Jeremiah

Jeremiah 23 ©

1 Jeremiah prophesieth judgment upon the evil pastors, and restoration of the scattered flock. 5 Christ, the righteous Branch, is promised. 9 God's fearful judgments against false prophets, 33 and against those that mocked at the threatenings of the true ones.

1

aWOE be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith the LORD.

a Is. 1.23; 56.9-12. ch. 2.8; 6.3; 10.21; 50.6; 25.34-36; 22.22. Eze. 22.27; 34.2,5,6,21. Mat. 15.14.
2

Therefore thus saith the LORD God of Israel against the pastors that feed my people; bYe have scattered my flock, and driven them away, and have not visited them: behold, I will visit upon you the evil of your doings, saith the LORD.

b Ac. 20.29. Eze. 34.8-10,21; 8.10-12; 11.1-12; 14.1-5; 17; 19; 22.25-31. Ho. 5.1; 7.7. Mi. 3; 7.3. Zep. 3.3,4.
3

And cI will gather the remnant of my flock out of all countries whither I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase.

c Is. 11.11; 14.1-3; 24.21,22; 27.12,13; 35.8-10; 43.6; 48.20; 40.12; 45.13; 52.8-11. ch. 29.14; 30.10-21; 31; 33; 32.36-44; 50.4,5. Eze. 34.11-31; 36; 37; 39.23-29. Le. 26.44,45. De. 30.1-6. Jn. 10.16.
4

And dI will set up shepherds over them which shall feed them: and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall they be lacking, saith the LORD.

d ch. 3.15. Eze. 34.11. Ho. 2.18; 3.5. Jn. 10.28,29. 1Pe. 1.5. Jude 1.
5

¶Behold, ethe days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and fa King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.

e Is. 4.2; 11.1-5; 32.1,2; 40.9-11; 9.7. ch. 33.14-16. Ps. 72.2. Da. 9.24. Zec. 3.8; 6.12. Jn. 1.45,49. Re. 6.2; 19.16.
f ch. 30.9. Zec. 9.9. Mat. 2.2.
6

gIn his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, 1THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.

g De. 33.27-29. Zec. 14.9,11. Ho. 1.7. Is. 33.22. Mat. 1.21. Ga. 1.4. Lu. 1.74; 19.10.
7

Therefore, behold, hthe days come, saith the LORD, that they shall no more say, The LORD liveth, which brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt;

h ch. 16.14,15. Is. 43.18,19. v.3. Ro. 11.15,25,26. Is. 43.5,6.
8

But, iThe LORD liveth, which brought up and which led the seed of the house of Israel out of the north country, and from all countries whither I had driven them; and they shall jdwell in their own land.

i Zep. 3.20.
j Am. 9.14,15. Is. 27.12,13; 65.10,22. Eze. 34.13-15. Ob. 15,19,20.
9

kMine heart within me is broken because of the prophets; lall my bones shake; I am like a drunken man, and like a man whom wine hath overcome, mbecause of the LORD, and because of the words of his holiness.

k ch. 15.17,18. Is. 15.5. Hab. 3.16. ch. 14.13-16. La. 2.14. v.10-14. Ps. 60.3. ch. 9.1; 4.11. Job 31.23.
l Hab. 3.2.
m Is. 6.5. Ro. 7.9.
10

For nthe land is full of adulterers; for because of 2swearing the land mourneth; othe pleasant places of the wilderness are dried up, and their 3course is evil, and their force is not right.

n ch. 9.2; 5.3-8. Ho. 4.2,3. Pr. 29.24.
o ch. 9.10; 12.4. Ps. 107.34. Is. 24.6.
11

For pboth prophet and priest are profane; yea, qin my house have I found their wickedness, saith the LORD.

p ch. 6.13; 8.10. Zep. 3.4. v.14,15. Eze. 22.25,26.
q ch. 7.10,11,30; 11.15; 32.34. 2Ch. 36.14. Eze. 23.39; 7.20; 8.5-17. Mat. 21.13.
12

Wherefore rtheir way shall be unto them as slippery ways in the darkness: they shall be driven on, and fall therein: for sI will bring evil upon them, even the year of their visitation, saith the LORD.

r Pr. 4.19. ch. 13.16. Ps. 35.6.
s Ex. 32.24. ch. 11.23; 48.44; 50.27. Eze. 5-7; 9.
13

And I have seen 4folly in the prophets of tSamaria; uthey prophesied in Baal, and caused my people Israel to err.

t Is. 7.9. ch. 31.5.
u ch. 2.8. 1Ki. 18.18,21. La. 2.14. Ho. 7.1. Is. 9.16.
14

I have seen valso in the prophets of Jerusalem 5an horrible thing: wthey commit adultery, and walk in lies: they strengthen also the hands of evildoers, that none doth return from his wickedness: they are all of them unto me as xSodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrah.

v Eze. 22.25. Ac. 20.29,30. ch. 5.30,31; 14.14.
w ch. 29.23. v.16,17,25,26,32. ch. 14.14. Eze. 13.22; 22.25. Zep. 3.4. 1Ti. 4.2. Is. 41.6,7.
x Is. 1.9,10. Eze. 16.46. De. 32.32. ch. 5.28,29. Ge. 13.13; 18.20.
15

Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts concerning the prophets; Behold, yI will feed them with *wormwood, and make them drink the water of gall: for from the prophets of Jerusalem is 6profaneness gone forth into all the land.

y ch. 8.12,14; 9.15; 14.15. Is. 5.25.
16

Thus saith the LORD of hosts, zHearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you: athey make you vain: bthey speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the LORD.

a ch. 2.5; 4.10; 6.14; 8.10,11; 14.13-15. 2Ki. 17.15. Ps. 62.10. 2Pe. 2.2,3. Re. 17.2.
b Nu. 16.28.
z Pr. 19.27. ch. 27.14-17. Mat. 7.15.
17

They say still unto them that despise me, The LORD hath said, cYe shall have peace; and they say unto every one that walketh after the 7imagination of his own heart, No evil shall come upon you.

c ch. 6.14; 8.11; 14.13,14. Eze. 13.10,22. Zec. 10.2. De. 29.19. Mi. 2.11; 3.11.
18

For dwho hath stood in the 8counsel of the LORD, and hath perceived and heard his word? ewho hath marked his word, and heard it ?

d Job 15.8. 1Ki. 22.24. Is. 40.13. 1Co. 2.16. v.22,28.
e 2Ch. 18.23.
19

Behold, fa whirlwind of the LORD is gone forth in fury, even a grievous whirlwind: it shall fall grievously upon the head of the wicked.

f ch. 30.23,24; 25.32; 4.11; 22.22. Ps. 58.9. Is. 21.1; 27.11; 66.15,16; 5.25. Am. 1.4. Na. 1.4,6. Zec. 7.14; 9.14. Eze. 21.5; 20.47,48. 1Sa. 3.12.
20

The ganger of the LORD shall not return, until he have executed, hand till he have performed the thoughts of his heart: iin the latter days ye shall consider it perfectly.

g ch. 30.24.
h Pr. 21.30.
i Eze. 2.5. Pr. 19.20.
21

I jhave not sent these prophets, yet they ran: I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied.

j ch. 14.14; 27.15; 29.9. Eze. 13.15. Mat. 7.15. Ac. 20.29,30. v.32.
22

But kif they had stood in my counsel, and had caused my people to hear my words, lthen they should have turned them from their evil way, and from the evil of their doings.

k v.18. Eze. 3.17; 2.7. Ac. 20.27.
l 1Th. 5.6. Eze. 13.10-22; 22.25. ch. 25.5.
23

mAm I a God at hand, saith the LORD, and nnot a God afar off?

m 1Ki. 20.23,28. Ps. 113.6. Eze. 8.12; 9.9. Ps. 10.11,13.
n Ps. 94.7.
24

oCan any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the LORD. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the LORD.

o Ps. 139.7-12; 90.8. Am. 9.2,3. 1Ki. 8.27. Ps. 147.5.
25

I phave heard what the prophets said, qthat prophesy lies in my name, saying, rI have dreamed, I have dreamed.

p He. 4.13. Ps. 139.1,2. ch. 8.6; 16.17. Re. 2.23.
q ch. 5.31.
r Nu. 12.6. Ge. 37.5,9. Joel 2.28.
26

sHow long shall this be in the heart of the prophets that prophesy lies? yea, they are prophets tof the deceit of their own heart;

s ch. 4.14; 13.27. Ho. 8.5. Ps. 4.2.
t ch. 7.9; 14.14; 27.15. La. 2.14. Eze. 13. Mi. 2.11.
27

uWhich think to cause my people to forget my name by their dreams which they tell every man to his neighbour, vas their fathers have forgotten my name for Baal.

u De. 13.1,2. Ac. 13.8.
v Ju. 3.7; 8.33,34; 10.6. 2Ki. 8; 16; 21.
28

The prophet 9that hath a dream, let him tell a dream; and he that hath my word, wlet him speak my word faithfully. xWhat is the chaff to the wheat? saith the LORD.

w 2Co. 2.17. 1Pe. 2.2; 4.10,11.
x 2Co. 6.14.
29

Is ynot my word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?

y ch. 5.14; 20.9. He. 4.12. Jn. 6.63. Lu. 24.32. Zec. 1.6. Ac. 2.37. 2Co. 2.16; 10.4,5. Eze. 11.19. Zec. 7.12.
30

Therefore, behold, zI am against the prophets, saith the LORD, that steal my words every one from his neighbour.

z De. 18.20. ch. 14.14,15. Mat. 13.19. Ac. 20.27.
31

Behold, I am against the prophets, saith the LORD, that 10use their tongues, and say, He saith.

32

aBehold, I am against them that prophesy false dreams, saith the LORD, and do tell them, and bcause my people to err by their lies, and by their 11lightness; yet I sent them not, nor commanded them: therefore cthey shall not profit this people at all, saith the LORD.

a De. 13.1,2; 18.20. v.16. ch. 14.14,15; 28.15-17; 29.20-23,31,32. Eze. 13. Zep. 3.4. Is. 3.12. Am. 2.4.
b v.13.
c v.22. Mat. 15.14. ch. 14.14,16. Ro. 10.15. La. 2.14. 2Pe. 2.1.
33

¶And when this people, or the prophet, or a priest, shall ask thee, saying, dWhat is the burden of the LORD? thou shalt then say unto them, What burden? I will even eforsake you, saith the LORD.

d ch. 17.15; 20.7,8. 2Pe. 2.3,4. Is. 13.1; 14.28; 15.1; 17.1; 19.1; 21.1; 22.1. Eze. 12.10. Na. 1.1. Eze. 9.1; 12.1. Mal. 1.1. La. 2.14.
e 2Ch. 15.2. ch. 12.7. Ho. 9.12. v.39,40. De. 31.17,18; 32.20.
34

And as for the prophet, and the priest, and the people, that shall say, The burden of the LORD, I will even 12punish that man and his house.

35

fThus shall ye say every one to his neighbour, and every one to his brother, What hath the LORD answered? and, What hath the LORD spoken?

f ch. 31.34. v.28,29. Ps. 89.7. Re. 15.4.
36

And the burden of the LORD shall ye mention no more: gfor every man's word shall be his burden; for ye hhave perverted the words of ithe living God, of the LORD of hosts our God.

g Ga. 6.5. Mal. 3.15. Is. 28.22. Ho. 7.16. Mat. 12.36,37.
h 2Ch. 36.16. Ga. 1.7-9.
i Ps. 42.2.
37

Thus shalt thou say to the prophet, What hath the LORD answered thee? and, What hath the LORD spoken?

38

But since ye say, The burden of the LORD; therefore thus saith the LORD; Because ye say this word, The burden of the LORD, and I have sent unto you, saying, Ye shall not say, The burden of the LORD;

39

Therefore, behold, jI, even I, will utterly forget you, and I will forsake you, and the city that I gave you and your fathers, and cast you out of my presence:

j Pr. 13.13. De. 16.8; 31.17. Ho. 4.6; 9.12,17. Ps. 89.39. ch. 15.1; 18.14; 32.3,28-35; 34.22; 35.17; 36.21. v.33. La. 1-5. Eze. 4.16,17; 5-7; 8.17,18; 9.5-10; 12.19-28; 15.6-8.
40

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

k Ho. 4.7. ch. 20.11; 24.9; 29.18; 42.18; 44.8,12. Eze. 5.14,15. Da. 9.16. De. 28.37; 29.22-28.