1 “How horrible it will be for the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep in my care,” declares the Lord.
2 “This is what I, the Lord God of Israel, said to the shepherds who take care of my people: You have scattered my sheep and chased them away. You have not taken care of them, so now I will take care of you by punishing you for the evil you have done,” declares the Lord.
3 “Then I will gather the remaining part of my flock from all the countries where I chased them. I will bring them back to their pasture, and they will be fertile and increase in number.
4 I will put shepherds over them. Those shepherds will take care of them. My sheep will no longer be afraid or terrified, and not one of them will be missing,” declares the Lord.
5 “The days are coming,” declares the Lord,
6 In his lifetime, Judah will be saved,
7 “That is why the days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when people’s oaths will no longer be, ‘The Lord brought the people of Israel out of Egypt. As the Lord lives….’
8 Instead, their oaths will be, ‘The Lord brought the descendants of the nation of Israel out of the land of the north and all the lands where he had scattered them. As the Lord lives….’ At that time they will live in their own land.
9 “⌞Say this⌟ about the prophets:
10 The land is filled with adulterers.
11 The prophets and priests are godless.
12 “That is why their own way will become
13 “⌞Say this⌟ about the prophets of Samaria:
14 “⌞Say this⌟ about the prophets of Jerusalem:
15 This is what the Lord of Armies says about the prophets:
16 This is what the Lord of Armies says:
17 They keep saying to those who despise me,
18 Who is in the Lord’s inner circle
19 The storm of the Lord will come with his anger.
20 The anger of the Lord will not turn back
21 I didn’t send these prophets,
22 If they had been in my inner circle,
23 “I am a God who is near.
24 “No one can hide so that I can’t see him,” declares the Lord.
25 “I’ve heard the prophets who speak lies in my name. They say, ‘I had a dream! I had a dream!’
26 How long will these prophets continue to lie and deceive?
27 They tell each other the dreams they had, because they want to make my people forget my name, as their ancestors forgot my name because of Baal.
28 The prophet who has a dream should tell his dream. However, the person who has my word should honestly speak my word. What does grain have to do with straw?” asks the Lord.
29 “Isn’t my word like fire or like a hammer that shatters a rock?” asks the Lord.
30 “I’m against the prophets who steal my words from each other,” declares the Lord.
31 “I’m against the prophets who speak their own thoughts and say that they speak for me.
32 I’m against those who prophesy dreams they made up,” declares the Lord. “They tell the dreams they made up and lead my people astray with their lies and their wild talk. I didn’t send them or command them to go. They don’t help these people at all,” declares the Lord.
33 “When these people, the prophets, or the priests ask you, ‘What revelation has the Lord burdened you with now?’ say to them, ‘You are the burden! I will abandon you, declares the Lord.’
34 Suppose the prophets, the priests, or these people say, ‘This is the Lord’s revelation!’ I will punish them and their families.
35 They should ask their neighbors and their relatives, ‘What is the Lord’s answer?’ and ‘What did the Lord say?’
36 They should never again say, ‘This is the Lord’s revelation,’ because each person’s word becomes the revelation. They will twist the words of the living God, the Lord of Armies, our God.
37 “Jeremiah, say this to the prophets, ‘What was the Lord’s answer to you?’ and ‘What did the Lord say?’
38 Suppose they say, ‘This is the Lord’s revelation!’ Then say, ‘This is what the Lord says: Because you have said, “This is the Lord’s revelation!” even though I commanded you not to repeat this saying,
39 I will certainly forget you. I will throw you out of my presence and out of the city that I gave you and your ancestors.
40 I will bring eternal disgrace and shame on you. It will never be forgotten.’ ”