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Jeremiah 23:16-40
New American Standard Bible
Jeremiah 23:16-40
New American Standard Bible
16 This is what the Lord of armies says:
“(A)Do not listen to the words of the prophets who are prophesying to you.
They are (B)leading you into futility;
They tell a (C)vision of their own [a]imagination,
Not (D)from the mouth of the Lord.
17 They keep saying to those who (E)despise Me,
‘The Lord has said, “(F)You will have peace”’;
And as for everyone who walks in the (G)stubbornness of his own heart,
They say, ‘(H)Disaster will not come on you.’
18 But (I)who has stood in the council of the Lord,
That he should see and hear His word?
Who has paid (J)attention to [b]His word and listened?
19 Behold, the (K)storm of the Lord has gone forth in wrath,
Even a whirling tempest;
It will swirl down on the head of the wicked.
20 The (L)anger of the Lord will not turn back
Until He has (M)performed and carried out the purposes of His heart;
(N)In the last days you will clearly understand it.
21 (O)I did not send these prophets,
But they ran.
I did not speak to them,
But they prophesied.
22 But if they had (P)stood in My council,
Then they would have (Q)announced My words to My people,
And would have turned them back from their evil way
And from the evil of their deeds.
23 “Am I a God who is (R)near,” declares the Lord,
“And not a God far off?
24 Can a person (S)hide himself in hiding places
So that I do not see him?” declares the Lord.
“(T)Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?” declares the Lord.
25 “I have (U)heard what the prophets have said who (V)prophesy falsely in My name, saying, ‘I had a (W)dream, I had a dream!’ 26 How long? Is there anything in the hearts of the prophets who prophesy falsehood, these prophets of the (X)deceitfulness of their own heart, 27 who intend to (Y)make My people forget My name by their dreams which they report to one another, just as their fathers (Z)forgot My name because of Baal? 28 The prophet who has a dream may report his dream, but let him who has (AA)My word speak My word truthfully. (AB)What does straw have in common with grain?” declares the Lord. 29 “Is My word not like (AC)fire?” declares the Lord, “and like a (AD)hammer which shatters a rock? 30 Therefore behold, (AE)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 [c]use their tongues and declare, ‘The Lord declares!’ 32 Behold, I am against those who have prophesied (AF)false dreams,” declares the Lord, “and reported them and led My people astray by their lies and (AG)reckless boasting; yet (AH)I did not send them nor command them, nor do they (AI)provide 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 [d](AJ)pronouncement of the Lord?’ then you shall say to them, ‘What [e]pronouncement?’ The Lord declares, ‘I will (AK)abandon you.’ 34 Then as for the prophet or the priest or the people who say, ‘The (AL)pronouncement of the Lord,’ I will bring punishment upon that person and his household. 35 This is what each one of you will say to his neighbor and to his brother: ‘(AM)What has the Lord answered?’ or, ‘What has the Lord spoken?’ 36 For you will no longer remember the pronouncement of the Lord, because every person’s own word will become the pronouncement, and you have (AN)perverted the words of the (AO)living God, the Lord of armies, our God. 37 This is what you will say to that prophet: ‘What has the Lord answered you?’ and, ‘What has the Lord spoken?’ 38 And if you say, ‘The pronouncement of the Lord!’ for that reason the Lord says this: ‘Because you said this word, “The pronouncement of the Lord!” I have also sent word to you, saying, “You shall not say, ‘The pronouncement of the Lord!’”’ 39 Therefore behold, (AP)I will certainly forget you and thrust you away from My presence, along with the city which I gave you and your fathers. 40 I will put an everlasting (AQ)disgrace on you and an everlasting humiliation which will not be forgotten.”
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Jeremiah 23:16 Lit heart
- Jeremiah 23:18 Another reading is My
- Jeremiah 23:31 Lit take
- Jeremiah 23:33 Or burden, and so throughout the ch
- Jeremiah 23:33 Or burden, and so throughout the ch
Jeremiah 23:16-40
New International Version
Jeremiah 23:16-40
New International Version
16 This is what the Lord Almighty says:
“Do not listen(A) to what the prophets are prophesying to you;
they fill you with false hopes.
They speak visions(B) from their own minds,
not from the mouth(C) of the Lord.
17 They keep saying(D) to those who despise me,
‘The Lord says: You will have peace.’(E)
And to all who follow the stubbornness(F) of their hearts
they say, ‘No harm(G) will come to you.’
18 But which of them has stood in the council(H) of the Lord
to see or to hear his word?
Who has listened and heard his word?
19 See, the storm(I) of the Lord
will burst out in wrath,
a whirlwind(J) swirling down
on the heads of the wicked.
20 The anger(K) of the Lord will not turn back(L)
until he fully accomplishes
the purposes of his heart.
In days to come
you will understand it clearly.
21 I did not send(M) these prophets,
yet they have run with their message;
I did not speak to them,
yet they have prophesied.
22 But if they had stood in my council,(N)
they would have proclaimed(O) my words to my people
and would have turned(P) them from their evil ways
and from their evil deeds.(Q)
23 “Am I only a God nearby,(R)”
declares the Lord,
“and not a God far away?
24 Who can hide(S) in secret places
so that I cannot see them?”
declares the Lord.
“Do not I fill heaven and earth?”(T)
declares the Lord.
25 “I have heard what the prophets say who prophesy lies(U) in my name. They say, ‘I had a dream!(V) I had a dream!’ 26 How long will this continue in the hearts of these lying prophets, who prophesy the delusions(W) of their own minds?(X) 27 They think the dreams they tell one another will make my people forget(Y) my name, just as their ancestors forgot(Z) my name through Baal worship.(AA) 28 Let the prophet who has a dream(AB) recount the dream, but let the one who has my word(AC) speak it faithfully. For what has straw to do with grain?” declares the Lord. 29 “Is not my word like fire,”(AD) declares the Lord, “and like a hammer(AE) that breaks a rock in pieces?
30 “Therefore,” declares the Lord, “I am against(AF) the prophets(AG) who steal from one another words supposedly from me. 31 Yes,” declares the Lord, “I am against the prophets who wag their own tongues and yet declare, ‘The Lord declares.’(AH) 32 Indeed, I am against those who prophesy false dreams,(AI)” declares the Lord. “They tell them and lead my people astray(AJ) with their reckless lies,(AK) yet I did not send(AL) or appoint them. They do not benefit(AM) these people in the least,” declares the Lord.
False Prophecy
33 “When these people, or a prophet or a priest, ask you, ‘What is the message(AN) from the Lord?’ say to them, ‘What message? I will forsake(AO) you, declares the Lord.’ 34 If a prophet or a priest or anyone else claims, ‘This is a message(AP) from the Lord,’ I will punish(AQ) them and their household. 35 This is what each of you keeps saying to your friends and other Israelites: ‘What is the Lord’s answer?’(AR) or ‘What has the Lord spoken?’ 36 But you must not mention ‘a message from the Lord’ again, because each one’s word becomes their own message. So you distort(AS) the words of the living God,(AT) the Lord Almighty, our God. 37 This is what you keep saying to a prophet: ‘What is the Lord’s answer to you?’ or ‘What has the Lord spoken?’ 38 Although you claim, ‘This is a message from the Lord,’ this is what the Lord says: You used the words, ‘This is a message from the Lord,’ even though I told you that you must not claim, ‘This is a message from the Lord.’ 39 Therefore, I will surely forget you and cast(AU) you out of my presence along with the city I gave to you and your ancestors. 40 I will bring on you everlasting disgrace(AV)—everlasting shame that will not be forgotten.”
New American Standard Bible (NASB) 
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.