¶ Woe be unto the shepherds, that destroy, and scatter my flock, sayeth the LORD.
Wherefore, this is the commandment of the LORD God of Israel, unto the shepherds that feed my people: Ye scatter and thrust out my flock, and look not upon them. Therefore now will I visit the wickedness of your imaginations, sayeth the LORD:
And will gather together the remnant of my flock, from all lands that I had driven them unto, and will bring them again to their pastures, that they may grow and increase.
I will set shepherds also over them, which shall feed them. They shall no more fear and dread, for there shall none of them be lost, sayeth the LORD.
Behold, the time cometh, sayeth the LORD, that I will raise up the righteous Branch of David, which shall bear rule, and discuss matters with wisdom, and shall set up equity and righteousness again in the earth.
In his time shall Iudah be saved and Israel shall dwell without fear. And this is the name that they shall call him: even the LORD our righteous maker.
And therefore behold, the time cometh, sayeth the LORD, that it shall no more be said: the LORD liveth, which brought the children of Israell out of the land of Egypt:
But the LORD liveth, which brought forth, and led the seed of the house of Israel, out of the North land, and from all countries where I had scattered them, and they shall dwell in their own land again.
¶ My heart breaketh in my body because of the false prophets, all my bones shake: I am become like a drunken man (that by the reason of wine can take no rest) for very fear of the LORD, and of his holy words:
Because the land is full of advouters, where thorow it is destroyed and mourneth, and the pleasant pastures of the desert are dried up. Yea the way that men take, is wicked, and their governance is nothing like the holy word of the LORD.
For the prophets and the priests themselves are polluted hypocrites, and their wickedness have I found in my house, sayeth the LORD.
Wherefore, their way shall be slippery in the darkness, wherein they may stagger and fall. For I will bring a plague upon them, even the year of their visitation, sayeth the LORD.
I have seen folly among the Prophets of Samaria, that they preached for Baal, and deceived my people of Israel.
I have seen also among the Prophets of Ierusalem foul advoutry, and presumptuous lies. They take the most shameful men by the hand, flattering them, so that they can not return from their wickedness. All these with their citizens are unto me, as Sodom, and as the inhabiters of Gomorre.
Therefore thus sayeth 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 Ierusalem is the sickness of hypocrisy come in to all the land.
And therefore the LORD of Hosts giveth you this warning: Hear not the words of the prophets, that preach unto you, and deceive you: for they speak the meaning of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the LORD.
They say unto them, that despise me: The LORD hath spoken it: Tush, ye shall prosper right well. And unto all them, that walk after the lusts of their own heart, they say: Tush, there shall no misfortune happen you.
For who hath sitten in the councell of the LORD, that he hath heard and understand, what he is about to do? Who hath marked his device, and heard it?
Behold, the stormy weather of the LORD, that is, his indignation, shall go forth, and shall fall down upon the head of the ungodly.
And the wrath of the LORD shall not turn away again, until he perform and fulfil the thought of his heart. And in the latter days ye shall know his meaning.
I have not sent these Prophets (sayeth the LORD) and yet they ran. I have not spoken to them, and yet they preached.
But if they had continued in my councell and heard my words: they had turned my people from their evil ways and wicked imaginations.
Am I then God that seeth but the thing, which is nye at hand, and not that is afar off? sayeth the LORD.
May any man hide himself so, that I shall not see him? sayeth the LORD. Do not I fulfill heaven and earth? sayeth the LORD.
I have heard well enough, what the prophets say, that preach lies in my name, saying: I have dreamed, I have dreamed.
How long will this continue in the prophets hearts, to tell lies, and to preach the crafty subtlety of their own heart?
Whose purpose is (with the dreams that everyone tell) to make my people forget my name, as their forefathers did, when Baal came up.
The prophet that hath a dream, let him tell it: and he that understandeth my word, let him shew it faithfully. For what hath chaff and wheat to do together? sayeth the LORD.
Is not my word like a fire? sayeth the LORD, and like an hammer, that breaketh the hard stone?
Therefore, thus sayeth the LORD: behold, I will upon the prophets, that steal my word privily from every man.
Behold, here am I (sayeth the LORD) against the prophets, that take upon their tongues to speak: The LORD hath said it.
Behold here am I (sayeth the LORD) against those prophets, that dare prophesy lies, and deceive my people with their vanities, and miracles, whom I never sent, nor commanded them. They shall do this people great harm, sayeth the LORD.
¶ If this people, either any prophet or priest ask thee, and say: What is the burthen of the LORD? Thou shalt say unto them: What burthen? Therefore will I cast you from me (sayeth the LORD) because ye yourselves are a burthen.
And that prophet, priest, or people, that useth this term (the burthen of the LORD) him will I visit, and his house also.
But thus shall ye say, every one to another: What answer hath the LORD given? or what is the LORD's commandment?
And as for the burthen of the LORD, ye shall speak no more of it: for every man's own word is his burthen, because ye have altered the words of the living God the LORD of Hosts our God.
Thus shall every man say to the Prophets: what answer hath the LORD given thee? Or, what sayeth the LORD?
And not once to name the burthen of the LORD. Therefore thus sayeth the LORD: For so much as ye have used this term (the burthen of the LORD) where as I notwithstanding sent unto you, and forbade you to speak of the LORD's burthen.
Behold therefore, I will repute you as a burthen, and will cast you out of my presence: yea and the city also, that I gave you and your fathers:
and will bring you to an everlasting confusion, and in to such a shame, as shall never be forgotten.
Praise the Everlasting Lord for His Faithful Word.