Jeremiah 23:38 - Prayer Tents

Jeremiah 23

The Righteous Descendant

23“What sorrow awaits the leaders of my people—the shepherds of my sheep—for they have destroyed and scattered the very ones they were expected to care for,” says the Lord.H1945H7462H6H6327H6629H4830H5002H30682Therefore, this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says to these shepherds: “Instead of caring for my flock and leading them to safety, you have deserted them and driven them to destruction. Now I will pour out judgment on you for the evil you have done to them.H559H3068H430H3478H7462H7462H5971H6327H6629H5080H6485H6485H7455H4611H5002H30683But I will gather together the remnant of my flock from the countries where I have driven them. I will bring them back to their own sheepfold, and they will be fruitful and increase in number.H6908H7611H6629H776H5080H7725H5116H6509H72354Then I will appoint responsible shepherds who will care for them, and they will never be afraid again. Not a single one will be lost or missing. I, the Lord have spoken!H6965H7462H7462H3372H2865H6485H5002H30685“For the time is coming,” says the Lord, “when I will raise up a righteous descendant

from King David’s line. He will be a King who rules with wisdom. He will do what is just and right throughout the land.H3117H935H5002H3068H6965H1732H6662H6780H4428H4427H7919H6213H4941H6666H7766And this will be his name: ‘The Lord Is Our Righteousness.’

In that day Judah will be saved, and Israel will live in safety.H3117H3063H3467H3478H7931H983H8034H7121H30727“In that day,” says the Lord, “when people are taking an oath, they will no longer say, ‘As surely as the Lord lives, who rescued the people of Israel from the land of Egypt.’H3117H935H5002H3068H559H3068H2416H5927H1121H3478H776H47148Instead, they will say, ‘As surely as the Lord lives, who brought the people of Israel back to their own land from the land of the north and from all the countries to which he had exiled them.’ Then they will live in their own land.”H3068H2416H5927H935H2233H1004H3478H6828H776H776H5080H3427H127

Judgment on False Prophets

9My heart is broken because of the false prophets, and my bones tremble. I stagger like a drunkard, like someone overcome by wine, because of the holy words the Lord has spoken against them.H3820H7130H7665H5030H6106H7363H7910H376H1397H3196H5674H6440H3068H1697H694410For the land is full of adultery, and it lies under a curse. The land itself is in mourning—its wilderness pastures are dried up. For they all do evil and abuse what power they have.H776H4390H5003H6440H423H776H56H4999H4057H3001H4794H7451H136911“Even the priests and prophets are ungodly, wicked men. I have seen their despicable acts right here in my own Temple,” says the Lord.H5030H3548H2610H1004H4672H7451H5002H306812“Therefore, the paths they take will become slippery. They will be chased through the dark, and there they will fall. For I will bring disaster upon them at the time fixed for their punishment. I, the Lord, have spoken!H1870H2519H653H1760H5307H935H7451H8141H6486H5002H306813“I saw that the prophets of Samaria were terribly evil, for they prophesied in the name of Baal and led my people of Israel into sin.H7200H8604H5030H8111H5012H1168H5971H3478H858214But now I see that the prophets of Jerusalem are even worse! They commit adultery and love dishonesty. They encourage those who are doing evil so that no one turns away from their sins. These prophets are as wicked as the people of Sodom and Gomorrah once were.”H7200H5030H3389H8186H5003H1980H8267H2388H3027H7489H376H7725H7451H5467H3427H601715Therefore, this is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says concerning the prophets: “I will feed them with bitterness and give them poison to drink. For it is because of Jerusalem’s prophets that wickedness has filled this land.”H559H3068H6635H5030H398H3939H8248H4325H7219H5030H3389H2613H3318H77616This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says to his people: “Do not listen to these prophets when they prophesy to you, filling you with futile hopes. They are making up everything they say. They do not speak for the Lord!H559H3068H6635H8085H1697H5030H5012H1891H1696H2377H3820H6310H306817They keep saying to those who despise my word, ‘Don’t worry! The Lord says you will have peace!’ And to those who stubbornly follow their own desires, they say, ‘No harm will come your way!’H559H559H5006H3068H1696H7965H559H1980H8307H3820H7451H93518“Have any of these prophets been in the Lord’s presence to hear what he is really saying? Has even one of them cared enough to listen?H5975H5475H3068H7200H8085H1697H7181H1697H808519Look! The Lord’s anger bursts out like a storm, a whirlwind that swirls down on the heads of the wicked.H5591H3068H3318H2534H2342H5591H2342H7218H756320The anger of the Lord will not diminish until it has finished all he has planned. In the days to come you will understand all this very clearly.H639H3068H7725H6213H6965H4209H3820H319H3117H995H99821“I have not sent these prophets, yet they run around claiming to speak for me. I have given them no message, yet they go on prophesying.H7971H5030H7323H1696H501222If they had stood before me and listened to me, they would have spoken my words, and they would have turned my people from their evil ways and deeds.H5975H5475H5971H8085H1697H7725H7451H1870H7455H461123Am I a God who is only close at hand?” says the Lord. “No, I am far away at the same time.H430H7138H5002H3068H430H735024Can anyone hide from me in a secret place? Am I not everywhere in all the heavens and earth?” says the Lord.H376H5641H4565H7200H5002H3068H4392H8064H776H5002H306825“I have heard these prophets say, ‘Listen to the dream I had from God last night.’ And then they proceed to tell lies in my name.H8085H5030H559H5012H8267H8034H559H2492H249226How long will this go on? If they are prophets, they are prophets of deceit, inventing everything they say.H3426H3820H5030H5012H8267H5030H8649H382027By telling these false dreams, they are trying to get my people to forget me, just as their ancestors did by worshiping the idols of Baal.H2803H5971H7911H8034H2472H5608H376H7453H1H7911H8034H116828“Let these false prophets tell their dreams, but let my true messengers faithfully proclaim my every word. There is a difference between straw and grain!H5030H2472H5608H2472H1697H1696H1697H571H8401H1250H5002H306829Does not my word burn like fire?” says the Lord. “Is it not like a mighty hammer that smashes a rock to pieces?H1697H3541H784H5002H3068H6360H6327H5553H632730“Therefore,” says the Lord, “I am against these prophets who steal messages from each other and claim they are from me.H5030H5002H3068H1589H1697H376H745331I am against these smooth-tongued prophets who say, ‘This prophecy is from the Lord!’H5030H5002H3068H3947H3956H5001H500232I am against these false prophets. Their imaginary dreams are flagrant lies that lead my people into sin. I did not send or appoint them, and they have no message at all for my people. I, the Lord have spoken!H5012H8267H2472H5002H3068H5608H5971H8582H8267H6350H7971H6680H3276H5971H3276H5002H3068

False Prophecies and False Prophets

33“Suppose one of the people or one of the prophets or priests asks you, ‘What prophecy has the Lord burdened you with now?’ You must reply, ‘You are the burden!

The Lord says he will abandon you!’H5971H5030H3548H7592H559H4853H3068H559H4853H5203H5002H306834“If any prophet, priest, or anyone else says, ‘I have a prophecy from the Lord,’ I will punish that person along with his entire family.H5030H3548H5971H559H4853H3068H6485H376H100435You should keep asking each other, ‘What is the Lord’s answer?’ or ‘What is the Lord saying?’H559H376H7453H376H251H3068H6030H3068H169636But stop using this phrase, ‘prophecy from the Lord.’ For people are using it to give authority to their own ideas, turning upside down the words of our God, the living God, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.H4853H3068H2142H376H1697H4853H2015H1697H2416H430H3068H6635H43037“This is what you should say to the prophets: ‘What is the Lord’s answer?’ or ‘What is the Lord saying?’H559H5030H3068H6030H3068H169638But suppose they respond, ‘This is a prophecy from the Lord!’ Then you should say, ‘This is what the Lord says: Because you have used this phrase, “prophecy from the Lord,” even though I warned you not to use it,H518H559H4853H3068H559H3068H559H1697H4853H3068H7971H559H559H4853H306839I will forget you completely. I will expel you from my presence, along with this city that I gave to you and your ancestors.H5377H5382H5203H5892H5414H1H644040And I will make you an object of ridicule, and your name will be infamous throughout the ages.’”H5414H5769H2781H5769H3640H7911