because such people do not serve our Lord Christ but their own appetites. , They deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting with smooth talk and flattering words.
Therefore, here is what the Lord says concerning the people of Anathoth who intend to take your life. They warn, ‘Do not prophesy in the name of the Lord, or you will certainly die at our hand.’
They keep on saying to those who despise me, “The Lord has spoken: You will have peace.” They have said to everyone who follows the stubbornness of his heart, “No harm will come to you.” ’
Ahab said to Elijah, ‘So, my enemy, you’ve found me, have you? ’ He replied, ‘I have found you because you devoted yourself to do what is evil in the Lord’s sight.
‘Didn’t we strictly order you not to teach in this name? Look, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood.’
The officials then said to the king, ‘This man ought to die, because he is weakening the morale of the warriors who remain in this city and of all the people by speaking to them in this way. This man is not pursuing the welfare of this people, but their harm.’
Then the priests and prophets said to the officials and all the people, ‘This man deserves the death sentence because he has prophesied against this city, as you have heard with your own ears.’
While he was still speaking to him, the king asked, ‘Have we made you the king’s counsellor? Stop, why should you lose your life? ’ So the prophet stopped, but he said, ‘I know that God intends to destroy you, because you have done this and have not listened to my advice.’
For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, will multiply teachers for themselves because they have an itch to hear what they want to hear.
Formerly in Israel, a man who was going to enquire of God would say, ‘Come, let’s go to the seer,’ for the prophet of today was formerly called the seer.
Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness, who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.
You are to proclaim concerning King Jehoiakim of Judah, “This is what the Lord says: You have burned the scroll, asking, ‘Why have you written on it that the king of Babylon will certainly come and destroy this land and cause it to be without people or animals? ’
For you said, ‘We have made a covenant with Death, and we have an agreement with Sheol; when the overwhelming catastrophe passes through, it will not touch us, because we have made falsehood our refuge and have hidden behind treachery.’