Jeremiah 23:25-40

Lying Prophets

25 I have heard what the prophets have said s who prophesy lies in my name, saying, t 'I have dreamed, I have dreamed!' 26 How long shall there be lies in the heart of u the prophets who prophesy lies, and who prophesy the deceit of their own heart, 27 who think to make my people forget my name t by their dreams that they tell one another, even as their v fathers forgot my name for Baal? 28 w Let the prophet who has a dream x tell the dream, but let him who has my word speak my word faithfully. y What has straw in common with wheat? declares the Lord. 29 y Is not my word like fire, declares the Lord, and z like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces? 30 a Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets, declares the Lord, who steal my words from one another. 31 Behold, I am against the prophets, declares the Lord, who use their tongues and declare, 'declares the Lord.' 32 Behold, I am against those who prophesy lying dreams, declares the Lord, and who tell them and b lead my people astray by their lies and their recklessness, when c I did not send them or charge them. So they do not profit this people at all, declares the Lord.

33 d "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, 1 and f I will cast you off, declares the Lord.' 34 And as for the prophet, priest, or one of the people who says, 'The burden of the Lord,' d I will punish that man and his household. 35 Thus 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?' 36 But 'the burden of the Lord' you shall mention no more, for the burden is every man's own word, and g you pervert the words of h the living God, the Lord of hosts, our God. 37 Thus you shall say to the prophet, 'What has the Lord answered you?' or 'What has the Lord spoken?' 38 But 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,'" 39 therefore, behold, I will surely lift you up and f cast you away from my presence, you and the city that I gave to you and your fathers. 40 i And I will bring upon you everlasting reproach and i perpetual shame, which shall not be forgotten.'"

  1. Cross References
    Jeremiah 5:31
    The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule at their direction; my people love to have it so, but what will you do when the end comes?
  2. Cross References
    Zechariah 10:2
    For the household gods utter nonsense, and the diviners see lies; they tell false dreams and give empty consolation. Therefore the people wander like sheep; they are afflicted for lack of a shepherd.
  3. Cross References
    Jeremiah 23:16
    Thus 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.
    Jeremiah 23:21
    I did not send the prophets, yet they ran; I did not speak to them, yet they prophesied.
    Numbers 16:28
    And Moses said, "Hereby you shall know that the Lord has sent me to do all these works, and that it has not been of my own accord.
  4. Cross References
    Jeremiah 23:25
    I have heard what the prophets have said who prophesy lies in my name, saying, 'I have dreamed, I have dreamed!
  5. Cross References
    Judges 3:7
    And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. They forgot the Lord their God and served the Baals and the Asheroth.
    Judges 8:33 - 34
    As soon as Gideon died, the people of Israel turned again and whored after the Baals and made Baal-berith their god.
  6. Cross References
    Numbers 12:6
    And he said, "Hear my words: If there is a prophet among you, I the Lord make myself known to him in a vision; I speak with him in a dream.
  7. Cross References
    Jeremiah 23:25
    I have heard what the prophets have said who prophesy lies in my name, saying, 'I have dreamed, I have dreamed!
  8. Cross References
    Luke 3:17
    His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.
  9. Cross References
    Jeremiah 23:28
    Let 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.
  10. Cross References
    Daniel 2:34
    As you looked, a stone was cut out by no human hand, and it struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces.
    Daniel 2:45
    Just as you saw that a stone was cut from a mountain by no human hand, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold. A great God has made known to the king what shall be after this. The dream is certain, and its interpretation sure.
  11. Cross References
    Ezekiel 13:8
    Therefore thus says the Lord God : "Because you have uttered falsehood and seen lying visions, therefore behold, I am against you, declares the Lord God.
    Jeremiah 14:15
    Therefore thus says the Lord concerning the prophets who prophesy in my name although I did not send them, and who say, 'Sword and famine shall not come upon this land': By sword and famine those prophets shall be consumed.
    Deuteronomy 18:20
    But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name that I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die.
  12. Cross References
    Jeremiah 23:13
    In the prophets of Samaria I saw an unsavory thing: they prophesied by Baal and led my people Israel astray.
  13. Cross References
    Jeremiah 23:21
    I did not send the prophets, yet they ran; I did not speak to them, yet they prophesied.
    Jeremiah 14:14
    And the Lord said to me: "The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I did not send them, nor did I command them or speak to them. They are prophesying to you a lying vision, worthless divination, and the deceit of their own minds.
  14. Cross References
    Ezekiel 14:1 - 11
    Then certain of the elders of Israel came to me and sat before me.
  15. Cross References
    Hosea 4:6
    My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you from being a priest to me. And since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.
  16. Cross References
    Jeremiah 23:33
    "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.'
  17. Cross References
    Matthew 15:6
    He need not honor his father.' So for the sake of your tradition you have made void the word of God.
  18. Cross References
    Psalms 42:2
    My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?
  19. Cross References
    Jeremiah 23:33
    "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.'
  20. Cross References
    Jeremiah 20:11
    But the Lord is with me as a dread warrior; therefore my persecutors will stumble; they will not overcome me. They will be greatly shamed, for they will not succeed. Their eternal dishonor will never be forgotten.
  21. Cross References
    Jeremiah 20:11
    But the Lord is with me as a dread warrior; therefore my persecutors will stumble; they will not overcome me. They will be greatly shamed, for they will not succeed. Their eternal dishonor will never be forgotten.
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.