At this time, Laban was gone to cut the wool from his sheep. While he was gone, Rachel went into his house and stole the false gods that belonged to her father.
Zechariah 10:2 - Easy To Read Version 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. Tuilleadh leaganachaKing James Version (Oxford) 1769 For the idols have spoken vanity, and the diviners have seen a lie, and have told false dreams; they comfort in vain: therefore they went their way as a flock, they were troubled, because there was no shepherd. Amplified Bible - Classic Edition For the teraphim (household idols) have spoken vanity (emptiness, falsity, and futility) and the diviners have seen a lie and the dreamers have told false dreams; they comfort in vain. Therefore the people go their way like sheep; they are afflicted and hurt because there is no shepherd. American Standard Version (1901) For the teraphim have spoken vanity, and the diviners have seen a lie; and they have told false dreams, they comfort in vain: therefore they go their way like sheep, they are afflicted, because there is no shepherd. Common English Bible The household divine images speak idolatry, and diviners see lies. They interpret dreams falsely and provide empty comfort. Therefore, they wander like sheep, but they are oppressed because there is no shepherd. Catholic Public Domain Version For the images have been speaking what is useless, and the diviners have seen a lie, and the dreamers have been speaking false hope: they have comforted in vain. For this reason, they have been led away like a flock; they will be afflicted, because they have no shepherd. Douay-Rheims version of The Bible - 1752 version For the idols have spoken what was unprofitable, and the diviners have seen a lie, and the dreamers have spoken vanity: they comforted in vain: therefore they were led away as a dock: they shall be afflicted, because they have no shepherd. |
At this time, Laban was gone to cut the wool from his sheep. While he was gone, Rachel went into his house and stole the false gods that belonged to her father.
So Micaiah answered, “I can see what will happen. The army of Israel will be scattered over the hills. They will be like sheep without anyone to lead them. This is what the Lord says, ‘These men have no leader. They should go home and not fight.’”
But you three men try to cover up your ignorance with lies. You are like worthless doctors that can’t heal anyone.
“So you can’t comfort me\par with your empty words.\par Your answers don’t help at all!”\par
All of those gods are less than nothing!\par They can’t do anything!\par Those statues are absolutely worthless!\par
False prophets {\cf2\super [397]} tell lies, but the Lord shows their lies are false. The Lord makes foolish people of the men that do magic. The Lord confuses even wise men. They think they know much, but the Lord makes them look foolish.
Some people make statues (false gods)—but they are worthless. People love those statues—but the statues are useless. Those people are the witnesses of the statues—but they can’t see. They know nothing—they don’t know enough to be ashamed \{of the things they do\}.
“Can you compare me to anyone? No! No person is equal to me. You can’t understand everything about me. There is nothing like me.
All the people of the other nations are stupid and foolish.\par Their teachings come from worthless wooden statues.\par
But I said to the Lord, “Lord, my Master, the prophets were telling the people something different. They were telling the people of Judah, ‘You people will not suffer from an enemy’s sword. You will never suffer from hunger. The Lord will give you peace in this land.’”
Foreign idols don’t have the power\par to bring rain.\par The sky does not have the power\par to send showers of rain down.\par You are our only hope.\par You are the One who made all these things.”\par
Some of the people hate\par the real messages from the Lord.\par So those prophets give a different message\par to those people.\par They say,\par ‘You will have peace.’\par Some of the people are very stubborn.\par They do only the things they want to do.\par So those prophets say,\par ‘Nothing bad will happen to you!’\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.
But those people are telling you lies. They will only cause you to be taken far from your homeland. I will force you to leave your homes. And you will die in another land.
But the false prophets are saying: You will never be slaves to the king of Babylon.
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.”
Then the prophet Jeremiah said to the prophet Hananiah, “Listen, Hananiah! The Lord did not send you. But you have made the people of Judah trust in lies.
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.
King Zedekiah, where are your prophets now? Those prophets preached a false message to you. They said, ‘The king of Babylon will not attack you or this land of Judah.’
“Israel is like a flock of sheep\par that were scattered all over the country.\par Israel is like sheep that were chased away\par by lions.\par The first lion to attack\par was the king of Assyria.\par The last lion to crush his bones\par was Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon.\par
I used you to smash shepherds and flocks.\par I used you to smash farmers and cows.\par I used you to smash governors\par and important officials.\par
My people have been hurt very badly.\par The prophets and priests\par should bandage those wounds.\par But they treat those wounds\par like they are only a small scratch.\par They say,\par ‘It is all right, everything is fine!’\par But it is not all right!\par
My people have been hurt very badly.\par The prophets and priests\par should bandage those wounds.\par But they treat those wounds\par like they are only a small scratch.\par They say,\par ‘It is all right, everything is fine!’\par But it is not all right!\par
Your prophets saw visions for you.\par But their visions were only worthless lies.\par They didn’t preach against your sins.\par They didn’t try to make things better.\par They preached messages for you,\par but they were false messages\par that fooled you.\par
This shows that the king of Babylon \{is planning the way he wants to attack that area\}. The king of Babylon has come to the place where the two roads separate. The king of Babylon has used \{magic\} signs to find the future. He shook some arrows. He asked questions from family idols. He looked at the liver {\cf2\super [161]} \{from an animal he killed\}.
Your visions {\cf2\super [166]} are useless.\par Your magic won’t help you.\par It is only a bunch of lies.\par The sword is now at the throats of evil men.\par They will soon be only dead bodies.\par Their time has come.\par The time has come for their evil to end.\par
“‘And now the sheep are scattered because there was no shepherd. They became food for every wild animal. So they were scattered.
“By my life, I promise this to you. Wild animals caught my sheep. Yes, my flock has become food for all the wild animals. Why? Because they did not have a real shepherd. My shepherds did not look out for my flock. No, those shepherds only killed the sheep and fed themselves. They did not feed my flock.”
In the same way, the people of Israel will continue many days without a king or a leader. They will be without a sacrifice or a memorial stone. {\cf2\super [29]} They will be without an ephod {\cf2\super [30]} or a household god.
Yes, people of Jacob, {\cf2\super [33]} \par I will bring all of you together.\par I will bring together all the survivors {\cf2\super [34]} \par of Israel.\par I will put them together\par like sheep in the sheep pen,\par like a flock in its pasture.\par Then the place will be filled\par with the noise of many people.\par
That person’s false god will not help him. Why? Because it is only a statue that some man covered with metal. It is only a statue. So the person that made it can’t expect it to help. That statue can’t even speak!
Oh my worthless shepherd.\par You abandoned my sheep.\par Punish him!\par Hit his right arm and right eye\par with a sword.\par His right arm will be useless.\par His right eye will be blind.\par
I pray that the Lord will choose a leader that will lead them out of this land and bring them into the new land. Then the Lord’s people will not be like sheep without a shepherd.”
Jesus saw the many people and felt sorry for them. Jesus felt sorry for the people because the people were worried and helpless. The people were like sheep without a shepherd to lead them.
When Jesus arrived there, he saw many people waiting. Jesus felt sorry for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd \{to care for them\}. So Jesus taught the people many things.
And the sign or miracle he told you about might come true. Then he might ask you to follow other gods (gods you don’t know). He might say to you, ‘Let’s serve those gods!’
So the five men that had explored the land around Laish spoke. They said to their relatives, “There is an ephod [136] in one of these houses. And there are also household gods, a carved statue, and a silver idol. You know what to do—{go get them}.”