Then the old prophet said, “But I am also a prophet like you.” Then the old prophet told a lie. He said, “An angel from the Lord came to me. The angel told me to bring you to my home and allow you to eat and drink with me.”
Deuteronomy 13:1 - Easy To Read Version “A prophet or a person that explains dreams might come to you. He might tell you that he will show you a sign or a miracle. Tuilleadh leaganachaKing James Version (Oxford) 1769 If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder, Amplified Bible - Classic Edition IF A prophet arises among you, or a dreamer of dreams, and gives you a sign or a wonder, American Standard Version (1901) If there arise in the midst of thee a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and he give thee a sign or a wonder, Common English Bible Now if a prophet or a dream interpreter appears among you and performs a sign or wonder for you, Catholic Public Domain Version "If there will have arisen in your midst a prophet, or someone who claims that he had seen a dream, and if he will have predicted sign and portent, Douay-Rheims version of The Bible - 1752 version If there rise in the midst of thee a prophet or one that saith he hath dreamed a dream, and he foretell a sign and a wonder: |
Then the old prophet said, “But I am also a prophet like you.” Then the old prophet told a lie. He said, “An angel from the Lord came to me. The angel told me to bring you to my home and allow you to eat and drink with me.”
So the man of God [169] went to the old prophet’s house and ate and drank with him.
So, don’t try to change the things God says. If you do, he will punish you and prove that you tell lies.
(The head means the elders {\cf2\super [110]} and important leaders. The tail means the prophets that speak lies.)
“The prophets and even the priests are evil.\par I have seen them doing evil things\par in my own temple.”\par This message is from the Lord.\par
I am against the false prophets that preach fake dreams.” This message is from the Lord. “They mislead my people with their lies and false teachings. I did not send those prophets to teach the people. I never commanded them to do anything for me. They can’t help the people of Judah at all.” This message is from the Lord.
So don’t listen to your prophets. Don’t listen to the people that use magic to tell what will happen in the future. Don’t listen to people that say they can interpret dreams. Don’t listen to people that talk to the dead or to people that practice magic. All those people tell you, “You will not be slaves to the king of Babylon.”
Also give a message to Shemaiah. Shemaiah is from the Nehelam family.
Shemaiah, this is what you said in your letter to Zephaniah: ‘Zephaniah, the Lord has made you priest in place of Jehoiada. You are to be in charge of the Lord’s temple. You should arrest anyone that acts like a crazy person {\cf2\super [228]} and acts like a prophet. You should put that person’s feet between large blocks of wood and put neck-irons {\cf2\super [229]} on him.
The Lord All-Powerful, the God of the people of Israel, says: “Don’t let your prophets and the people that practice magic fool you. Don’t listen to the dreams they have.
“All the people of Israel want\par more and more money.\par All the people, from the least important\par to the most important people,\par are like that.\par All the people,\par from prophets to priests\par tell lies.\par
People use their little statues and magic to learn the things that will happen in the future—but that is all useless. Those people see visions and tell about their dreams, but it is nothing but worthless lies. So the people are like sheep wandering here and there crying for help—but there is no shepherd to lead them.
At that time, the prophets will be ashamed of their visions and prophecies. They will not wear the rough cloth that shows a person is a prophet. They will not wear those clothes to trick people with the lies they call prophecies.
Many false prophets {\cf2\super [367]} will come. They will cause many people to believe wrong things.
False Christs and false prophets {\cf2\super [372]} will come and do great things and miracles. {\cf2\super [373]} They will do these things to the people God has chosen. They will do these things to try to fool his people, if that is possible.
“Be careful of false prophets. {\cf2\super [84]} They come to you and look \{gentle\} like sheep. But they are really dangerous \{like\} wolves.
False Christs and false prophets {\cf2\super [187]} will come and do great things and miracles. They will do these things to the people God has chosen. They will do these things to try to fool his people, if that is possible.
“It is bad when all people say good things about you. Their fathers {\cf2\super [120]} always said good things about the false prophets. {\cf2\super [121]}
“But a prophet [122] might say something that I did not tell him to say. And he might tell people that he is speaking for me. If this happens, then that prophet must be killed. Also, a prophet might come that speaks for other gods. That prophet must also be killed.
“Now, Israel, listen to the laws and to the commands that I teach you. Obey them and you will live. Then you can go in and take the land that the Lord, the God of your ancestors, is giving you.
You must not add to the things that I command you. And you must not take anything away. You must obey the commands of the Lord your God that I have given you.
The Man of Evil will come by the power of Satan (the devil). He will have great power, and he will do many different false miracles, signs, and wonders. {\cf2\super [6]}
In the past there were false prophets {\cf2\super [6]} among \{God’s\} people. It is the same now. You will have some false teachers in your group. They will teach things that are wrong—teachings that will make people be lost. And those false teachers will teach in a way that will be hard for you to see that they are wrong. They will even refuse to accept the Master (Jesus) who bought their freedom. And so they will quickly destroy themselves.
My dear friends, many false prophets {\cf2\super [14]} are in the world now. So don’t believe every spirit. But test the spirits to see if they are from God.