5See, a time is coming—declares the LORD—when I will raise up a true branch of David’s line. He shall reign as king and shall prosper, and he shall do what is just and right in the land. 6In his days Judah shall be delivered and Israel shall dwell secure. And this is the name by which he shall be called: “The LORD is our Vindicator.”
7Assuredly, a time is coming—declares the LORD—when it shall no more be said, “As the LORD lives, who brought the Israelites out of the land of Egypt,” 8but rather, “As the LORD lives, who brought out and led the offspring of the House of Israel from the northland and from all the lands to which I have banished them.” And they shall dwell upon their own soil.
9Concerning the prophets.
My heart is crushed within me,
All my bones are trembling;a
I have become like a drunken man,
Like one overcome by wine—
Because of the LORD and His holy word.
10For the land is full of adulterers,
The land mourns because of b-a curse;-b
The pastures of the wilderness are dried up.
c-For they run to do evil,
They strain to do wrong.-c
11For both prophet and priest are godless;
Even in My House I find their wickedness
—declares the LORD.
12Assuredly,
Their path shall become
Like slippery ground;
They shall be thrust into darkness
And there they shall fall;
For I will bring disaster upon them,
The year of their doom
—declares the LORD.
13In the prophets of Samaria
I saw a repulsive thing:
They prophesied by Baal
And led My people Israel astray.
14But what I see in the prophets of Jerusalem
Is something horrifying:
Adultery and false dealing.
They encourage evildoers,
So that no one turns back from his wickedness.
To Me they are all like Sodom,
And [all] its inhabitants like Gomorrah.
15Assuredly, thus said the LORD of Hosts concerning the prophets:
I am going to make them eat wormwood
And drink a bitter draft;
For from the prophets of Jerusalem
Godlessness has gone forth to the whole land.
16Thus said the LORD of Hosts:
Do not listen to the words of the prophets
Who prophesy to you.
They are deluding you,
The prophecies they speak are from their own minds,
Not from the mouth of the LORD.
17They declare to men who despise Me:
The LORD has said:
“All shall be well with you”;
And to all who follow their willful hearts they say:
“No evil shall befall you.”
18But he who has stood in the council of the LORD,
And seen, and heard His word—
He who has listened to His word must obey.d
19e-Lo, the storm of the LORD goes forth in fury,
A whirling storm,
It shall whirl down upon the heads of the wicked.
20The anger of the LORD shall not turn back
Till it has fulfilled and completed His purposes.-e
In the days to come
You shall clearly perceive it.
21I did not send those prophets,
But they rushed in;
I did not speak to them,
Yet they prophesied.
22If they have stood in My council,
Let them announce My words to My people
And make them turn back
From their evil ways and wicked acts.
23Am I only a God near at hand
—says the LORD—
And not a God far away?
24If a man enters a hiding place,
Do I not see him?
—says the LORD.
For I fill both heaven and earth
—declares the LORD.
25I have heard what the prophets say, who prophesy falsely in My name: “I had a dream, I had a dream.” 26a-How long will there be-a in the minds of the prophets who prophesy falsehood—the prophets of their own deceitful minds—27the plan to make My people forget My name, by means of the dreams which they tell each other, just as their fathers forgot My name because of Baal? 28Let the prophet who has a dream tell the dream; and let him who has received My word report My word faithfully! How can straw be compared to grain?—says the LORD. 29Behold, My word is like fire—declares the LORD—and like a hammer that shatters rock!
30Assuredly, I am going to deal with the prophets—declares the LORD— who steal My words from one another. 31I am going to deal with the prophets—declares the LORD—who waga their tongues and make oracular utterances. 32I am going to deal with those who prophesy lying dreams—declares the LORD—who relate them to lead My people astray with their reckless lies, when I did not send them or command them. They do this people no good—declares the LORD.
33And when this people—or a prophet or a priest—asks you, “What is the burdenf of the LORD?” you shall answer them, g-“What is the burden?-g I will cast you off”—declares the LORD.
34As for the prophet or priest or layman who shall say “the burden of the LORD,” I will punish that person and his house. 35Thus you shall speak to each other, every one to his fellow, “What has the LORD answered?” or “What has the LORD spoken?” 36But do not mention “the burden of the LORD” any more. a-Does a man regard his own word as a “burden,”-a that you pervert the words of the living God, the LORD of Hosts, our God? 37Thus you shall speak to the prophet: “What did the LORD answer you?” or “What did the LORD speak?” 38But if you say “the burden of the LORD”—assuredly, thus said the LORD: Because you said this thing, “the burden of the LORD,” whereas I sent word to you not to say “the burden of the LORD,” 39I will utterly h-forget you-h and I will cast you away from My presence, together with the city that I gave to you and your fathers. 40And I will lay upon you a disgrace for all time, shame for all time, which shall never be forgotten.
24 The LORD showed me two baskets of figs, placed in front of the Temple of the LORD. This was after King Nebuchadrezzar of Babylon had exiled King Jeconiah son of Jehoiakim of Judah, and the officials of Judah, and the craftsmen and smiths, from Jerusalem, and had brought them to Babylon. 2One basket contained very good figs, like first-ripened figs, and the other basket contained very bad figs, so bad that they could not be eaten.
3And the LORD said to me, “What do you see, Jeremiah?” I answered, “Figs—the good ones are very good, and the bad ones very bad, so bad that they cannot be eaten.”
4Then the word of the LORD came to me:
5Thus said the LORD, the God of Israel: As with these good figs, so will I single out for good the Judean exiles whom I have driven out from this place to the land of the Chaldeans. 6I will look upon them favorably, and I will bring them back to this land; I will build them and not overthrow them; I will plant them and not uproot them. 7And I will give them the understanding to acknowledge Me, for I am the LORD. And they shall be My people and I will be their God, when they turn back to Me with all their heart.
8And like the bad figs, which are so bad that they cannot be eaten— thus said the Lord—so will I treat King Zedekiah of Judah and his officials and the remnant of Jerusalem that is left in this land, and those who are living in the land of Egypt: 9I will make them a horror—an evil—to all the kingdoms of the earth, a disgrace and a proverb, a byword and a cursea in all the places to which I banish them. 10I will send the sword, famine, and pestilence against them until they are exterminated from the land that I gave to them and their fathers.
25 The word which came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah, in the fourth year of King Jehoiakim son of Josiah of Judah, which was the first year of King Nebuchadrezzar of Babylon. 2This is what the prophet Jeremiah said to all the people of Judah and to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem:
3From the thirteenth year of King Josiah son of Amon of Judah, to this day—these twenty-three years—the word of the LORD has come to me. I have spoken to you persistently, but you would not listen. 4Moreover, the LORD constantly sent all his servants the prophets to you, but you would not listen or incline your ears to hear 5when they said, “Turn back, every one, from your evil ways and your wicked acts, that you may remain throughout the ages on the soil which the LORD gave to you and your fathers. 6Do not follow other gods, to serve them and worship them. Do not vex Me with what your own hands have made,a and I will not bring disaster upon you.” 7But you would not listen to Me—declares the LORD— but vexed Me with what your hands made, to your own hurt.
8Assuredly, thus said the LORD of Hosts: Because you would not listen to My words, 9I am going to send for all the peoples of the north— declares the LORD—and for My servant, King Nebuchadrezzar of Babylon, and bring them against this land and its inhabitants, and against all those nations roundabout. I will exterminate them and make them a desolation, an object of hissingb—ruins for all time. 10And I will banish
