David’s Righteous Branch

1Wo vnto the shepheardes that destroy and scatter my flocke, saith the Lorde. 2Wherefore this is the saying of the Lord God of Israel concerning the shepheardes that feede my people, Ye scatter and thrust out my flocke, and loke not vpon them: therefore nowe wyll I visite the wickednesse of your imaginations, saith the Lorde. 3And I wyll gather together the remnaunt of my flocke from all landes that I had driuen them vnto, and will bring them agayne to their foldes, that they may growe and increase. 4I wyll set shepheardes also ouer them, whiche shall feede them: they shall no more feare and dread, and there shall none of them be loste, saith the Lorde.

5Beholde, the tyme commeth saith the Lorde, that I wyll rayse vp the righteous braunche of Dauid, whiche kyng shall beare rule, and he shall prosper with wisdome, and shal set vp equitie and righteousnesse agayne in the earth.

6In his tyme shall Iuda be saued, and Israel shall dwell without feare: and this is the name that they shall call hym, euen the Lorde our righteousnesse.

7And therefore beholde the time commeth saith the Lorde, that it shalbe no more sayde, the Lorde liueth whiche brought the chyldren of Israel out of the lande of Egypt: 8But the Lorde liueth which brought foorth and led the seede of the house of Israel out of the north lande, and from all countreys where I had scattred them: and they shal dwel in their owne lande agayne.

Lying Prophets

9My heart breaketh in my body, because of the false prophetes all my bones shake, I am become like a drunken man that by the reason of wine can take no rest, for very feare of the Lorde and his holy wordes.

10Because the lande is full of adulterers, and thorowe swearing it mourneth, and the pleasaunt pastures of the desert are dryed vp: yea the way that men take is wicked, and their power is nothing right.

11For the prophetes and the priestes them selues are polluted hypocrites, and their wickednesse haue I founde in my house, saith the Lorde.

12Wherefore their way shalbe slipperie in the darknesse, wherein they may stacker and fall: for I wyll bryng a plague vpon them, euen the yere of their visitation, saith the Lorde.

13I haue seene folly among the prophetes of Samaria, that preached for Baal, and deceaued my people of Israel.

14I haue seene also among the prophetes of Hierusalem foule adultrie, and presumptuous lyes: they take the most shamefull men by the hande, flattering them, so that they can not returne from their wickednes: all these with their citizens are vnto me as Sodom, and as the inhabitours of Gomorre.

15Therefore thus saith the Lorde of hoastes concerning these prophetes: Beholde, I wyll feede them with wormewood, and make them drinke the water of gall: For from the prophetes of Hierusalem is hypocrisie come into all the lande.

16And therfore the Lorde of hoastes geueth you this warning: Heare not the wordes of the prophetes that preache vnto you and deceaue you, truely they reache you vanitie: for they speake the meaning of their owne heart, and not out of the mouth of the Lorde.

17They say vnto them that despise me, The Lorde hath spoken it, tushe, ye shall prosper right well: and vnto all them that walke after the lust of their owne heart, they say, tushe, there shall no misfortune happen you.

18For who hath sitten in the counsayle of the Lorde, that he hath hearde and vnderstande what he is about to do? who hath marked his deuice, and hearde it?

19Beholde, the stormie weather of the Lorde that is his indignation, shall go foorth, and a violent whirlewinde shall fall downe vpon the head of the vngodly.

20And the wrath of the Lorde shall not turne agayne, vntill he perfourme and fulfill the thought of his heart: and in the latter dayes ye shall knowe his meaning.

21I haue not sent these prophetes saith the Lorde and yet they ranne, I haue not spoken to them, and yet they preached.

22But if they had continued in my counsayle, they had opened to my people my wordes, and they had turned my people from their euyll wayes, and wicked imaginations.

23Am I then God that seeth but the thing whiche is nye at hande, and not that is farre of, saith the Lorde?

24May any man hide him selfe so, that I shall not see hym saith the Lorde? do not I fulfill heauen and earth saith the Lorde?

25I haue hearde well inough what the prophetes say that preache lyes in my name, saying, I haue dreamed, I haue dreamed. 26Howe long wyll this continue in the prophetes heart to tell lies, and preache the craftie subtiltie of their owne heart? 27Whose purpose is with the dreames that euery one tell, to make my people forget my name, as their fathers dyd when Baal came vp. 28The prophete that hath a dreame, let hym tell it, and he that vnderstandeth my worde, let hym shewe it faythfully: for what hath chaffe and wheate to do together saith the Lorde? 29Is not my worde like a fire saith the Lorde? and like an hammer that breaketh the harde stone? 30Therefore thus saith the Lodre: beholde, I wyll vpon the prophetes that steale my worde priuilie from euery man. 31Beholde, here am I saith the Lorde, against the prophetes that make tongues tender to speake, and to say, The Lorde hath saide it. 32Beholde, here am I saith the Lorde, against those prophetes that dare prophecie lying dreames, and deceaue my people with their vanities and inconstant deuices, yet I neuer sent nor commaunded them: They shall do this people no good at all, saith the Lorde.

False Prophecies

33If this people, eyther any prophete or priest aske thee, and say: What is the burthen of the Lord? Thou shalt say vnto them: what burthen? I wyll forsake you saith the Lorde. 34And the prophete, priest, or people that vseth this tearme, The burthen of the Lorde: him wyll I visite, and his house also. 35But thus shall ye say euery one to another, and euery man to his brother: what aunswere hath the Lorde geuen? or what is the Lordes commaundement? 36And as for the burthen of the Lorde, ye shall speake no more of it, for euery mans owne worde is his burthen: because ye haue altred the wordes of the liuing God, the Lorde of hoastes, our God. 37Thus shall euery man say to the prophetes: what aunswere hath the Lorde geuen thee? or what saith the Lorde? 38And not once to name the burthen of the Lorde. Therefore thus saith the Lord: Forasmuch as ye haue vsed this terme (the burthen of the Lord) where as I notwithstanding sent vnto you and forbad you to speake of the Lordes burthen: 39Beholde therefore, I wyll take you vp as a burthen, and wyl cast you farre of from my presence, yea and the citie also that I gaue you and your fathers: 40And wyll bryng you to an euerlasting confusion, and into a shame that shall neuer be forgotten.