Whosayto the seers,"You must not see[visions"]; And to the prophets,"You must not prophesyto us whatis right,Speakto us pleasantwords,Prophesyillusions.
Ahabsaidto Elijah,"Have you foundme, O my enemy?"And he answered,"I have found[you], becauseyou have soldyourself to doevilin the sightof the LORD.
and say,'Thussaysthe king,"Putthisman in prisonand feedhim sparinglywith breadand wateruntilI returnsafely."'"
Then Asawas angrywith the seerand puthim in prison,for he was enragedat him for this.And Asaoppressedsomeof the peopleat the sametime.
As he was talkingwith him, the king saidto him, "Have we appointedyou a royalcounselor?Stop!Whyshould you be struckdown?"Then the prophetstoppedand said,"I knowthat Godhas plannedto destroyyou, becauseyou have donethisand have not listenedto my counsel."
"Will he makemanysupplicationsto you, Orwill he speakto you softwords?
Becauseyou have said,"We have madea covenantwith death,And with Sheolwe have madea pact.The overwhelmingscourgewill not reachus whenit passesby, For we have madefalsehoodour refugeand we have concealedourselves with deception."
For the LORDhas pouredoveryou a spiritof deepsleep,He has shutyour eyes,the prophets;And He has coveredyour heads,the seers.
Woeto those who callevilgood,and goodevil;Who substitutedarknessfor lightand lightfor darkness;Who substitutebitterfor sweetand sweetfor bitter!
Thereforethussaysthe LORDconcerningthe menof Anathoth,who seekyour life,saying,"Do not prophesyin the nameof the LORD,sothat you will not dieat our hand";
"They keep sayingto those who despiseMe, 'The LORDhas said,"You will havepeace"'; And as for everyonewho walksin the stubbornnessof his own heart,They say,Calamitywill not comeupon you.'
Then the priestsand the prophetsspoketo the officialsand to allthe people,saying,"A deathsentencefor thisman!For he has prophesiedagainstthiscityas you have heardin your hearing."
nowthen, whyhave you not rebukedJeremiahof Anathothwho prophesiesto you?
"And concerningJehoiakimkingof Judahyou shall say,'Thussaysthe LORD,"You have burnedthisscroll,saying,Whyhave you writtenon it that the kingof Babylonwill certainlycomeand destroythisland,and will make manand beastto ceasefrom it?'"
Then the officialssaidto the king,"Nowlet thismanbe putto death,inasmuchas he is discouragingthe menof warwho are leftin thiscityand allthe people,by speakingsuchwordsto them; for thismanis not seekingthe well-beingof thispeoplebut rathertheir harm."
The prophetsprophesyfalsely,And the priestsruleon their [own] authority;And My peopleloveit so!But whatwill you doat the endof it?
"But you made the Naziritesdrinkwine,And you commandedthe prophetssaying,You shall not prophesy!'
"But nolongerprophesyat Bethel,for it is a sanctuaryof the kingand a royalresidence."
"Ifa manwalkingafter windand falsehoodHad toldlies[and said], 'I will speakout to you concerning wineand liquor,'He would be spokesmanto thispeople.
Do not speakout,' [so] they speakout. [But if] they do not speakout concerning thesethings,Reproacheswill not be turnedback.
"The worldcannothateyou, but it hatesMe becauseI testifyof it, that its deedsare evil.
"But becauseI speakthe truth,you do not believeMe.
"But sothat it will not spreadanyfurtheramongthe people,let us warnthem to speakno longerto anymanin thisname."
saying,"We gaveyou strict ordersnot to continue teachingin thisname,and yet,you have filledJerusalemwith your teachingand intendto bringthisman'sbloodupon us."
For such menare slaves,not of our LordChristbut of their ownappetites;and by their smoothand flattering speechthey deceivethe heartsof the unsuspecting.
Sohave I becomeyour enemyby telling you the truth?
For the timewill comewhenthey will not enduresounddoctrine;but [wanting] to have their earstickled,they will accumulatefor themselvesteachersin accordanceto their owndesires,
and will turn awaytheir earsfrom the truthand will turn asideto myths.
Whenthey have finishedtheir testimony,the beastthat comesup out of the abysswill makewarwith them, and overcomethem and killthem.
(Formerlyin Israel,when a manwentto inquireof God,he used to say,"Come,and let us goto the seer";for [he who is called] a prophetnowwas formerlycalleda seer.)
