Jeremiah 23:1-22 ▼

1 Wo vnto the shepheardes that destroy and scatter my flocke, saith the Lorde.

2 Wherefore this is the saying of the Lord God of Israel concerning the shepheardes that feede my people, Ye scatter and thrust out my flocke, and loke not vpon them: therefore nowe wyll I visite the wickednesse of your imaginations, saith the Lorde.

3 And I wyll gather together the remnaunt of my flocke from all landes that I had driuen them vnto, and will bring them agayne to their foldes, that they may growe and increase.

4 I wyll set shepheardes also ouer them, whiche shall feede them: they shall no more feare and dread, and there shall none of them be loste, saith the Lorde.

5 Beholde, the tyme commeth saith the Lorde, that I wyll rayse vp the righteous braunche of Dauid, whiche kyng shall beare rule, and he shall prosper with wisdome, and shal set vp equitie and righteousnesse agayne in the earth.

6 In his tyme shall Iuda be saued, and Israel shall dwell without feare: and this is the name that they shall call hym, euen the Lorde our righteousnesse.

7 And therefore beholde the time commeth saith the Lorde, that it shalbe no more sayde, the Lorde liueth whiche brought the chyldren of Israel out of the lande of Egypt:

8 But the Lorde liueth which brought foorth and led the seede of the house of Israel out of the north lande, and from all countreys where I had scattred them: and they shal dwel in their owne lande agayne.

9 My heart breaketh in my body, because of the false prophetes all my bones shake, I am become like a drunken man that by the reason of wine can take no rest, for very feare of the Lorde and his holy wordes.

10 Because the lande is full of adulterers, and thorowe swearing it mourneth, and the pleasaunt pastures of the desert are dryed vp: yea the way that men take is wicked, and their power is nothing right.

11 For the prophetes and the priestes them selues are polluted hypocrites, and their wickednesse haue I founde in my house, saith the Lorde.

12 Wherefore their way shalbe slipperie in the darknesse, wherein they may stacker and fall: for I wyll bryng a plague vpon them, euen the yere of their visitation, saith the Lorde.

13 I haue seene folly among the prophetes of Samaria, that preached for Baal, and deceaued my people of Israel.

14 I haue seene also among the prophetes of Hierusalem foule adultrie, and presumptuous lyes: they take the most shamefull men by the hande, flattering them, so that they can not returne from their wickednes: all these with their citizens are vnto me as Sodom, and as the inhabitours of Gomorre.

15 Therefore thus saith the Lorde of hoastes concerning these prophetes: Beholde, I wyll feede them with wormewood, and make them drinke the water of gall: For from the prophetes of Hierusalem is hypocrisie come into all the lande.

16 And therfore the Lorde of hoastes geueth you this warning: Heare not the wordes of the prophetes that preache vnto you and deceaue you, truely they reache you vanitie: for they speake the meaning of their owne heart, and not out of the mouth of the Lorde.

17 They say vnto them that despise me, The Lorde hath spoken it, tushe, ye shall prosper right well: and vnto all them that walke after the lust of their owne heart, they say, tushe, there shall no misfortune happen you.

18 For who hath sitten in the counsayle of the Lorde, that he hath hearde and vnderstande what he is about to do? who hath marked his deuice, and hearde it?

19 Beholde, the stormie weather of the Lorde that is his indignation, shall go foorth, and a violent whirlewinde shall fall downe vpon the head of the vngodly.

20 And the wrath of the Lorde shall not turne agayne, vntill he perfourme and fulfill the thought of his heart: and in the latter dayes ye shall knowe his meaning.

21 I haue not sent these prophetes saith the Lorde and yet they ranne, I haue not spoken to them, and yet they preached.

22 But if they had continued in my counsayle, they had opened to my people my wordes, and they had turned my people from their euyll wayes, and wicked imaginations.