The Coming Messiah: the Righteous Branch
1 “(A)Woe to the shepherds who are (B)destroying and scattering the (C)sheep of My pasture!” declares the Lord.
2 Therefore thus says the Lord God of Israel concerning the shepherds who are (a)tending My people: “You have scattered My flock and driven them away, and have not attended to them; behold, I am about to (D)attend to you for the (E)evil of your deeds,” declares the Lord.
3 “Then I Myself will (F)gather the remnant of My flock out of all the countries where I have driven them and bring them back to their pasture, and they will be fruitful and multiply.
4 I will also raise up (G)shepherds over them and they will (b)tend them; and they will (H)not be afraid any longer, nor be terrified, (I)nor will any be missing,” declares the Lord.
7 “(Q)Therefore behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when they will no longer say, ‘As the Lord lives, who brought up the sons of Israel from the land of Egypt,’
8 (R)but, ‘As the Lord lives, who (S)brought up and led back the descendants of the household of Israel from the north land and from all the countries where I had driven them.’ Then they will live on their own soil.”
False Prophets Denounced
9
As for the prophets:
My (T)heart is broken within me,
All my bones tremble;
I have become like a drunken man,
Even like a man overcome with wine,
Because of the Lord
And because of His holy words.
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11 My (T)heart is broken within me,
All my bones tremble;
I have become like a drunken man,
Even like a man overcome with wine,
Because of the Lord
And because of His holy words.
“For (X)both prophet and priest are polluted;
Even in My house I have found their wickedness,” declares the Lord.
12
Even in My house I have found their wickedness,” declares the Lord.
13
14
“Also among the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen a (AE)horrible thing:
The committing of (AF)adultery and walking in falsehood;
And they strengthen the hands of (AG)evildoers,
So that no one has turned back from his wickedness.
All of them have become to Me like (AH)Sodom,
And her inhabitants like Gomorrah.
The committing of (AF)adultery and walking in falsehood;
And they strengthen the hands of (AG)evildoers,
So that no one has turned back from his wickedness.
All of them have become to Me like (AH)Sodom,
And her inhabitants like Gomorrah.
15 “Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts concerning the prophets,
‘Behold, I am going to (AI)feed them wormwood
And make them drink poisonous water,
For from the prophets of Jerusalem
Pollution has gone forth into all the land.’”
And make them drink poisonous water,
For from the prophets of Jerusalem
Pollution has gone forth into all the land.’”
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17
18
19
“Behold, the (AT)storm of the Lord has gone forth in wrath,
Even a whirling tempest;
It will swirl down on the head of the wicked.
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21
22
Even a whirling tempest;
It will swirl down on the head of the wicked.
25 “I have (BD)heard what the prophets have said who (BE)prophesy falsely in My name, saying, ‘I had a (BF)dream, I had a dream!’
26 How long? Is there anything in the hearts of the prophets who prophesy falsehood, even these prophets of the (BG)deception of their own heart,
27 who intend to (BH)make My people forget My name by their dreams which they relate to one another, just as their fathers (BI)forgot My name because of Baal?
28 The prophet who has a dream may relate his dream, but let him who has (BJ)My word speak My word in truth. (BK)What does straw have in common with grain?” declares the Lord.
29 “Is not My word like (BL)fire?” declares the Lord, “and like a (BM)hammer which shatters a rock?
30 Therefore behold, (BN)I am against the prophets,” declares the Lord, “who steal My words from each other.
31 Behold, I am against the prophets,” declares the Lord, “who use their tongues and declare, ‘The Lord declares.’
32 Behold, I am against those who have prophesied (BO)false dreams,” declares the Lord, “and related them and led My people astray by their falsehoods and (BP)reckless boasting; yet (BQ)I did not send them or command them, nor do they (BR)furnish this people the slightest benefit,” declares the Lord.
33 “Now when this people or the prophet or a priest asks you saying, ‘What is the (g)(BS)oracle of the Lord?’ then you shall say to them, ‘What (h)oracle?’ The Lord declares, ‘I will (BT)abandon you.’
34 Then as for the prophet or the priest or the people who say, ‘The (BU)oracle of the Lord,’ I will bring punishment upon that man and his household.
35 Thus will each of you say to his neighbor and to his brother, ‘(BV)What has the Lord answered?’ or, ‘What has the Lord spoken?’
36 For you will no longer remember the oracle of the Lord, because every man’s own word will become the oracle, and you have (BW)perverted the words of the (BX)living God, the Lord of hosts, our God.
37 Thus you will say to that prophet, ‘What has the Lord answered you?’ and, ‘What has the Lord spoken?’
38 For if you say, ‘The oracle of the Lord!’ surely thus says the Lord, ‘Because you said this word, “The oracle of the Lord!” I have also sent to you, saying, “You shall not say, ‘The oracle of the Lord!’”’
39 Therefore behold, (BY)I will surely forget you and cast you away from My presence, along with the city which I gave you and your fathers.
40 I will put an everlasting (BZ)reproach on you and an everlasting humiliation which will not be forgotten.”
Footnotes:
a.
Jeremiah 23:2: ['Lit ', shepherding]
b.
Jeremiah 23:4: ['Or ', shepherd]
c.
Jeremiah 23:5: ['Lit ', Sprout]
d.
Jeremiah 23:5: ['Or ', succeed]
e.
Jeremiah 23:16: ['Lit ', heart]
f.
Jeremiah 23:18: ['Another reading is ', My]
g.
Jeremiah 23:33: ['Or ', burden, ', and so throughout the ch']
h.
Jeremiah 23:33: ['Or ', burden, ', and so throughout the ch']
Cross references:
F.
Jeremiah 23:3:
Isaiah 11:11; Isaiah 11:12; Isaiah 11:16; Jeremiah 31:7; Jeremiah 31:8; Jeremiah 32:37
K.
Jeremiah 23:5:
Isaiah 4:2; Isaiah 11:1-5; Isaiah 53:2; Jeremiah 30:9; Jeremiah 33:15; Jeremiah 33:16; Zechariah 3:8; Zechariah 6:12; Zechariah 6:13
AH.
Jeremiah 23:14:
Genesis 18:20; Deuteronomy 32:32; Isaiah 1:9; Isaiah 1:10; Jeremiah 20:16; Jeremiah 49:18; Matthew 11:24
AN.
Jeremiah 23:17:
Micah 2:11
AS.
Jeremiah 23:18:
Job 33:31