"Woeto the worthlessshepherdWho leavesthe flock!A swordwill be on his armAnd on his righteye!His armwill be totallywitheredAnd his righteyewill be blind."
Now when the kingheardthe sayingof the manof God,whichhe criedagainstthe altarin Bethel,Jeroboamstretchedout his handfrom the altar,saying,"Seizehim." But his handwhichhe stretchedout againsthim driedup, so that he couldnot drawit backto himself.
For the LORDhas pouredoveryou a spiritof deepsleep,He has shutyour eyes,the prophets;And He has coveredyour heads,the seers.
Whohas fashioneda godor castan idolto noprofit?
The headis the elderand honorableman, And the prophetwho teachesfalsehoodis the tail.
Thussaysthe LORD,"Godownto the houseof the kingof Judah,and therespeakthisword
"Woeto the shepherdswho are destroyingand scatteringthe sheepof My pasture!"declaresthe LORD.
"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.
Thussaysthe LordGOD,"Woeto the foolishprophetswhoare followingtheir own spiritand have seennothing.
"Sonof man,prophesyagainstthe shepherdsof Israel.Prophesyand sayto those shepherds,'Thussaysthe LordGOD,"Woe,shepherdsof Israelwhohave beenfeedingthemselves! Should not the shepherdsfeedthe flock?
For the teraphimspeakiniquity,And the divinersseelyingvisionsAnd tellfalse~dreams;They comfortin vain.Therefore[the people] wanderlikesheep,They are afflicted,becausethereis noshepherd.
The LORDsaidto me, "Takeagainfor yourself the equipmentof a foolishshepherd.
"But woeto you, scribesand Pharisees,hypocrites,becauseyou shutoff the kingdomof heavenfrom people;for you do not enterin yourselves,nordo you allowthosewho are enteringto goin.
"Woeto you, blindguides,who say,Whoeverswearsby the temple,[that] is nothing;but whoeverswearsby the goldof the templeis obligated.'
"HE HAS BLINDEDTHEIR EYESAND HE HARDENEDTHEIR HEART,SOTHAT THEY WOULD NOT SEEWITH THEIR EYESAND PERCEIVEWITH THEIR HEART,AND BE CONVERTEDAND I HEALTHEM."
And Jesussaid,"For judgmentI cameinto thisworld,sothat thosewho do not seemay see,and that thosewho seemay becomeblind."
Whatthen?WhatIsraelis seeking,it has not obtained,but those who were chosenobtainedit, and the restwere hardened;
Thereforeconcerningthe eatingof things sacrificed to idols,we knowthat there is nosuch thingas an idolin the world,and that there is noGodbut one.
Behold,the daysare comingwhen I will breakyour strengthand the strengthof your father'shousesothat there will not be an oldmanin your house.
