¹“Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture !” says the LORD .

²Therefore the LORD , the God of Israel , says against the shepherds who feed my people : “You have scattered my flock , driven them away , and have not visited them . Behold , I will visit on you the evil of your doings ,” says the LORD .

³“I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them , and will bring them again to their folds ; and they will be fruitful and multiply .

⁴I will set up shepherds over them who will feed them . They will no longer be afraid or dismayed , neither will any be lacking ,” says the LORD .

⁵“Behold , the days come ,” says the LORD ,

“that I will raise to David a righteous Branch ;

and he will reign as king and deal wisely ,

and will execute justice and righteousness in the land.

⁶In his days Judah will be saved ,

and Israel will dwell safely.

This is his name by which he will be called :

The LORD our righteousness .

⁷“Therefore , behold , the days come ,” says the LORD , “that they will no more say , ‘As the LORD lives , who brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt ;’

⁸but , ‘As the LORD lives , who brought up and who led the offspring of the house of Israel out of the north country, and from all the countries where I had driven them .’ Then they will dwell in their own land.”

⁹Concerning the prophets :

My heart within me is broken .

All my bones shake .

I am like a drunken man ,

and like a man whom wine has overcome ,

because of the LORD ,

and because of his holy words .

¹⁰“For the land is full of adulterers ;

for because of the curse the land mourns.

The pastures of the wilderness have dried up .

Their course is evil ,

and their might is not right ;

¹¹for both prophet and priest are profane .

Yes , in my house I have found their wickedness ,” says the LORD .

¹²Therefore their way will be to them as slippery places in the darkness.

They will be driven on ,

and fall therein;

for I will bring evil on them ,

even the year of their visitation ,” says the LORD .

¹³“I have seen folly in the prophets of Samaria .

They prophesied by Baal ,

and caused my people Israel to err .

¹⁴In the prophets of Jerusalem I have also seen a horrible thing :

they commit adultery and walk in lies .

They strengthen the hands of evildoers ,

so that no one returns from his wickedness .

They have all become to me as Sodom ,

and its inhabitants as Gomorrah .”

¹⁵Therefore the LORD of Armies says concerning the prophets :

“Behold , I will feed them with wormwood ,

and make them drink poisoned water ;

for from the prophets of Jerusalem ungodliness has gone out into all the land.”

¹⁶The LORD of Armies says ,

“Don’t listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you .

They teach you vanity.

They speak a vision of their own heart ,

and not out of the mouth of the LORD .

¹⁷They say continually to those who despise me ,

‘The LORD has said , “You will have peace ;”’

and to everyone who walks in the stubbornness of his own heart they say ,

‘No evil will come on you .’

¹⁸For who has stood in the council of the LORD ,

that he should perceive and hear his word ?

Who has listened to my word , and heard it ?

¹⁹Behold , the LORD ’s storm , his wrath , has gone out .

Yes , a whirling storm !

It will burst on the head of the wicked .

²⁰The LORD ’s anger will not return until he has executed

and performed the intents of his heart .

In the latter days , you will understand it perfectly.

²¹I didn’t send these prophets , yet they ran .

I didn’t speak to them , yet they prophesied .

²²But if they had stood in my council ,

then they would have caused my people to hear my words ,

and would have turned them from their evil way ,

and from the evil of their doings .

²³“Am I a God at hand ,” says the LORD ,

“and not a God afar off ?

²⁴Can anyone hide himself in secret places

so that I can ’t see him ?” says the LORD .

“Don’t I fill heaven and earth ?” says the LORD .

²⁵“I have heard what the prophets have said , who prophesy lies in my name , saying, ‘I had a dream ! I had a dream !’

²⁶How long will this be in the heart of the prophets who prophesy lies , even the prophets of the deceit of their own heart ?

²⁷They intend to cause my people to forget my name by their dreams which they each tell his neighbour , as their fathers forgot my name because of Baal .

²⁸The prophet who has a dream , let him tell a dream ; and he who has my word , let him speak my word faithfully. What is the straw to the wheat ?” says the LORD .

²⁹“Isn’t my word like fire?” says the LORD ; “and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces ?

³⁰“Therefore behold , I am against the prophets ,” says the LORD , “who each steal my words from his neighbour .

³¹Behold , I am against the prophets ,” says the LORD , “who use their tongues , and say , ‘He says .’

³²Behold , I am against those who prophesy lying dreams ,” says the LORD , “who tell them , and cause my people to err by their lies , and by their vain boasting ; yet I didn’t send them or command them . They don’t profit this people at all ,” says the LORD .

³³“When this people , or the prophet , or a priest , asks you , saying, ‘What is the message from the LORD ?’ Then you shall tell them , ‘“What message ? I will cast you off ,” says the LORD .’

³⁴As for the prophet , the priest , and the people , who say, ‘The message from the LORD ,’ I will even punish that man and his household .

³⁵You will say everyone to his neighbour , and everyone to his brother , ‘What has the LORD answered ?’ and , ‘What has the LORD said ?’

³⁶You will mention the message from the LORD no more , for every man ’s own word has become his message ; for you have perverted the words of the living God , of the LORD of Armies , our God .

³⁷You will say to the prophet , ‘What has the LORD answered you ?’ and , ‘What has the LORD spoken ?’

³⁸Although you say , ‘The message from the LORD ,’ therefore the LORD says : ‘Because you say this word , “The message from the LORD ,” and I have sent to you , telling you not to say , “The message from the LORD ,”

³⁹therefore behold , I will utterly forget you , and I will cast you off with the city that I gave to you and to your fathers, away from my presence .

⁴⁰I will bring an everlasting reproach on you , and a perpetual shame , which will not be forgotten .’”