Jeremiah 23:32

Truth and honesty

³⁰ “Therefore behold,” declares the LORD, “I am against the prophets who steal from one another words they attribute to Me.”

³¹ “Yes,” declares the LORD, “I am against the prophets who wag their own tongues and proclaim, ‘The LORD declares it.’”

“Indeed,” declares the LORD, “I am against those who prophesy false dreams and retell them to lead My people astray with their reckless lies. It was not I who sent them or commanded them, and they are of no benefit at all to these people,” declares the LORD.

³³ “Now when this people or a prophet or priest asks you, ‘What is the burden of the LORD?’ you are to say to them, ‘What burden? I will forsake you, declares the LORD.’

³⁴ As for the prophet or priest or anyone who claims, ‘This is the burden of the LORD,’ I will punish that man and his household.

This was said to Israel at a particular time, so it is wise to read it together with the surrounding text. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: “Indeed,” declares the LORD, “I am against those who prophesy false dreams and retell them to lead My people astray with their reckless lies. It was not I who sent them or commanded them, and they are of no benefit at all to these people,” declares the LORD.
KJV: Behold, 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.
WEB: Behold, I am against those who prophesy lying dreams,” says the LORD, “who tell them, and cause my people to err by their lies, and by their vain boasting; yet I didn’t send them or command them. They don’t profit this people at all,” says the LORD.
ASV: Behold, I am against them that prophesy lying dreams, saith Jehovah, and do tell them, and cause my people to err by their lies, and by their vain boasting: yet I sent them not, nor commanded them; neither do they profit this people at all, saith Jehovah.
DARBY: Behold, I am against them that prophesy false dreams, saith Jehovah, and that tell them, and cause my people to err by their lies and by their boasting; and I have not sent them, nor commanded them; and they profit not this people at all, saith Jehovah.
BLB: “Behold, I [am] against those prophesying False dreams,” a declaration of YHWH, “And they recount them and lead astray My people by their lies and by their recklessness; and I did not send them and did not command them, and there shall not be profit for this people,” a declaration of YHWH.

ÅB: Se, jeg kommer over dem som bærer fram løgnaktige drømmer, sier Herren, og som forteller dem og fører mitt folk vill ved sine løgner og ved sitt skryt; jeg har ikke sendt dem og ikke gitt dem befaling, og noe gagn gjør de ikke dette folk, sier Herren.
OTB: Se, jeg er imot dem som profeterer falske drømmer," sier Herren. "De forteller dem og leder mitt folk vill med sine hensynsløse løgner, men jeg sendte dem ikke eller utnevnte dem. De gagner ikke dette folket det minste," sier Herren.
B1930: Se, jeg kommer over dem som bærer frem løgnaktige drømmer, sier Herren, og som forteller dem og fører mitt folk vill ved sine løgner og ved sitt skryt; jeg har ikke sendt dem og ikke gitt dem befaling, og noget gagn gjør de ikke dette folk, sier Herren.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Zephaniah 3:4
Her prophets are reckless, faithless men. Her priests profane the sanctuary; they do violence to the law.
Read in context
Ezekiel 13:7–18
Haven’t you seen a false vision and spoken a lying divination when you proclaim, ‘Thus declares the LORD,’ even though I have not spoken?
Read in context
Lamentations 2:14
The visions of your prophets were empty and deceptive; they did not expose your guilt to ward off your captivity. The burdens they envisioned for you were empty and misleading.
Read in context
Jeremiah 29:31
“Send a message telling all the exiles what the LORD says concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite. Because Shemaiah has prophesied to you—though I did not send him—and has made you trust in a lie,
Read in context
Jeremiah 7:8
But look, you keep trusting in deceptive words to no avail.
Read in context
Matthew 15:14
Disregard them! They are blind guides. If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit.”
Read in context
Zechariah 13:2–3
And on that day, declares the LORD of Hosts, I will erase the names of the idols from the land, and they will no longer be remembered. I will also remove the prophets and the spirit of impurity from the land.
Read in context
Jeremiah 23:21–22
I did not send these prophets, yet they have run with their message; I did not speak to them, yet they have prophesied.
Read in context