23
1 Woe be unto the ro'im that destroy and scatter the tzon of My pasture! saith Hashem. 2 Therefore thus saith Hashem Elohei Yisroel against the ro'im that shepherd My people; Ye have scattered My tzon, and driven them away, and have not attended to them; hineni, I will attend to you for the rah of your doings, saith Hashem. 3 And I will gather the she'erit (remnant) of My tzon out of all countries where I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase. 4 And I will set up ro'im (shepherds) over them which shall shepherd them; and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall they be lacking, saith Hashem.
5 Hinei, the days come, saith Hashem, that I will raise up unto Dovid a Tzemach Tzaddik,* and a Melech shall reign and act wisely, and shall execute mishpat and tzedakah in ha'aretz. 6 In his days Yehudah shall be saved, and Yisroel shall dwell safely; and this is Shmo whereby he shall be called — Adonoi (Hashem) Tzidkeinu.
7 Therefore, hinei, the days are coming, saith Hashem, that they shall no more say, Hashem liveth, which brought up the Bnei Yisroel out of Eretz Mitzrayim; 8 But, Hashem liveth, which brought up and which led the zera Bais Yisroel out of the eretz tzafonah, and from all countries to where I had driven them; and they shall dwell in their own land.
9 Mine lev within me is broken
because of the nevi'im;
all my atzmot shake;
I am like an ish shikkor,
and like a gever (man) whom yayin hath overcome,
because of Hashem,
and because of Divrei Kadsho (His Holy Devarim).
10 For ha'aretz is full of mena'afim;
for because of a curse ha'aretz mourneth;
the pleasant places of the midbar are dried up,
and their course is ra'ah,
and their gevurah is not right.
11 For both navi and kohen are profane; indeed,
in My Beis have I found their wickedness,
saith Hashem.
12 Therefore their derech shall be unto them as slippery ways in the darkness;
they shall be driven on,
and fall therein;
for I will bring ra'ah upon them,
even the year of their visitation [for punishment],
saith Hashem.
13 And I have seen a repulsive thing in the nevi'im of Shomron;
they prophesied by Ba'al,
and caused My people Yisroel to err.
14 I have seen also in the nevi'im of Yerushalayim a horrible thing;
they commit ni'uf and walk in sheker;
they strengthen also the hands of evildoers,
that none doth turn back from his wickedness;
they are all of them unto Me as Sodom and the inhabitants thereof as Amora (Gomorrah).
15 Therefore thus saith Hashem Tzva'os concerning the nevi'im;
Hineni, I will feed them with wormwood,
and make them drink the bitter water of gall;
for from the nevi'im of Yerushalayim is chanupah (profaneness) gone forth into kol ha'aretz.
16 Thus saith Hashem Tzva'os,
Pay no heed unto the devarim of the nevi'im that prophesy unto you;
they are deluding you;
they speak a chazon (vision) of their own lev,
and not out of the mouth of Hashem.
17 They say continually unto them that despise Me,
Hashem hath said,
Ye shall have shalom; and they say unto everyone that walketh after the sherirut (stubbornness) of his own lev,
No ra'ah shall come upon you.
18 For who hath stood in the sod (council) of Hashem,
and hath perceived and heard His Devar?
Who hath marked His word, and heard it?
19 Hinei, a whirlwind of Hashem is gone forth in fury,
even a violent whirlwind;
it shall fall grievously upon the rosh of the resha'im.
20 The anger of Hashem shall not turn back,
until He have executed, and until He have performed,
the mezimmot (designs) of His lev;
in the acharit hayamim ye shall understand it perfectly.
21 I have not sent these nevi'im,
yet they ran;
I have not spoken to them,
yet they prophesied.
22 But if they had stood in My sod (council),
and had caused My people to hear My Devarim,
then they should have turned them from their derech harah,
and from the ra'ah of their doings.
23 Am I Elohei mikarov, saith Hashem, and not Elohei merachok? 24 Can any ish hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith Hashem. Do not I fill Shomayim and Ha'Aretz? saith Hashem. 25 I have heard what the nevi'im said, that prophesy sheker (lies) biShmi (in My Name), saying, I have dreamed, I have dreamed. 26 How long shall this be in the lev of the nevi'im that prophesy sheker? Indeed, they are nevi'im of the delusion of their own lev; 27 Which think to cause My people to forget My Shem by their chalomot (dreams) which they tell every ish to his neighbor, as their avot have forgotten My Shem through Ba'al [worship]. 28 The navi that hath a chalom, let him tell a chalom; and he that hath My Devar, let him speak My Devar emes (faithfully). What is the chaff to the wheat? saith Hashem. 29 Is not My Devar like an eish? saith Hashem. And like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces? 30 Therefore, hineni, I am against the nevi'im, saith Hashem, that steal My devarim every ish from his neighbor. 31 Hineni, I am against the nevi'im, saith Hashem, that use their [own] lashon, and say, He saith. 32 Hineni, I am against them that prophesy chalomot sheker, saith Hashem, and do tell them, and cause My people to err by their lies, and by their recklessness; yet I sent them not, nor commanded them: therefore they shall not profit this people at all, saith Hashem.
33 And when this people, or the navi, or a kohen, shall ask thee, saying, What is the massa (burden, prophecy) of Hashem? Thou shalt then say unto them, What massa (burden)? I will even forsake you, saith Hashem. 34 And as for the navi, and the kohen, and HaAm, that shall say, The massa (burden) of Hashem, I will even punish that ish and his bais. 35 Thus shall ye say every ish to his neighbor, and every ish to his brother, What hath Hashem answered? And, What hath Hashem spoken? 36 And the massa (burden) of Hashem shall ye mention no more; for every manʼs word shall be his massa (burden); for ye have perverted the Devarim of the Elohim Chayyim, of Hashem Tzva'os Eloheinu. 37 Thus shalt thou say to the navi, What hath Hashem answered thee? And, What hath Hashem spoken? 38 But since ye say, The massa (burden) of Hashem; therefore thus saith Hashem, Because ye say this word, The massa (burden) of Hashem, and I have sent unto you, saying, Ye shall not say, The massa (burden) of Hashem; 39 Therefore, hineni, I, even I, will utterly forget you, and I will forsake you, and the Ir that I gave you and avoteichem, and cast you out of My presence; 40 And I will bring a cherpat olam (everlasting disgrace) upon you, and a kelimut olam (perpetual dishonor), which shall not be forgotten.
* 23:5 i.e., Moshiach Ben Dovid Yehoshua, see 30:9; 33:15; Zech 3:8; Ezra 3:8; Zech 6:11-12; Mt 2:23; Isa 4:2; 9:2-7; 11:1-12; 53:2,11; Moshiach the new “Joshua” Isa 49:8