1 W oe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! says Yahweh.

Woe to the shepherds (the civil leaders) who destroy and scatter the sheep of My pasturing! says the Lord.

2 T herefore Yahweh, the God of Israel, says against the shepherds who 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, says Yahweh.

Therefore thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning the shepherds who care for and feed My people: You have scattered My flock and driven them away and have not visited and attended to them; behold, I will visit and attend to you for the evil of your doings, says the Lord.

3 I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and multiply.

And I will gather the remnant of My flock out of all the countries to which I have driven them and will bring them again to their folds and pastures; and they will be fruitful and multiply.

4 I will set up shepherds over them, who shall feed them; and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall any be lacking, says Yahweh.

And I will set up shepherds over them who will feed them. And they will fear no more nor be dismayed, neither will any be missing or lost, says the Lord.

5 B ehold, the days come, says Yahweh, that I will raise to David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.

Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will raise up to David a righteous Branch (Sprout), and He will reign as King and do wisely and will execute justice and righteousness in the land.

6 I n his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely; and this is his name by which he shall be called: Yahweh our righteousness.

In His days Judah shall be saved and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is His name by which He shall be called: The Lord Our Righteousness.

7 T herefore behold, the days come, says Yahweh, that they shall no more say, As Yahweh lives, who brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt;

Therefore behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when they shall no more say, As the Lord lives, Who brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt,

8 b ut, As Yahweh lives, who brought up and who led the offspring of the house of Israel out of the north country, and from all the countries where I had driven them. They shall dwell in their own land.

But, As the Lord lives, Who brought up and led the offspring of the house of Israel from the north country and from all the countries to which I had driven them. And they shall dwell in their own land..

9 C oncerning the prophets. My heart within me is broken, all my bones shake; I am like a drunken man, and like a man whom wine has overcome, because of Yahweh, and because of his holy words.

Concerning the prophets: My heart is broken within me, all my bones shake; I am like a drunken man, a man whom wine has overcome, because of the Lord and because of His holy words.

10 F or the land is full of adulterers; for because of swearing the land mourns; the pastures of the wilderness are dried up. Their course is evil, and their might is not right;

For the land is full of adulterers (forsakers of God, Israel’s true Husband). Because of the curse the land mourns, the pastures of the wilderness are dried up. They rush into wickedness; and their course is evil, their might is not right.

11 f or both prophet and priest are profane; yes, in my house have I found their wickedness, says Yahweh.

For both prophet and priest are ungodly and profane; even in My house have I found their wickedness, says the Lord.

12 T herefore their way shall be to them as slippery places in the darkness: they shall be driven on, and fall therein; for I will bring evil on them, even the year of their visitation, says Yahweh.

Therefore their way will be to them like slippery paths in the dark; they will be driven on and fall into them. For I will bring evil upon them in the year of their punishment, says the Lord.

13 I have seen folly in the prophets of Samaria; they prophesied by Baal, and caused my people Israel to err.

And I have seen folly in the prophets of Samaria: they prophesied by Baal and caused My people Israel to err and go astray.

14 I n the prophets of Jerusalem also I have seen a horrible thing: they commit adultery, and walk in lies; and they strengthen the hands of evildoers, so that no one returns from his wickedness: they have all become to me as Sodom, and its inhabitants as Gomorrah.

I have seen also in the prophets of Jerusalem a horrible thing: they commit adultery and walk in lies; they encourage and strengthen the hands of evildoers, so that none returns from his wickedness. They have all of them become to Me like Sodom, and her inhabitants like Gomorrah.

15 T herefore Yahweh of Armies says concerning the prophets: Behold, I will feed them with wormwood, and make them drink the water of gall; for from the prophets of Jerusalem ungodliness has gone out into all the land.

Therefore thus says 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 profaneness and ungodliness have gone forth into all the land.

16 Y ahweh of Armies says, Don’t listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you: they teach you vanity; they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of Yahweh.

Thus says the Lord of hosts: Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you. They teach you vanity (emptiness, falsity, and futility) and fill you with vain hopes; they speak a vision of their own minds and not from the mouth of the Lord.

17 T hey say continually to those who despise me, Yahweh has said, You shall have peace; and to everyone who walks in the stubbornness of his own heart they say, No evil shall come on you.

They are continually saying to those who despise Me and the word of the Lord, The Lord has said: You shall have peace; and they say to everyone who walks after the stubbornness of his own mind and heart, No evil shall come upon you.

18 F or who has stood in the council of Yahweh, that he should perceive and hear his word? who has marked my word, and heard it?

For who among them has stood in the council of the Lord, that he should perceive and hear His word? Who has marked His word and has heard it?

19 B ehold, Yahweh’s storm, his wrath, has gone out. Yes, a whirling storm. It shall burst on the head of the wicked.

Behold, the tempest of the Lord has gone forth in wrath, a whirling tempest; it shall whirl and burst upon the heads of the wicked.

20 Y ahweh’s anger shall not return, until he has executed, and until he have performed the intents of his heart: in the latter days you shall understand it perfectly.

The anger of the Lord shall not turn back until He has executed and accomplished the thoughts and intents of His mind and heart. In the latter days you shall consider and understand it perfectly.

21 I sent not these prophets, yet they ran: I didn’t speak to them, yet they prophesied.

I did not send these prophets, yet they ran; I did not speak to them, yet they prophesied.

22 B ut if they had stood in my council, then had they caused my people to hear my words, and had turned them from their evil way, and from the evil of their doings.

But if they had stood in My council, then they would have 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 A m I a God at hand, says Yahweh, and not a God afar off?

Am I a God at hand, says the Lord, and not a God afar off?

24 C an any hide himself in secret places so that I shall not see him? says Yahweh. Don’t I fill heaven and earth? says Yahweh.

Can anyone hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? says the Lord. Do not I fill heaven and earth? says the Lord.

25 I have heard what the prophets have said, who prophesy lies in my name, saying, I have dreamed, I have dreamed.

I have heard what the prophets have said who prophesy lies in My name, saying, I have dreamed, I have dreamed.

26 H ow long shall this be in the heart of the prophets who prophesy lies, even the prophets of the deceit of their own heart?

How long yet shall it be in the minds of the prophets who prophesy falsehood, even the prophets of the deceit of their own hearts,

27 w ho think to cause my people to forget my name by their dreams which they tell every man to his neighbor, as their fathers forgot my name for Baal.

Who think that they can cause My people to forget My name by their dreams which every man tells to his neighbor, just as their fathers forgot My name because of Baal?

28 T he 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 straw to the wheat? says Yahweh.

The prophet who has a dream, let him tell his dream; but he who has My word, let him speak My word faithfully. What has straw in common with wheat ? says the Lord.

29 I sn’t my word like fire? says Yahweh; and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?

Is not My word like fire ? says the Lord, and like a hammer that breaks in pieces the rock ?

30 T herefore behold, I am against the prophets, says Yahweh, who steal my words everyone from his neighbor.

Therefore behold, I am against the prophets, says the Lord, who steal My words from one another.

31 B ehold, I am against the prophets, says Yahweh, who use their tongues, and say, He says.

Behold, I am against the prophets, says the Lord, who use their tongues and say, Thus says the Lord.

32 B ehold, I am against those who prophesy lying dreams, says Yahweh, and do tell them, and cause my people to err by their lies, and by their vain boasting: yet I didn’t send them, nor commanded them; neither do they profit this people at all, says Yahweh.

Behold, I am against those who prophesy lying dreams, says the Lord, and tell them and cause My people to err and go astray by their lies and by their vain boasting and recklessness—when I did not send them or command them; nor do they profit these people at all, says the Lord.

33 W hen this people, or the prophet, or a priest, shall ask you, saying, What is the burden of Yahweh? Then you shall tell them, What burden! I will cast you off, says Yahweh.

And when these people, or a prophet or a priest, ask you, What is the burden of the Lord ? then you shall say to them, What burden! And I will disburden Myself of you and I will cast you off, says the Lord.

34 A s for the prophet, and the priest, and the people, who shall say, The burden of Yahweh, I will even punish that man and his house.

And as for the prophet, the priest, or the people, whoever says, The burden of the Lord, I will even visit in wrath and punish that man and his house.

35 Y ou shall say everyone to his neighbor, and everyone to his brother, What has Yahweh answered? and, What has Yahweh spoken?

thus shall you say every one to his neighbor and every one to his brother: What has the Lord answered? or, What has the Lord spoken?

36 Y ou shall mention the burden of Yahweh no more: for every man’s own word shall be his burden; for you have perverted the words of the living God, of Yahweh of Armies our God.

But the burden of the Lord you must mention no more, for every man’s burden is his own response and word; for you pervert the words of the living God, the Lord of hosts, our God!

37 Y ou shall say to the prophet, What has Yahweh answered you? and, What has Yahweh spoken?

Thus shall you say to the prophet: What has the Lord answered you? Or, What has the Lord spoken?

38 B ut if you say, The burden of Yahweh; therefore Yahweh says: Because you say this word, The burden of Yahweh, and I have sent to you, saying, You shall not say, The burden of Yahweh;

But if you say, The burden of the Lord, therefore thus says the Lord: Because you said these words, The burden of the Lord, when I sent to you, saying, You shall not say, The burden of the Lord,

39 t herefore, behold, I will utterly forget you, and I will cast you off, and the city that I gave to you and to your fathers, away from my presence:

Therefore behold, I, even I, will assuredly take you up and cast you away from My presence, you and the city which I gave to you and to your fathers.

40 a nd I will bring an everlasting reproach on you, and a perpetual shame, which shall not be forgotten.

And I will bring an everlasting reproach upon you and a perpetual shame which will not be forgotten.