Jeremiah 23

1 Ὢ ποιμένες οἱ ἀπολλύοντες καὶ διασκορπίζοντες τὰ πρόβατα τῆς νομῆς αὐτῶν.

2 Διατοῦτο τάδε λέγει Κύριος ἐπὶ τοὺς ποιμαίνοντας τὸν λαόν μου, ὑμεῖς διεσκορπίσατε τὰ πρόβατά μου, καὶ ἐξώσατε αὐτὰ, καὶ οὐκ ἐπεσκέψασθε αὐτὰ, ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἐκδικῶ ἐφʼ ὑμᾶς κατὰ τὰ πονηρὰ ἐπιτηδεύματα ὑμῶν.

3 Καὶ ἐγὼ εἰσδέξομαι τοὺς καταλοίπους τοῦ λαοῦ μου ἐπὶ πάσης τῆς γῆς, οὗ ἔξωσα αὐτοὺς ἐκεῖ, καὶ καταστήσω αὐτοὺς εἰς τὴν νομὴν αὐτῶν, καὶ αὐξηθήσονται, καὶ πληθυνθήσονται.

4 Καὶ ἀναστήσω αὐτοῖς ποιμένας, οἳ ποιμανοῦσιν αὐτοὺς, καὶ οὐ φοβηθήσονται ἔτι, οὐδὲ πτοηθήσονται, λέγει Κύριος.

5 Ἰδοὺ ἡμέραι ἔρχονται, λέγει Κύριος, καὶ ἀναστήσω τῷ Δαυὶδ ἀνατολὴν δικαίαν, καὶ βασιλεύσει βασιλεὺς, καὶ συνήσει, καὶ ποιήσει κρίμα καὶ δικαιοσύνην ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς.

6 Ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις αὐτοῦ καὶ σωθήσεται Ἰούδας, καὶ Ἰσραὴλ κατασκηνώσει πεποιθὼς, καὶ τοῦτο τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ, ὃ καλέσει αὐτὸν Κύριος, Ἰωσεδὲκ ἐν τοῖς προφήταις.

9 Συνετρίβη ἡ καρδία μου ἐν ἐμοὶ, ἐσαλεύθη πάντα τὰ ὀστᾶ μου, ἐγενήθην ὡς ἀνὴρ συντετριμμένος, καὶ ὡς ἄνθρωπος συνεχόμενος ἀπὸ οἶνου ἀπὸ προσώπου Κυρίου καὶ ἀπὸ προσώπου εὐπρεπείας δόξης αὐτοῦ.

10 Ὅτι ἀπὸ προσώπου τούτων ἐπένθησεν ἡ γῆ, ἐξηράνθησαν αἱ νομαὶ τῆς ἐρήμου· καὶ ἐγένετο ὁ δρόμος αὐτῶν πονηρὸς, καὶ ἡ ἰσχὺς αὐτῶν οὕτως.

11 Ὅτι ἱερεὺς καὶ προφήτης ἐμολύνθησαν, καὶ ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ μου εἶδον πονηρίας αὐτῶν.

12 Διατοῦτο γενέσθω ἡ ὁδὸς αὐτῶν αὐτοῖς εἰς ὀλίσθημα ἐν γνόφῳ, καὶ ὑποσκελισθήσονται, καὶ πεσοῦνται ἐν αὐτῇ· διότι ἐπάξω ἐπʼ αὐτοὺς κακὰ, ἐν ἐνιαυτῷ ἐπισκέψεως αὐτῶν.

13 Καὶ ἐν τοῖς προφήταις Σαμαρείας εἶδον ἀνομήματα· ἐπροφήτευσαν διὰ τῆς Βάαλ, καὶ ἐπλάνησαν τὸν λαόν μου Ἰσραήλ.

14 Καὶ ἐν τοῖς προφήταις Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἑώρακα φρικτὰ, μοιχωμένους, καὶ πορευομένους ἐν ψεύδεσι, καὶ ἀντιλαμβανομένους χειρῶν πολλῶν, τοῦ μὴ ἀποστραφῆναι ἕκαστον ἀπὸ τῆς ὁδοῦ αὐτοῦ τῆς πονηρᾶς· ἐγενήθησάν μοι πάντες ὡς Σόδομα, καὶ οἱ κατοικοῦντες αὐτὴν ὥσπερ Γόμοῤῥα.

15 Διατοῦτο τάδε λέγει Κύριος, ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ψωμιῶ αὐτοὺς ὀδύνην, καὶ ποτιῶ αὐτοὺς ὕδωρ πικρὸν, ὅτι ἀπὸ τῶν προφητῶν Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἐξῆλθε μολυσμὸς πάσῃ τῇ γῇ.

16 Οὕτως λέγει Κύριος παντοκράτωρ, μὴ ἀκούετε τοὺς λόγους τῶν προφητῶν, ὅτι ματαιοῦσιν ἑαυτοῖς ὅρασιν, ἀπὸ καρδίας αὐτῶν λαλοῦσι, καὶ οὐκ ἀπὸ στόματος Κυρίου.

17 Λέγουσι τοῖς ἀπωθουμένοις τὸν λόγον Κυρίου, εἰρήνη ἔσται ὑμῖν, καὶ πᾶσι τοῖς πορευομένοις τοῖς θελήμασιν αὐτῶν, καὶ παντὶ τῷ πορευομένῳ πλάνῃ καρδίας αὐτοῦ, εἶπαν, οὐχ ἥξει ἐπὶ σὲ κακά.

18 Ὅτι τίς ἔστη ἐν ὑποστήματι Κυρίου, καὶ εἶδε τὸν λόγον αὐτοῦ; τίς ἠνωτίσατο, καὶ ἤκουσεν;

19 Ἰδοὺ σεισμὸς παρὰ Κυρίου, καὶ ὀργὴ ἐκπορεύεται εἰς συσσεισμὸν, συστρεφομένη ἐπὶ τοὺς ἀσεβεῖς ἥξει.

20 Καὶ οὐκ ἔτι ἀποστρέψει ὁ θυμὸς Κυρίου, ἕως ποιήσῃ αὐτὸ, καὶ ἕως ἂν στήσῃ αὐτὸ, ἀπὸ ἐγχειρήματος καρδίας αὐτοῦ· ἐπʼ ἐσχάτου τῶν ἡμερῶν νοήσουσιν αὐτό.

21 Οὐκ ἀπέστελλον τοὺς προφήτας, καὶ αὐτοὶ ἔτρεχον· οὐδὲ ἐλάλησα πρὸς αὐτοὺς, καὶ αὐτοὶ ἐπροφήτευον.

22 Καὶ εἰ ἔστησαν ἐν τῇ ὑποστάσει μου, καὶ εἰ ἤκουσαν τῶν λόγων μου, καὶ τὸν λαόν μου ἂν ἀπέστρεφον αὐτοὺς ἀπὸ τῶν πονηρῶν ἐπιτηδευμάτων αὐτῶν.

23 Θεὸς ἐγγίζων ἐγώ εἰμι, λέγει Κύριος, καὶ οὐχὶ Θεὸς πόῤῥωθεν.

24 Εἰ κρυβήσεταί τις ἐν κρυφαίοις, καὶ ἐγὼ οὐκ ὄψομαι αὐτόν; μὴ οὐχὶ τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν ἐγὼ πληρῶ; λέγει Κύριος.

25 Ἤκουσα ἃ λαλοῦσιν οἱ προφῆται, ἃ προφητεύουσιν ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματί μου, ψευδῆ λέγοντες, ἠνυπνιασάμην ἐνύπνιον.

26 Ἕως πότε ἔσται ἐν καρδίᾳ τῶν προφητῶν τῶν προφητευόντων ψευδῆ, ἐν τῷ προφητεύειν αὐτοὺς τὰ θελήματα τῆς καρδίας αὐτῶν,

27 τῶν λογιζομένων τοῦ ἐπιλαθέσθαι τοῦ νόμου μου ἐν τοῖς ἐνυπνίοις αὐτῶν, ἃ διηγοῦντο ἕκαστος τῷ πλησίον αὐτοῦ, καθάπερ ἐπελάθοντο οἱ πατέρες αὐτῶν τοῦ ὀνόματός μου ἐν τῇ Βάαλ;

28 Ὁ προφήτης ἐν ᾧ τὸ ἐνύπνιόν ἐστι, διηγησάσθω τὸ ἐνύπνιον αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐν ᾧ ὁ λόγος μου πρὸς αὐτὸν, διηγησάσθω τὸν λόγον μου ἐπʼ ἀληθείας· τί τὸ ἄχυρον πρὸς τὸν σῖτον; οὕτως οἱ λόγοι μου, λέγει Κύριος.

29 Οὐκ ἰδοὺ οἱ λόγοι μου, ὥσπερ πῦρ, λέγει Κύριος, καὶ ὡς πέλυξ κόπτων πέτραν;

30 Ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ διατοῦτο πρὸς τοὺς προφήτας, λέγει Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς, τοὺς κλέπτοντας τοὺς λόγους μου ἕκαστον παρὰ τοῦ πλησίον αὐτοῦ.

31 Ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ πρὸς τοὺς προφήτας τοὺς ἐκβάλλοντας προφητείας γλώσσης, καὶ νυστάζοντας νυσταγμὸν αὐτῶν.

32 Διατοῦτο ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ πρὸς τοὺς προφήτας τοὺς προφητεύοντας ἐνύπνια ψευδῆ, καὶ οὐ διηγοῦντο αὐτὰ, καὶ ἐπλάνησαν τὸν λαόν μου ἐν τοῖς ψεύδεσιν αὐτῶν, καὶ ἐν τοῖς πλάνοις αὐτῶν, καὶ ἐγὼ οὐκ ἀπέστειλα αὐτοὺς, καὶ οὐκ ἐνετειλάμην αὐτοῖς, καὶ ὠφέλειαν οὐκ ὠφελήσουσι τὸν λαὸν τοῦτον.

33 Καὶ ἐὰν ἐρωτήσωσιν ὁ λαὸς οὗτος, ἢ ἱερεὺς, ἢ προφήτης, τί τὸ λῆμμα Κυρίου; καὶ ἐρεῖς αὐτοῖς, ὑμεῖς ἐστε τὸ λῆμμα, καὶ ῥάξω ὑμᾶς, λέγει Κύριος.

34 Ὁ προφήτης, καὶ οἱ ἱερεῖς, καὶ ὁ λαὸς, οἳ ἂν εἴπωσι, λῆμμα Κυρίου, καὶ ἐκδικήσω τὸν ἄνθρωπον ἐκεῖνον, καὶ τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ.

35 Οὕτως ἐρεῖτε ἕκαστος πρὸς τὸν πλησίον αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἕκαστος πρὸς τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ, τί ἀπεκρίθη Κύριος, καὶ τί ἐλάλησε Κύριος;

36 Καὶ λῆμμα Κυρίου μὴ ὀνομάζετε ἔτι, ὅτι τὸ λῆμμα τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ ἔσται ὁ λόγος αὐτοῦ.

37 Καὶ διατί ἐλάλησε Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν;

38 Διατοῦτο τάδε λέγει Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν ἄνθʼ ὧν εἴπατε τὸν λόγον τοῦτον, λῆμμα Κυρίου, καὶ ἀπέστειλα πρὸς ὑμᾶς, λέγων, οὐκ ἐρεῖτε, λῆμμα Κυρίου·

39 διατοῦτο ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ λαμβάνω, καὶ ῥάσσω ὑμᾶς, καὶ τὴν πόλιν ἣν ἔδωκα ὑμῖν καὶ τοῖς πατράσιν ὑμῶν.

40 Καὶ δώσω ἐφʼ ὑμᾶς ὀνειδισμὸν αἰώνιον, καὶ ἀτιμίαν αἰώνιον, ἥτις οὐκ ἐπιλησθήσεται.

40a Διατοῦτο ἰδοὺ ἡμέραι ἔρχονται, λέγει Κύριος, καὶ οὐκ ἐροῦσιν ἔτι, ζῇ Κύριος, ὃς ἀνήγαγε τὸν οἶκον Ἰσραὴλ ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου,

40b ἀλλὰ, ζῇ Κύριος, ὃς συνήγαγε πᾶν τὸ σπέρμα Ἰσραὴλ ἀπὸ γῆς Βοῤῥᾶ, καὶ ἀπὸ πασῶν τῶν χωρῶν, οὗ ἔξωσεν αὐτοὺς ἐκεῖ, καὶ ἀπεκατέστησεν αὐτοὺς εἰς τὴν γῆν αὐτῶν.

1 Woe to the shepherds that destroy and scatter the sheep of their pasture!

2 Therefore thus saith the Lord against them that tend my people; Ye have scattered my sheep, and driven them out, and ye have not visited them: behold, I will take vengeance upon you according to your evil practices.

3 And I will gather in the remnant of my people in every land, whither I have driven them out, and will set them in their pasture; and they shall increase and be multiplied.

4 And I will raise up shepherds to them, who shall feed them: and they shall fear no more, nor be alarmed, saith the Lord.

5 Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will raise up to David a righteous branch, and a king shall reign and understand, and shall execute judgment and righteousness on the earth.

6 In his days both Juda shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell securely: and this is his name, which the Lord shall call him, Josedec among the prophets.

9 My heart is broken within me; all my bones are shaken: I am become as a broken-down man, and as a man overcome with wine, because of the Lord, and because of the excellence of his glory.

10 For because of these things the land mourns; the pastures of the wilderness are dried up; and their course is become evil, and so also their strength.

11 For priest and prophet are defiled; and I have seen their iniquities in my house.

12 Therefore let their way be to them slippery and dark: and they shall be tripped up and fall in it: for I will bring evils upon them, in the year of their visitation.

13 And in the prophets of Samaria I have seen lawless deeds; they prophesied by Baal, and led my people Israel astray.

14 Also in the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen horrible things: as they committed adultery, and walked in lies, and strengthened the hands of many, that they should not return each from his evil way: they are all become to me as Sodoma, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrha.

15 Therefore thus saith the Lord; Behold, I will feed them with pain, and give them bitter water to drink: for from the prophets of Jerusalem has defilement gone forth into all the land.

16 Thus saith the Lord Almighty, Hearken not to the words of the prophets: for they frame a vain vision for themselves; they speak from their own heart, and not from the mouth of the Lord.

17 They say to them that reject the word of the Lord, There shall be peace to you; and to all that walk after their own lusts, and to every one that walks in the error of his heart, they have said, No evil shall come upon thee.

18 For who has stood in the counsel of the Lord, and seen his word? who has hearkened, and heard?

19 Behold, there is an earthquake from the Lord, and anger proceeds to a convulsion, it shall come violently upon the ungodly.

20 And the Lord's wrath shall return no more, until he have accomplished it, and until he have established it, according to the purpose of his heart: at the end of the days they shall understand it.

21 I sent not the prophets, yet they ran: neither spoke I to them, yet they prophesied.

22 But if they had stood in my counsel, and if they had hearkened to my words, then would they have turned my people from their evil practices.

23 I am a God nigh at hand, saith the Lord, and not a God afar off.

24 Shall any one hide himself in secret places, and I not see him? Do I not fill heaven and earth? saith the Lord.

25 I have heard what the prophets say, what they prophesy in my name, saying falsely, I have seen a night vision.

26 How long shall these things be in the heart of the prophets that prophesy lies, when they prophesy the purposes of their own heart?

27 who devise that men may forget my law by their dreams, which they have told every one to his neighbour, as their fathers forgot my name in the worship of Baal.

28 The prophet who has a dream, let him tell his dream; and he in whom is my word spoken to him, let him tell my word truly: what is the chaff to the corn? so are my words, saith the Lord.

29 Behold, are not my words as fire? saith the Lord; and as an axe cutting the rock?

30 Behold, I am therefore against the prophets, saith the Lord God, that steal my words every one from his neighbour.

31 Behold, I am against the prophets that put forth prophecies of mere words, and slumber their sleep.

32 Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets that prophesy false dreams, and have not told them truly , and have caused my people to err by their lies, and by their errors; yet I sent them not, and commanded them not; therefore, they shall not profit this people at all.

33 And if this people, or the priest, or the prophet, should ask, What is the burden of the Lord? then thou shalt say to them, Ye are the burden, and I will dash you down, saith the Lord.

34 As for the prophet, and the priests, and the people, who shall say, The burden of the Lord, I will even take vengeance on that man, and on his house.

35 Thus shall ye say every one to his neighbour, and every one to his brother, What has the Lord answered? and, what has the Lord said?

36 And do ye name no more the burden of the Lord; for his own word shall be a man's burden.

37 But wherefore, say ye , has the Lord our God spoken?

38 Therefore thus saith the Lord our God; Because ye have spoken this word, The burden of the Lord, and I sent to you, saying, Ye shall not say, The burden of the Lord;

39 therefore, behold, I will seize, and dash down you and the city which I gave to you and your fathers.

40 And I will bring upon you an everlasting reproach, and everlasting disgrace, which shall not be forgotten.

40a Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when they shall no more say, The Lord lives, who brought up the house of Israel out of the land of Egypt;

40b but The Lord lives, who has gathered the whole seed of Israel from the north land, and from all the countries whither he had driven them out, and has restored them into their own land.