Jeremiah 23

The Coming Messiah: the Righteous Branch

¹“Woe to the shepherds who are causing the sheep of My pasture to perish and are scattering them!” declares the Lord. ²Therefore this is what the Lord, the God of Israel says concerning the shepherds who are tending My people: “You have scattered My flock and driven them away, and have not been concerned about them; behold, I am going to call you to account for the evil of your deeds,” declares the Lord. ³“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. ⁴I 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.

⁷“Therefore behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when they will no longer say, ‘As the Lord lives, who brought the sons of Israel up from the land of Egypt,’ ⁸but, ‘As the Lord lives, who brought up and led the descendants of the household of Israel back 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

¹⁵Therefore this is what the Lord of armies says concerning the prophets: ‘Behold, I am going to feed them wormwood And make them drink poisonous water, For from the prophets of Jerusalem Ungodliness has spread into all the land.’ ”

²⁵“I have heard what the prophets have said who prophesy falsely in My name, saying, ‘I had a dream, I had a dream!’ ²⁶How long? Is there anything in the hearts of the prophets who prophesy falsehood, these prophets of the deceitfulness of their own heart, ²⁷who intend to make My people forget My name by their dreams which they report to one another, just as their fathers forgot My name because of Baal? ²⁸The prophet who has a dream may report his dream, but let him who has My word speak My word truthfully. What does straw have in common with grain?” declares the Lord. ²⁹“Is My word not like fire?” declares the Lord, “and like a hammer which shatters a rock? ³⁰Therefore behold, I am against the prophets,” declares the Lord, “who steal My words from each other. ³¹Behold, I am against the prophets,” declares the Lord, “who use their tongues and declare, ‘The Lord declares!’ ³²Behold, I am against those who have prophesied false dreams,” declares the Lord, “and reported them and led My people astray by their lies and reckless boasting; yet I did not send them nor command them, nor do they 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 pronouncement of the Lord?’ then you shall say to them, ‘What pronouncement?’ The Lord declares, ‘I will abandon you.’ ³⁴Then as for the prophet or the priest or the people who say, ‘The pronouncement of the Lord,’ I will bring punishment upon that person and his household. ³⁵This is what each one of you will say to his neighbor and to his brother: ‘What has the Lord answered?’ or, ‘What has the Lord spoken?’ ³⁶For you will no longer remember the pronouncement of the Lord, because every person’s own word will become the pronouncement, and you have perverted the words of the living God, the Lord of armies, our God. ³⁷This is what you will say to that prophet: ‘What has the Lord answered you?’ and, ‘What has the Lord spoken?’ ³⁸And 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!’ ” ’ ³⁹Therefore behold, I will certainly forget you and thrust you away from My presence, along with the city which I gave you and your fathers. ⁴⁰I will put an everlasting disgrace on you and an everlasting humiliation which will not be forgotten.”