English Standard Version

Christian Standard Bible

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

1"Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!" This is the LORD's declaration.

2Therefore thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning the shepherds who care for my people: “You have scattered my flock and have driven them away, and you have not attended to them. Behold, I will attend to you for your evil deeds, declares the LORD.

2"Therefore, this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says about the shepherds who tend my people: You have scattered my flock, banished them, and have not attended to them. I am about to attend to you because of your evil acts"--this is the LORD's declaration.

3Then I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their fold, and they shall be fruitful and multiply.

3"I will gather the remnant of my flock from all the lands where I have banished them, and I will return them to their grazing land. They will become fruitful and numerous.

4I will set shepherds over them who will care for them, and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall any be missing, declares the LORD.

4I will raise up shepherds over them who will tend them. They will no longer be afraid or discouraged, nor will any be missing." This is the LORD's declaration.

5“Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.

5"Look, the days are coming"--this is the LORD's declaration--"when I will raise up a Righteous Branch for David. He will reign wisely as king and administer justice and righteousness in the land.

6In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: ‘The LORD is our righteousness.’

6In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. This is the name he will be called: The LORD Is Our Righteousness.

7“Therefore, behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when they shall no longer say, ‘As the LORD lives who brought up the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt,’

7"Look, the days are coming"--the LORD's declaration--"when it will no longer be said, 'As the LORD lives who brought the Israelites from the land of Egypt,'

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

8but, 'As the LORD lives, who brought and led the descendants of the house of Israel from the land of the north and from all the other countries where I had banished them.' They will dwell once more in their own land."

9Concerning the prophets: My heart is broken within me; all my bones shake; I am like a drunken man, like a man overcome by wine, because of the LORD and because of his holy words.

9Concerning the prophets: My heart is broken within me, and all my bones tremble. I have become like a drunkard, like a man overcome by wine, because of the LORD, because of his holy words.

10For the land is full of adulterers; because of the curse the land mourns, and the pastures of the wilderness are dried up. Their course is evil, and their might is not right.

10For the land is full of adulterers; the land mourns because of the curse, and the grazing lands in the wilderness have dried up. Their way of life has become evil, and their power is not rightly used

11“Both prophet and priest are ungodly; even in my house I have found their evil, declares the LORD.

11because both prophet and priest are ungodly, even in my house I have found their evil. This is the LORD's declaration.

12Therefore their way shall be to them like slippery paths in the darkness, into which they shall be driven and fall, for I will bring disaster upon them in the year of their punishment, declares the LORD.

12Therefore, their way will seem like slippery paths in the gloom. They will be driven away and fall down there, for I will bring disaster on them, the year of their punishment. This is the LORD's declaration.

13In the prophets of Samaria I saw an unsavory thing: they prophesied by Baal and led my people Israel astray.

13Among the prophets of Samaria I saw something disgusting: They prophesied by Baal and led my people Israel astray.

14But in the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen a horrible thing: they commit adultery and walk in lies; they strengthen the hands of evildoers, so that no one turns from his evil; all of them have become like Sodom to me, and its inhabitants like Gomorrah.”

14Among the prophets of Jerusalem also I saw a horrible thing: They commit adultery and walk in lies. They strengthen the hands of evildoers, and none turns his back on evil. They are all like Sodom to me; Jerusalem's residents are like Gomorrah.

15Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts concerning the prophets: “Behold, I will feed them with bitter food and give them poisoned water to drink, for from the prophets of Jerusalem ungodliness has gone out into all the land.”

15Therefore, this is what the LORD of Armies says concerning the prophets: I am about to feed them wormwood and give them poisoned water to drink, for from the prophets of Jerusalem ungodliness has spread throughout the land.

16Thus says the LORD of hosts: “Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you, filling you with vain hopes. They speak visions of their own minds, not from the mouth of the LORD.

16This is what the LORD of Armies says: "Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you. They are deluding you. They speak visions from their own minds, not from the LORD's mouth.

17They say continually to those who despise the word of the LORD, ‘It shall be well with you’; and to everyone who stubbornly follows his own heart, they say, ‘No disaster shall come upon you.’”

17They keep on saying to those who despise me, 'The LORD has spoken: You will have peace.' They have said to everyone who follows the stubbornness of his heart, 'No harm will come to you.'"

18For who among them has stood in the council of the LORD to see and to hear his word, or who has paid attention to his word and listened?

18For who has stood in the council of the LORD to see and hear his word? Who has paid attention to his word and obeyed?

19Behold, the storm of the LORD! Wrath has gone forth, a whirling tempest; it will burst upon the head of the wicked.

19Look, a storm from the LORD! Wrath has gone out, a whirling storm. It will whirl about the heads of the wicked.

20The anger of the LORD will not turn back until he has executed and accomplished the intents of his heart. In the latter days you will understand it clearly.

20The LORD's anger will not turn away until he has completely fulfilled the purposes of his heart. In time to come you will understand it clearly.

21“I did not send the prophets, yet they ran; I did not speak to them, yet they prophesied.

21I did not send out these prophets, yet they ran. I did not speak to them, yet they prophesied.

22But if they had stood in my council, then they would have proclaimed my words to my people, and they would have turned them from their evil way, and from the evil of their deeds.

22If they had really stood in my council, they would have enabled my people to hear my words and would have turned them from their evil ways and their evil deeds.

23“Am I a God at hand, declares the LORD, and not a God far away?

23"Am I a God who is only near"--this is the LORD's declaration--"and not a God who is far away?

24Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? declares the LORD. Do I not fill heaven and earth? declares the LORD.

24Can a person hide in secret places where I cannot see him?"--the LORD's declaration. "Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?"--the LORD's declaration.

25I have heard what the prophets have said who prophesy lies in my name, saying, ‘I have dreamed, I have dreamed!’

25"I have heard what the prophets who prophesy a lie in my name have said: 'I had a dream! I had a dream!'

26How long shall there be lies in the heart of the prophets who prophesy lies, and who prophesy the deceit of their own heart,

26How long will this continue in the minds of the prophets prophesying lies, prophets of the deceit of their own minds?

27who think to make my people forget my name by their dreams that they tell one another, even as their fathers forgot my name for Baal?

27Through their dreams that they tell one another, they plan to cause my people to forget my name as their fathers forgot my name through Baal worship.

28Let the prophet who has a dream tell the dream, but let him who has my word speak my word faithfully. What has straw in common with wheat? declares the LORD.

28The prophet who has only a dream should recount the dream, but the one who has my word should speak my word truthfully, for what is straw compared to grain?"--this is the LORD's declaration.

29Is not my word like fire, declares the LORD, and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?

29"Is not my word like fire"--this is the LORD's declaration--"and like a hammer that pulverizes rock?

30Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets, declares the LORD, who steal my words from one another.

30Therefore, take note! I am against the prophets"--the LORD's declaration--"who steal my words from each other.

31Behold, I am against the prophets, declares the LORD, who use their tongues and declare, ‘declares the LORD.’

31I am against the prophets"--the LORD's declaration--"who use their own tongues to make a declaration.

32Behold, I am against those who prophesy lying dreams, declares the LORD, and who tell them and lead my people astray by their lies and their recklessness, when I did not send them or charge them. So they do not profit this people at all, declares the LORD.

32I am against those who prophesy false dreams"--the LORD's declaration--"telling them and leading my people astray with their reckless lies. It was not I who sent or commanded them, and they are of no benefit at all to these people"--this is the LORD's declaration.

33“When one of this people, or a prophet or a priest asks you, ‘What is the burden of the LORD?’ you shall say to them, ‘You are the burden, and I will cast you off, declares the LORD.’

33"Now when these people or a prophet or a priest asks you, 'What is the burden of the LORD?' you will respond to them, 'What is the burden? I will throw you away! This is the LORD's declaration.'

34And as for the prophet, priest, or one of the people who says, ‘The burden of the LORD,’ I will punish that man and his household.

34As for the prophet, priest, or people who say, 'The burden of the LORD,' I will punish that man and his household.

35Thus shall you say, every one to his neighbor and every one to his brother, ‘What has the LORD answered?’ or ‘What has the LORD spoken?’

35This is what each man is to say to his friend and to his brother: 'What has the LORD answered?' or 'What has the LORD spoken?'

36But ‘the burden of the LORD’ you shall mention no more, for the burden is every man’s own word, and you pervert the words of the living God, the LORD of hosts, our God.

36But no longer refer to the burden of the LORD, for each man's word becomes his burden and you pervert the words of the living God, the LORD of Armies, our God.

37Thus you shall say to the prophet, ‘What has the LORD answered you?’ or ‘What has the LORD spoken?’

37Say to the prophet, 'What has the LORD answered you?' or 'What has the LORD spoken?'

38But if you say, ‘The burden of the LORD,’ thus says the LORD, ‘Because you have said these words, “The burden of the LORD,” when I sent to you, saying, “You shall not say, ‘The burden of the LORD,’”

38But if you say, 'The burden of the LORD,' then this is what the LORD says: Because you have said, 'The burden of the LORD,' and I specifically told you not to say, 'The burden of the LORD,'

39therefore, behold, I will surely lift you up and cast you away from my presence, you and the city that I gave to you and your fathers.

39I will surely forget you. I will throw you away from my presence--both you and the city that I gave you and your fathers.

40And I will bring upon you everlasting reproach and perpetual shame, which shall not be forgotten.’”

40I will bring on you everlasting disgrace and humiliation that will never be forgotten."

ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.