The Hebrew Prophets

I have not sent the prophets, and they have run, I have not spoken unto them, and they have prophesied.

But--if they stood in My counsel, Then they cause My people to hear My words, And they turn them back from their evil way, And from the evil of their doings.

A God near am I--an affirmation of Jehovah, And not a God afar off?

Is any one hidden in secret places, And I see him not? an affirmation of Jehovah, Do not I fill the heavens and the earth? An affirmation of Jehovah.

I have heard that which the prophets said, Who prophesy in My name falsehood, saying, `I have dreamed, I have dreamed.'

Till when is it in the heart of the prophets? The prophets of falsehood, Yea, prophets of the deceit of their heart,

Who are devising to cause My people To forget My name by their dreams, That they recount each to his neighbour, As their fathers forgot my name for Baal.

The prophet with whom is a dream, Let him recount the dream, And he with whom is My word, Let him truly speak My word. What--to the straw with the corn? An affirmation of Jehovah.

Is it not thus? My word is as a fire, An affirmation of Jehovah. And as a hammer--it breaketh in pieces a rock.

Therefore, lo, I am against the prophets, An affirmation of Jehovah, Stealing My words each from his neighbour.

Lo, I am against the prophets, An affirmation of Jehovah, Who are making smooth their tongue, And they affirm--an affirmation.

Lo, I am against the prophets of false dreams, An affirmation of Jehovah, And they recount them, and cause my people to err, By their falsehoods, and by their instability, And I--I have not sent them, Nor have I commanded them, And they are not at all profitable to this people, An affirmation of Jehovah.

And when this people, or the prophet, Or a priest, doth ask thee, saying, What is the burden of Jehovah? Then thou hast said unto them: Ye are the burden, and I have left you, An affirmation of Jehovah.

And the prophet, and the priest, and the people, That saith, The burden of Jehovah, I have seen after that man, and after his house.

Thus do ye say each unto his neighbour, And each unto his brother: What hath Jehovah answered? And what hath Jehovah spoken?

And the burden of Jehovah ye do not mention any more, For the burden to each is--His word, And ye have overturned the words of the living God, Jehovah of Hosts, our God.

Thus dost thou say unto the prophet What hath Jehovah answered thee? And what hath Jehovah spoken?

And if the burden of Jehovah ye say, Therefore thus said Jehovah: Because of your saying this word, The burden of Jehovah, And I do send unto you, saying, Ye do not say, The burden of Jehovah.

Therefore, lo, I--I have taken you utterly away, And I have sent you out, And the city that I gave to you, And to your fathers, from before My face,

And I have put on you reproach age-during, And shame age-during that is not forgotten!

Jehovah hath shewed me, and lo, two baskets of figs, appointed before the temple of Jehovah, --after the removing by Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, of Jeconiah, son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, and the heads of Judah, and the artisan, and the smith, from Jerusalem, when he bringeth them into Babylon--

In the one basket are figs very good, like the first-ripe figs, and in the other basket are figs very bad, that are not eaten for badness.

And Jehovah saith unto me, `What art thou seeing, Jeremiah?' and I say, `Figs, the good figs are very good, and the bad are very bad, that are not eaten for badness.'

And there is a word of Jehovah unto me, saying:

Thus said Jehovah, God of Israel, Like these good figs so do I acknowledge The removed of Judah--that I sent from this place, To the land of the Chaldeans--for good.