1Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith the LORD. 2Therefore thus saith the LORD God of Israel against the pastors that feed my people; Ye have scattered my flock, and driven them away, and have not visited them: behold, I will visit upon you the evil of your doings, saith the LORD. 3And I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all countries whither I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase. 4And I will set up shepherds over them which shall feed them: and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall they be lacking, saith the LORD.
5¶ Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. 6In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.23.6 THE LORD…: Heb. Jehovah-tsidkenu 7Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that they shall no more say, The LORD liveth, which brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt; 8But, The LORD liveth, which brought up and which led the seed of the house of Israel out of the north country, and from all countries whither I had driven them; and they shall dwell in their own land.
9¶ Mine heart within me is broken because of the prophets; all my bones shake; I am like a drunken man, and like a man whom wine hath overcome, because of the LORD, and because of the words of his holiness. 10For the land is full of adulterers; for because of swearing the land mourneth; the pleasant places of the wilderness are dried up, and their course is evil, and their force is not right.23.10 swearing: or, cursing23.10 course: or, violence 11For both prophet and priest are profane; yea, in my house have I found their wickedness, saith the LORD. 12Wherefore their way shall be unto them as slippery ways in the darkness: they shall be driven on, and fall therein: for I will bring evil upon them, even the year of their visitation, saith the LORD. 13And I have seen folly in the prophets of Samaria; they prophesied in Baal, and caused my people Israel to err.23.13 folly: or, an absurd thing: Heb. unsavoury 14I have seen also in the prophets of Jerusalem an horrible thing: they commit adultery, and walk in lies: they strengthen also the hands of evildoers, that none doth return from his wickedness: they are all of them unto me as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrah.23.14 an…: or, filthiness 15Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts concerning the prophets; Behold, I will feed them with wormwood, and make them drink the water of gall: for from the prophets of Jerusalem is profaneness gone forth into all the land.23.15 profaneness: or, hypocrisy 16Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you: they make you vain: they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the LORD. 17They say still unto them that despise me, The LORD hath said, Ye shall have peace; and they say unto every one that walketh after the imagination of his own heart, No evil shall come upon you.23.17 imagination: or, stubbornness 18For who hath stood in the counsel of the LORD, and hath perceived and heard his word? who hath marked his word, and heard it?23.18 counsel: or, secret 19Behold, a whirlwind of the LORD is gone forth in fury, even a grievous whirlwind: it shall fall grievously upon the head of the wicked. 20The anger of the LORD shall not return, until he have executed, and till he have performed the thoughts of his heart: in the latter days ye shall consider it perfectly. 21I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran: I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied. 22But if they had stood in my counsel, and had caused my people to hear my words, then they should have turned them from their evil way, and from the evil of their doings. 23Am I a God at hand, saith the LORD, and not a God afar off? 24Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the LORD. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the LORD. 25I have heard what the prophets said, that prophesy lies in my name, saying, I have dreamed, I have dreamed. 26How long shall this be in the heart of the prophets that prophesy lies? yea, they are prophets of the deceit of their own heart; 27Which think to cause my people to forget my name by their dreams which they tell every man to his neighbour, as their fathers have forgotten my name for Baal. 28The prophet that hath a dream, let him tell a dream; and he that hath my word, let him speak my word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat? saith the LORD.23.28 that hath a dream: Heb. with whom is, etc 29Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces? 30Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets, saith the LORD, that steal my words every one from his neighbour. 31Behold, I am against the prophets, saith the LORD, that use their tongues, and say, He saith.23.31 that…: or, that smooth their tongues 32Behold, I am against them that prophesy false dreams, saith the LORD, and do tell them, and cause my people to err by their lies, and by their lightness; yet I sent them not, nor commanded them: therefore they shall not profit this people at all, saith the LORD.
33¶ And when this people, or the prophet, or a priest, shall ask thee, saying, What is the burden of the LORD? thou shalt then say unto them, What burden? I will even forsake you, saith the LORD. 34And as for the prophet, and the priest, and the people, that shall say, The burden of the LORD, I will even punish that man and his house.23.34 punish: Heb. visit upon 35Thus shall ye say every one to his neighbour, and every one to his brother, What hath the LORD answered? and, What hath the LORD spoken? 36And the burden of the LORD shall ye mention no more: for every man’s word shall be his burden; for ye have perverted the words of the living God, of the LORD of hosts our God. 37Thus shalt thou say to the prophet, What hath the LORD answered thee? and, What hath the LORD spoken? 38But since ye say, The burden of the LORD; therefore thus saith the LORD; Because ye say this word, The burden of the LORD, and I have sent unto you, saying, Ye shall not say, The burden of the LORD; 39Therefore, behold, I, even I, will utterly forget you, and I will forsake you, and the city that I gave you and your fathers, and cast you out of my presence: 40And I will bring an everlasting reproach upon you, and a perpetual shame, which shall not be forgotten.
将来的盼望
1耶和华说：“那些本应像牧人照顾羊群一样统治我子民的人有祸了！因为他们残害、驱散我的子民。” 2以色列的上帝耶和华这样斥责那些统治祂子民的首领：“你们驱散我的子民，没有照顾他们。看啊，我必因你们的恶行而惩罚你们。这是耶和华说的。 3我要把我幸存的子民从我流放他们去的各地召集起来，领他们回到故土，使他们子孙兴旺。 4我要派首领照顾他们，使他们不再担惊受怕，也不再有一人迷失。这是耶和华说的。”
5耶和华说：“看啊，时候将到，我要为大卫选立一个公义的苗裔，使他执掌王权。他必秉公行义，治国有方。 6在他掌权的日子，犹大必得拯救，以色列必国泰民安。他将被称为‘耶和华是我们的公义’。”
7耶和华说：“看啊，时候将到，那时人不再凭把以色列人带出埃及的耶和华起誓， 8而是凭把他们从流放之地——北方和列国领回来的永活耶和华起誓。他们必在自己的国土上安居乐业。”
9论到那些先知，
我的心都碎了，
我的骨头都颤抖。
因为耶和华和祂圣言的缘故，
我好像不胜酒力的醉汉。
10这里到处是拜偶像的人，
他们行为邪恶，滥用权力。
大地因受咒诅而悲哀，
旷野的草场都枯干了。
11耶和华说：“先知和祭司都不敬虔，
我甚至看见他们在我的圣殿里行恶。
12因此，他们必被赶到黑暗中，
在湿滑的路上跌倒，
因为我必在报应的日子降灾祸给他们。
这是耶和华说的。
13我看见撒玛利亚的先知行为可憎，
他们靠巴力说预言，
引诱我的子民走入歧途。
14我也看见耶路撒冷的先知行为可恶，
他们通奸，谎话连篇，
怂恿恶人，
以致无人悔过自新。
在我眼中，耶路撒冷人就像 所多玛人和蛾摩拉人一样败坏。
15因此，论到这些先知，
万军之耶和华说，
‘看啊，我要使他们吃苦艾，
喝毒药，因为亵渎之风从耶路撒冷的先知那里蔓延，
遍及全境。’”
16万军之耶和华对祂的子民说：“你们不要听信这些先知的预言，他们使你们充满虚假的盼望，他们的预言是自己编的，不是耶和华说的。 17他们不断对藐视我的人说，‘耶和华说你们必安享太平。’他们对那些执迷不悟的人说，‘灾祸不会降到你们身上。’
18“然而，他们谁曾站在耶和华面前看见并听见祂说话呢？
他们谁曾留心听祂的话呢？
19看啊，耶和华的怒气像暴风一样袭来，
像旋风一样吹到恶人头上。
20耶和华不完成祂心中的计划决不息怒。
将来你们会清楚地明白这一切。
21“我没有差遣这些先知，
他们却妄自行动；
我没有对他们说话，
他们却乱发预言。
22他们若曾站在我面前听我说话，
早就向我的子民宣告我的话，
使他们改邪归正了。”
23耶和华说：“我是无处不在的上帝。” 24耶和华说：“难道人藏起来我就看不见了吗？我岂不是充满天地之间吗？这是耶和华说的。 25我听见假先知奉我的名说，‘上帝托梦给我了！上帝托梦给我了！’ 26这些先知谎话连篇，凭空预言要到何时呢？ 27他们彼此传讲所做的梦，想借此使我的子民忘记我，正如他们的祖先因祭拜巴力而忘记了我。 28让做梦的先知尽管宣扬他们的梦吧，但得到我话语的先知要忠心地传达我的话。糠秕怎能与麦子相比呢！这是耶和华说的。” 29耶和华说：“难道我的话不像火吗？不像击碎岩石的铁锤吗？” 30耶和华说：“看啊，我要对付那些假先知，他们盗用同伙的话，却妄称是我的话。” 31耶和华说：“看啊，我要对付那些假先知，他们妄自说预言，却谎称是耶和华的话。” 32耶和华说：“看啊，我要对付那些假先知，他们谎称我托梦给他们，四处宣扬，用弥天大谎把我的子民引入歧途。其实我并没有差遣他们，也没有委派他们，他们对我的子民毫无益处。这是耶和华说的。”
33耶和华说：“耶利米啊，如果有百姓、先知或祭司问你，‘耶和华有什么启示？’你要对他们说，‘你们就是耶和华的重担23:33 “重担”希伯来文也有“启示”的意思。，耶和华说要丢弃你们。’ 34如果有先知、祭司或百姓宣称有耶和华的启示，我必惩罚他和他全家。 35你们各人要问自己的亲友，‘耶和华有什么答复？’或‘耶和华说了什么？’ 36你们不可再说有耶和华的启示，因为你们把自己的话当成祂的启示，曲解你们永活的上帝——万军之耶和华的话。 37耶利米啊，你要这样问先知，‘耶和华有什么答复？耶和华说了什么？’ 38如果他们说，‘这是耶和华的启示。’你就说，‘耶和华说，你们无视我的警告，宣称有我的启示， 39我必彻底忘记你们，把你们和我赐给你们及你们祖先的城邑抛弃。 40我要使你们永远蒙羞受辱、遗臭万年。’”
