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

“ Woe to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep of My pasture!” declares 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 God of Israel concerning the shepherds who are tending My people: “You have scattered My flock and driven them away, and have not attended to them; behold, I am about to attend to you for the evil of your deeds,” declares 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.

“Then I Myself will 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 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.

I will also raise up shepherds over them and they will tend them; and they will not be afraid any longer, nor be terrified, nor will any be missing,” declares 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,” declares the Lord, “When I will raise up for David a righteous Branch; And He will reign as king and act wisely And do 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 will be saved, And Israel will dwell securely; And this is His name by which He will 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,” 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 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 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 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.

As for the prophets: My 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.

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; For the land mourns because of the curse. The pastures of the wilderness have dried up. Their course also is evil And 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 polluted; Even in My house I have found their wickedness,” declares 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 like slippery paths to them, They will be driven away into the gloom and fall down in it; For I will bring calamity upon them, The year of their punishment,” declares the Lord.

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

“Moreover, among the prophets of Samaria I saw an offensive thing: They prophesied by Baal and led My people Israel 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.

“Also among the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen a horrible thing: The committing of adultery and walking in falsehood; And they strengthen the hands of evildoers, So that no one has turned back from his wickedness. All of them have 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 am going to feed them wormwood And make them drink poisonous water, For from the prophets of Jerusalem Pollution has 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 are prophesying to you. They are leading you into futility; They speak a vision of their own imagination, 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 keep saying to those who despise Me, ‘The Lord has said, “ You will have peace”’; And as for everyone who walks in the stubbornness of his own heart, They say, ‘ Calamity will not 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?

“But who has stood in the council of the Lord, That he should see and hear His word? Who has given heed to His word and listened?

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 storm of the Lord has gone forth in wrath, Even a whirling tempest; It will swirl down on the head 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 will not turn back Until He has performed and carried out the purposes of His heart; In the last days you will clearly understand it.

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

“ I did not send these prophets, But they ran. I did not speak to them, But 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 announced My words to My people, And would have turned them back from their evil way And from the evil of their deeds.

23 A m I a God at hand, says Yahweh, and not a God afar off?

“Am I a God who is near,” declares the Lord, “And not a God far 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 a man hide himself in hiding places So I do not see him?” declares the Lord. “ Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?” declares 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 falsely in My name, saying, ‘I had a dream, I had a dream!’

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? Is there anything in the hearts of the prophets who prophesy falsehood, even these prophets of the deception of their own heart,

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 intend to make My people forget My name by their dreams which they relate to one another, 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 may relate his dream, but let him who has My word speak My word in truth. What does straw have in common with grain?” declares 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?” declares the Lord, “and like a hammer which shatters a 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,” declares the Lord, “who steal My words from each other.

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

Behold, I am against the prophets,” declares the Lord, “who use their tongues and declare, ‘ The Lord declares.’

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 have prophesied false dreams,” declares the Lord, “and related them and led My people astray by their falsehoods and reckless boasting; yet I did not send them or command them, nor do they furnish this people the slightest benefit,” declares 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.

“Now when this people or the prophet or a priest asks you saying, ‘What is the oracle of the Lord ?’ then you shall say to them, ‘What oracle?’ The Lord declares, ‘I will abandon you.’

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.

Then as for the prophet or the priest or the people who say, ‘The oracle of the Lord,’ I will bring punishment upon that man and his household.

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

Thus will each of you say to his neighbor and 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.

For you will no longer remember the oracle of the Lord, because every man’s own word will become the oracle, and you have perverted 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 you will say to that prophet, ‘What has the Lord answered you?’ and, ‘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;

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 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 will surely forget you and cast you away from My presence, along with the city which I gave you and your fathers.

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

I will put an everlasting reproach on you and an everlasting humiliation which will not be forgotten.”