"Behold,I am againstthose who have prophesiedfalse~dreams,"declaresthe LORD,"and relatedthem and ledMy peopleastrayby their falsehoodsand recklessboasting;yet I did not sendthem or commandthem, nordo they furnishthispeoplethe slightestbenefit,"declaresthe LORD.
"But you smearwith lies;You are allworthlessphysicians.
O My people!Their oppressorsare children,And womenruleover them. O My people!Those who guideyou lead[you] astrayAnd confusethe directionof your paths.
The headis the elderand honorableman, And the prophetwho teachesfalsehoodis the tail.
"Moreover, among the prophetsof SamariaI sawan offensivething:They prophesiedby Baaland ledMy peopleIsraelastray.
Thussaysthe LORDof hosts,"Do not listento the wordsof the prophetswho are prophesyingto you. They are leadingyou into futility;They speaka visionof their own imagination,Not from the mouthof the LORD.
"I have heardwhatthe prophetshave saidwho prophesyfalselyin My name,saying,'I hada dream,I hada dream!'
"Behold,I am againstthe prophets,"declaresthe LORD,"who usetheir tonguesand declare,'[The Lord] declares.'
"Sendto allthe exiles,saying,'Thussaysthe LORDconcerningShemaiahthe Nehelamite,"BecauseShemaiahhas prophesiedto you, although I did not sendhim, and he has made you trustin a lie,"
"Behold,you are trustingin deceptivewordsto noavail.
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.
Whois therewho speaksand it comesto pass,Unlessthe Lordhas commanded[it]?
Her prophetsare reckless,treacherousmen;Her priestshave profanedthe sanctuary.They have doneviolenceto the law.
For the teraphimspeakiniquity,And the divinersseelyingvisionsAnd tellfalse~dreams;They comfortin vain.Therefore[the people] wanderlikesheep,They are afflicted,becausethereis noshepherd.
"Let them alone;they are blindguidesof the blind.And ifa blind manguidesa blind man,bothwill fallinto a pit."
Therefore,I was not vacillatingwhen I intendedto do this,was I? OrwhatI purpose,do I purposeaccordingto the flesh,sothat with me there will be yes,yesand no,no[at the same time]?
But the prophetwhospeaksa wordpresumptuouslyin My namewhichI have not commandedhim to speak,or whichhe speaksin the nameof othergods,that prophetshall die.'
And the beastwas seized,and with him the false prophetwho performedthe signsin his presence,by whichhe deceivedthosewho had receivedthe markof the beastand thosewho worshipedhis image;thesetwowere thrownaliveinto the lakeof firewhich burnswith brimstone.
