714>.”
8But at that <03588> time they will affirm them with “I swear as surely <02416> as the Lord <03068> lives <0935> who delivered <05927> the descendants <02233> of the former nation <01004> of Israel <03478> from the land <0776> of the north <06828> and from all <03605> the other lands <0776> where he had <0834> banished <05080> them.” At that time they will live <03427> in <05921> their own land <0127>.’”
9Here is what the Lord says concerning the false prophets <05030>: My heart <03820> and my mind <03820> are deeply <07130> disturbed <07665>. I tremble <07363> all over <03605>. I am <01961> like a drunk <07910> person <0376>, like a person <01397> who has had too much <05674> wine <03196>, because <06440> of the way the Lord <03068> and his holy <06944> word <01697> are being mistreated.
10For <03588> the land <0776> is full <04390> of people unfaithful <05003> to him. They live wicked <07451> lives <04794> and they misuse their power <01369>. So the land <0776> is dried up <03001> because <03588> it is under <06440> his curse <0423>. The pastures <04999> in the wilderness <04057> are withered <056>.
11Moreover <03588>, the Lord <03068> says <05002>, “Both <01571> the prophets <05030> and <01571> priests <03548> are godless <02610>. I have even <01571> found <04672> them doing evil <07451> in my temple <01004>!
12So <03651> the paths <01870> they <01992> follow <01961> will be dark <0653> and slippery <02519>. They will stumble and fall <05307> headlong <01760>. For <03588> I will bring <0935> disaster <07451> on <05921> them. A day <08141> of reckoning <06486> is coming for them.” The Lord <03069> affirms <05002> it!
13The Lord says, “I saw <07200> the prophets <05030> of Samaria <08111> doing something that was disgusting <08604>. They prophesied <05012> in the name of the god Baal <01168> and led my people <05971> Israel <03478> astray <08582>.
14But I see <07200> the prophets <05030> of Jerusalem <03389> doing something <08186> just as shocking <08186>. They are unfaithful <05003> to me and continually prophesy <01980> lies <08267>. So they give encouragement <02388> to people who are doing evil <07489>, with the result that they do not <07489> stop their evildoing <07451>. I consider all <03605> of them as bad as the people of Sodom <05467>, and the citizens <03427> of Jerusalem as bad as the people of Gomorrah <06017>.
15So <03651> then <03541> I, the Lord <03068> who rules over all <06635>, have something to say <0559> concerning <05921> the prophets <05030> of Jerusalem: ‘I will make <0398> these prophets eat <0398> the bitter food of suffering <03939> and drink <08248> the poison <07219> water <04325> of judgment. For <03588> the prophets <05030> of Jerusalem <03389> are the reason that ungodliness <02613> has spread <03318> throughout <03605> the land <0776>.’”
16The Lord <03068> who rules over all <06635> says <0559> to the people of Jerusalem: “Do not <0408> listen <08085> to <05921> what <01697> those prophets <05030> are saying <05012> to you. They <01992> are filling <01891> you with false hopes <01891>. They are reporting <01696> visions <02377> of their own imaginations <03820>, not <03808> something the Lord <03068> has given them to say <06310>.
17They continually say <0559> to those who reject <05006> what the Lord <03068> has said <01696>, ‘Things will go <0935> well <07965> for you!’ They say <0559> to all <03605> those who follow <01980> the stubborn inclinations <08307> of their own hearts <03820>, ‘Nothing <03808> bad <07451> will happen to <05921> you!’
18Yet <03588> which <04310> of them has ever stood <05975> in the Lord’s <03068> inner circle <05475> so they could see <07200> and hear <08085> what he <01697> has to say <01697>? Which <04310> of them have ever paid attention <07181> or listened <08085> to what he <01697> has said <01697>?
19But just watch <02009>! The wrath <02534> of the Lord <03068> will come <03318> like a storm <05591>! Like a raging storm <05591> it will rage down <02342> on <05921> the heads <07218> of those who are wicked <07563>.
20The anger <0639> of the Lord <03068> will not <03808> turn back <07725> until <05704> he has fully <05704> carried out <06965> his intended <03820> purposes <04209>. In days <03117> to come <0319> you people will come to understand <0995> this clearly <0998>.
21I did not <03808> send <07971> those prophets <05030>. Yet they <01992> were in a hurry <07323> to give their message. I did not <03808> tell <01696> them <01992> anything. Yet they prophesied <05012> anyway.
22But if <0518> they had stood <05975> in my inner circle <05475>, they would have proclaimed <08085> my message <01697> to my people. They would have caused my people <05971> to turn <07725> from their wicked <07451> ways <01870> and stop doing the evil <07455> things they are doing <04611>.
23Do you people think that I <0589> am some local <07138> deity <0430> and not <03808> the transcendent <07350> God <0430>?” the Lord <03068> asks <05002>.
24“Do you really think anyone <0376> can hide <05641> himself where I <0589> cannot <03808> see <07200> him?” the Lord <03068> asks <05002>. “Do you not <03808> know that I <0589> am everywhere <04390> <0776>?” the Lord <03068> asks <05002>.
25The Lord says, “I have heard <08085> what <0834> those prophets <05030> who are prophesying <05012> lies <08267> in my name <08034> are saying <0559>. They are saying <0559>, ‘I have had a dream <02492>! I have had a dream <02492>!’
26Those prophets <05030> are just prophesying <05012> lies <08267>. They are prophesying <05030> the delusions <08649> of their own minds <03820>.
27How long will they go on plotting <02803> to make my people <05971> forget <07911> who I am through the dreams <02472> they tell <05608> one <0376> another <07453>? That is just <0834> as bad as what their ancestors <01> did when they forgot <07911> who I am by worshiping <08034> the god Baal <01168>.
28Let the prophet <05030> who <0834> has had <0854> a dream <02472> go ahead and tell <05608> his dream <02472>. Let the person who <0834> has received <0854> my message <01697> report <01696> that message <01697> faithfully <0571>. What <04100> is like straw <08401> cannot compare to <0854> what is like grain <01250>! I, the Lord <03068>, affirm <05002> it!
29My message <01697> is like <03541> a fire <0784> that purges dross! It is like a hammer <06360> that breaks <06327> a rock <05553> in pieces <06327>! I, the Lord <03068>, so affirm <05002> it!
30So <03651> I, the Lord <03068>, affirm <05002> that I am opposed <05921> to those prophets <05030> who steal <01589> messages <01697> from one <0376> another <07453> that they claim are from me.
31I, the Lord <03068>, affirm <05002> that <02005> I am opposed <05921> to those prophets <05030> who are using <03947> their own tongues <03956> to declare <05001>, ‘The Lord declares <05002>….’
32I, the Lord <03068>, affirm <05608> that I am opposed <05921> to those prophets <05012> who dream up <02472> lies <08267> and report <05002> them. They are misleading <08582> my people <05971> with their reckless <06350> lies <08267>. I <0595> did not <03808> send <07971> them. I did not <03808> commission <06680> them. They are not <03808> helping <03276> these <02088> people <05971> at all. I, the Lord <03068>, affirm <05002> it!”
33The Lord <03068> said <0559> to <0413> me, “Jeremiah, when <03588> one of these <02088> people <05971>, or <0176> a prophet <05030>, or <0176> a priest <03548> asks <07592> you, ‘What <04100> burdensome <04853> message do you have from the Lord?’ Tell them, ‘You are the burden <04853>, and I will cast <05203> you away <05203>. I, the Lord <03068>, affirm <05002> it!
34I will punish any prophet <05030>, priest <03548>, or other <05971> person who <0834> says <0559> “The Lord’s <03068> message <04853> is burdensome.” I will punish <06485> both that <01931> person <0376> and his whole family <01004>.’”
35So <03541> I, Jeremiah, tell <0559> you, “Each <0376> of you people should say to <05921> his friend <07453> or <0376> his relative <0251>, ‘How <04100> did the Lord <03068> answer <06030>? Or what <04100> did the Lord <03068> say <01696>?’
36You must no <03808> longer <05750> say <02142> that the Lord’s <03068> message is burdensome <04853>. For <03588> what is ‘burdensome <04853>’ really pertains <01961> to what <01697> a person <0376> himself says <01697>. You are misrepresenting <02015> the words <01697> of our God <0430>, the living <02416> God <0430>, the Lord <03068> who rules over all <06635>.
37Each of you should merely ask <0559> the prophet <05030>, ‘What <04100> answer <06030> did the Lord <03068> give <06030> you? Or what <04100> did the Lord <03068> say <01696>?’
38But <0518> just suppose <03651> you continue to say <0559>, ‘The message of the Lord <03068> is burdensome <04853>.’ Here is what <03282> the Lord <03068> says <0559> will happen: ‘I sent <07971> word <01697> to <0413> you that <02088> you must not <03808> say <0559>, “The Lord’s <03068> message is burdensome <04853>.” But you used the words <0559> “The Lord’s <03068> message is burdensome <04853>” anyway.
39So <03651> I will carry <05382> you far off <05382> and throw <05203> you away <05203>. I will send both you and the city <05892> I gave <05414> to you and to your ancestors <01> out of <05921> my sight <06440>.
40I will bring <05414> on <05921> you lasting <05769> shame <02781> and lasting <05769> disgrace <03640> which will never <03808> be forgotten <07911>!’”