1 W o to shepherds destroying, And scattering the flock of My pasture, An affirmation of Jehovah.

“ Woe to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep of My pasture!” declares the Lord.

2 T herefore, thus said Jehovah, God of Israel, Against the shepherds who feed My people, Ye have scattered My flock, and drive them away, And have not inspected them, Lo, I am charging on you the evil of your doings, An affirmation of Jehovah.

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 A nd I do gather the remnant of My flock Out of all the lands whither I drove them, And have brought them back unto their fold, And they have been fruitful, and multiplied.

“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 A nd I have raised for them shepherds, And they have fed them, And they fear no more, nor are affrighted, Nor are they lacking -- an affirmation of Jehovah.

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 L o, days are coming -- an affirmation of Jehovah, And I have raised to David a righteous shoot, And a king hath reigned and acted wisely, And done judgment and righteousness in the earth.

“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 is Judah saved, and Israel dwelleth confidently, And this his name that Jehovah proclaimeth him, `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, lo, days are coming, An affirmation of Jehovah, And they do not say any more, Jehovah liveth who brought up The sons 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 -- Jehovah liveth, who brought up, And who brought in, the seed of the house of Israel, From the land of the north, And from all the lands whither I drove them, And they have dwelt on their own ground!

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 I n reference to the prophets: Broken hath been my heart in my midst, Fluttered have all my bones, I have been as a man -- a drunkard, And as a man -- wine hath passed over him, Because of Jehovah, and 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 of adulterers hath the land been full, For because of these hath the land mourned, Dried up hath been the pleasant places of the wilderness, And their course is evil, and their might -- 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 have been profane, Yea, in My house I found their wickedness, An affirmation of Jehovah.

“For both prophet and priest are polluted; Even in My house I have found their wickedness,” declares the Lord.

12 T herefore is their way to them as slippery places, Into thick darkness they are driven, And they have fallen in it, For I bring in against them evil, The year of their inspection, An affirmation of Jehovah.

“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 A nd in prophets of Samaria I have seen folly, They have prophesied by Baal, And cause 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 A nd in prophets of Jerusalem I have seen a horrible thing, Committing adultery, and walking falsely, Yea, they strengthened the hands of evil doers, So that they have not turned back Each from his wickedness, They have been to me -- all of them -- 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, thus said Jehovah of Hosts, concerning the prophets: Lo, I am causing them to eat wormwood, And have caused them to drink water of gall, For, from prophets of Jerusalem Hath profanity gone forth to 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 T hus said Jehovah of Hosts: Ye do not hearken unto the words Of the prophets who are prophesying to you, They are making you vain things, A vision of their own heart they speak, Not from the mouth of Jehovah.

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 S aying diligently to those despising The word of Jehovah: Peace is for you, And every one walking in the stubbornness of his heart they have said: Evil doth not come in unto 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 hath stood in the counsel of Jehovah, And seeth and heareth His word? Who hath regarded My word, and hearkeneth?

“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 L o, a whirlwind of Jehovah -- Fury hath gone out, even a piercing whirlwind, On the head of the wicked it stayeth.

“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 T he anger of Jehovah doth not turn back Till His doing, and till His establishing, The thoughts of His heart, In the latter end of the days ye attend to it With understanding.

“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 have not sent the prophets, and they have run, I have not spoken unto them, and they have prophesied.

“ I did not send these prophets, But they ran. I did not speak to them, But they prophesied.

22 B ut -- if they stood in My counsel, Then they cause My people to hear My words, And they turn them back 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 God near I -- an affirmation of Jehovah, And not a God afar off?

“Am I a God who is near,” declares the Lord, “And not a God far off?

24 I s any one hidden in secret places, And I see him not? an affirmation of Jehovah, Do not I fill the heavens and the earth? An affirmation of Jehovah.

“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 that which the prophets said, Who prophesy in My name falsehood, 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 T ill when is it in the heart of the prophets? The prophets of falsehood, Yea, prophets of the deceit of their 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 are devising to cause My people To forget My name by their dreams, That they recount each to his neighbour, 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 with whom a dream, Let him recount the dream, And he with whom My word, Let him truly speak My word. What -- to the straw with the corn? An affirmation of Jehovah.

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 s it not thus? My word as a fire, An affirmation of Jehovah. And as a hammer -- it breaketh in pieces a rock.

“Is not My word like fire?” declares the Lord, “and like a hammer which shatters a rock?

30 T herefore, lo, I against the prophets, An affirmation of Jehovah, Stealing My words each from his neighbour.

Therefore behold, I am against the prophets,” declares the Lord, “who steal My words from each other.

31 L o, I against the prophets, An affirmation of Jehovah, Who are making smooth their tongue, And they affirm -- an affirmation.

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

32 L o, I against the prophets of false dreams, An affirmation of Jehovah, And they recount them, and cause my people to err, By their falsehoods, and by their instability, And I -- I have not sent them, Nor have I commanded them, And they are not at all profitable to this people, An affirmation of Jehovah.

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 A nd when this people, or the prophet, Or a priest, doth ask thee, saying, What the burden of Jehovah? Then thou hast said unto them: Ye the burden, and I have left you, An affirmation of Jehovah.

“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 nd the prophet, and the priest, and the people, That saith, The burden of Jehovah, I have seen after that man, and after 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 T hus do ye say each unto his neighbour, And each unto his brother: What hath Jehovah answered? And what hath Jehovah 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 A nd the burden of Jehovah ye do not mention any more, For the burden to each is -- His word, And ye have overturned the words of the living God, Jehovah of Hosts, 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 T hus dost thou say unto the prophet What hath Jehovah answered thee? And what hath Jehovah spoken?

Thus you will say to that prophet, ‘What has the Lord answered you?’ and, ‘What has the Lord spoken?’

38 A nd if the burden of Jehovah ye say, Therefore thus said Jehovah: Because of your saying this word, The burden of Jehovah, And I do send unto you, saying, Ye do not say, The burden of Jehovah.

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, lo, I -- I have taken you utterly away, And I have sent you out, And the city that I gave to you, And to your fathers, from before My face,

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 have put on you reproach age-during, And shame age-during that is not forgotten!

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