"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.'
Nowtherefore, the swordshall neverdepartfrom your house,becauseyou have despisedMe and have takenthe wifeof Uriahthe Hittiteto be your wife.'
Whosayto the seers,"You must not see[visions"]; And to the prophets,"You must not prophesyto us whatis right,Speakto us pleasantwords,Prophesyillusions.
"Thereis nopeace,"saysmy God,"for the wicked."
Thiswickedpeople,whorefuseto listento My words,who walkin the stubbornnessof their heartsand have goneafterothergodsto servethem and to bowdownto them, let them be just like thiswaistbandwhichis totallyworthless.
"But they will say,'It's hopeless!For we are goingto followour own plans,and eachof us will actaccording to the stubbornnessof his evilheart.'
Then they said,"Comeand let us deviseplansagainstJeremiah.Surelythe lawis not going to be lostto the priest,norcounselto the sage,northe [divine] wordto the prophet!Comeon and let us strikeat him with [our] tongue,and let us givenoheedto anyof his words."
"At that timethey will callJerusalemThe Throneof the LORD,'and allthe nationswill be gatheredto it, to Jerusalem,for the nameof the LORD;norwill they walkanymoreafterthe stubbornnessof their evilheart.
Then I said,"Ah,LordGOD!SurelyYou have utterlydeceivedthispeopleand Jerusalem,saying,You will havepeace;whereas a swordtouchesthe throat."
They have liedabout the LORDAnd said,"Not He; Misfortunewill not comeon us, And we will not seeswordor famine.
"They have healedthe brokennessof My peoplesuperficially,Saying,'Peace,peace,'But thereis nopeace.
"Yet they did not obeyor inclinetheir ear,but walkedin [their own] counsels[and] in the stubbornnessof their evilheart,and wentbackwardand not forward.
"They healthe brokennessof the daughterof My peoplesuperficially,Saying,'Peace,peace,'But thereis nopeace.
but have walkedafterthe stubbornnessof their heartand afterthe Baals,as their fatherstaughtthem,"
Your prophetshave seenfor you false and foolish[visions]; And they have not exposedyour iniquitySo as to restoreyou from captivity,But they have seenfor you false and misleadingoracles.
"It is definitelybecausethey have misledMy peopleby saying,Peace!'when thereis nopeace.And when anyonebuildsa wall,behold,they plasterit overwith whitewash;
"For handfulsof barleyand fragmentsof bread,you have profanedMe to My peopleto putto deathsomewhoshould not dieand to keepothersalivewhoshould not live,by your lyingto My peoplewho listento lies."'"
"Becauseyou disheartenedthe righteouswith falsehoodwhen I did not causehim grief,but have encouragedthe wickednot to turnfrom his wickedway[and] preservehis life,
"Allthe sinnersof My peoplewill dieby the sword,Those who say,The calamitywill not overtakeor confrontus.'
"Ifa manwalkingafter windand falsehoodHad toldlies[and said], 'I will speakout to you concerning wineand liquor,'He would be spokesmanto thispeople.
Her leaderspronouncejudgmentfor a bribe,Her priestsinstructfor a priceAnd her prophetsdivinefor money.Yet they leanon the LORDsaying,"Is not the LORDin our midst?Calamitywill not comeupon us."
Thussaysthe LORDconcerningthe prophetswho leadmy peopleastray;When they have [something] to bitewith their teeth,They cry,"Peace,"But againsthim whoputsnothingin their mouthsThey declareholywar.
"It will comeabout at that timeThat I will searchJerusalemwith lamps,And I will punishthe menWho are stagnantin spirit,Who sayin their hearts,'The LORDwill not dogoodor evil!'
For the teraphimspeakiniquity,And the divinersseelyingvisionsAnd tellfalse~dreams;They comfortin vain.Therefore[the people] wanderlikesheep,They are afflicted,becausethereis noshepherd.
"'A sonhonors[his] father,and a servanthis master.Then ifI am a father,whereis My honor?And ifI am a master,whereis My respect?'saysthe LORDof hoststo you, O priestswho despiseMy name.But you say,'Howhave we despisedYour name?'
but a wholemonth,untilit comesout of your nostrilsand becomesloathsometo you; becauseyou have rejectedthe LORDwhois amongyou and have weptbeforeHim, saying,"Whydid we everleaveEgypt?"'"
"The one who listensto you listensto Me, and the one who rejectsyou rejectsMe; and he who rejectsMe rejectsthe One who sentMe."
sothat therewill not be among you a manorwoman,orfamilyortribe,whoseheartturnsawaytodayfrom the LORDour God,to goand servethe godsof thosenations;that therewill not be among you a rootbearingpoisonousfruitand wormwood.
"It shall be when he hearsthe wordsof thiscurse,that he will boast,saying,'I havepeacethoughI walkin the stubbornnessof my heartin orderto destroythe watered[land] with the dry.'
So,he who rejects[this] is not rejectingmanbut the Godwho givesHis HolySpiritto you.
"Thereforethe LORDGodof Israeldeclares,I did indeedsaythat your houseand the houseof your fathershould walkbeforeMe forever;but nowthe LORDdeclares,'Farbe it from Me-- for those who honorMe I will honor,and those who despiseMe will be lightlyesteemed.
