Jeremiah 5:31
New International Version
The prophets prophesy lies, the priests rule by their own authority, and my people love it this way. But what will you do in the end?

New Living Translation
the prophets give false prophecies, and the priests rule with an iron hand. Worse yet, my people like it that way! But what will you do when the end comes?

English Standard Version
the prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule at their direction; my people love to have it so, but what will you do when the end comes?

Berean Standard Bible
The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule by their own authority. My people love it so, but what will you do in the end?

King James Bible
The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?

New King James Version
The prophets prophesy falsely, And the priests rule by their own power; And My people love to have it so. But what will you do in the end?

New American Standard Bible
The prophets prophesy falsely, And the priests rule on their own authority; And My people love it this way! But what will you do when the end comes?

NASB 1995
The prophets prophesy falsely, And the priests rule on their own authority; And My people love it so! But what will you do at the end of it?

NASB 1977
The prophets prophesy falsely, And the priests rule on their own authority; And My people love it so! But what will you do at the end of it?

Legacy Standard Bible
The prophets prophesy with lying, And the priests have dominion by their own hand; And My people love it so! But what will you do at the end of it?

Amplified Bible
The prophets prophesy falsely, And the priests rule on their own authority; And My people love [to have] it so! But what will you do when the end comes?

Christian Standard Bible
The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule by their own authority. My people love it like this. But what will you do at the end of it?

Holman Christian Standard Bible
The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule by their own authority. My people love it like this. But what will you do at the end of it?

American Standard Version
the prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?

Contemporary English Version
Prophets give their messages in the name of a false god, my priests don't want to serve me, and you--my own people--like it this way! But on the day of disaster, where will you turn for help?

English Revised Version
the prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Prophets prophesy lies. Priests rule under the prophets' directions, and my people love this. But what will you do in the end?"

Good News Translation
prophets speak nothing but lies; priests rule as the prophets command, and my people offer no objections. But what will they do when it all comes to an end?"

International Standard Version
The prophets prophesy falsely, the priests rule by their own authority, and my people love it this way. But what will you do in the end?"

Majority Standard Bible
The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule by their own authority. My people love it so, but what will you do in the end?

NET Bible
The prophets prophesy lies. The priests exercise power by their own authority. And my people love to have it this way. But they will not be able to help you when the time of judgment comes!

New Heart English Bible
The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule by their own authority; and my people love to have it so. What will you do in the end of it?

Webster's Bible Translation
The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?

World English Bible
The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule by their own authority; and my people love to have it so. What will you do in the end of it?
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
The prophets have prophesied falsely, "" And the priests bear rule by their means, "" And My people have loved [it] so, "" And what do they do at its latter end?”

Young's Literal Translation
The prophets have prophesied falsely, And the priests bear rule by their means, And My people have loved it so, And what do they at its latter end?

Smith's Literal Translation
The prophets prophesied in falsehood, and the priests will spread out with their hands; and my people loved it thus: and what will ye do to its last part.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
The prophets prophesied falsehood, and the priests clapped their hands: and my people loved such things: what then shall be done in the end thereof?

Catholic Public Domain Version
The prophets have prophesied lies, and the priests have applauded with their hands, and my people have loved these things. So then, what shall be done at the very end?”

New American Bible
The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests teach on their own authority; Yet my people like it this way; what will you do when the end comes?

New Revised Standard Version
the prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule as the prophets direct; my people love to have it so, but what will you do when the end comes?
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
The prophets prophesy falsely and the priests have supported them; and my people love to have it so; and what will you do at the end?

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
The Prophets prophesied falsehood and the Priests held their hands, and my people loves it so, and what will you do at the end?
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
The prophets prophesy in the service of falsehood, And the priests bear rule at their beck; And My people love to have it so; What then will ye do in the end thereof?

Brenton Septuagint Translation
the prophets utter unrighteous prophecies, and the priests have clapped their hands: and my people has loved to have it thus: and what will ye do for the future.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Judgment Proclaimed
30A horrible and shocking thing has happened in the land. 31The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule by their own authority. My people love it so, but what will you do in the end?

Cross References
Ezekiel 13:2-3
“Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who are now prophesying. Tell those who prophesy out of their own imagination: Hear the word of the LORD! / This is what the Lord GOD says: Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit yet have seen nothing.

Isaiah 30:9-10
These are rebellious people, deceitful children, children unwilling to obey the LORD’s instruction. / They say to the seers, “Stop seeing visions!” and to the prophets, “Do not prophesy to us the truth! Speak to us pleasant words; prophesy illusions.

Micah 3:11
Her leaders judge for a bribe, her priests teach for a price, and her prophets practice divination for money. Yet they lean upon the LORD, saying, “Is not the LORD among us? No disaster can come upon us.”

Hosea 4:9
And it shall be like people, like priest. I will punish both of them for their ways and repay them for their deeds.

Isaiah 56:10-11
Israel’s watchmen are blind, they are all oblivious; they are all mute dogs, they cannot bark; they are dreamers lying around, loving to slumber. / Like ravenous dogs, they are never satisfied. They are shepherds with no discernment; they all turn to their own way, each one seeking his own gain:

Matthew 15:14
Disregard them! They are blind guides. If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit.”

2 Timothy 4:3-4
For the time will come when men will not tolerate sound doctrine, but with itching ears they will gather around themselves teachers to suit their own desires. / So they will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.

Isaiah 9:15-16
The head is the elder and honorable man, and the tail is the prophet who teaches lies. / For those who guide this people mislead them, and those they mislead are swallowed up.

Lamentations 2:14
The visions of your prophets were empty and deceptive; they did not expose your guilt to ward off your captivity. The burdens they envisioned for you were empty and misleading.

1 Kings 22:22-23
And he replied, ‘I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets.’ ‘You will surely entice him and prevail,’ said the LORD. ‘Go and do it.’ / So you see, the LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouths of all these prophets of yours, and the LORD has pronounced disaster against you.”

2 Peter 2:1-3
Now there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. / Many will follow in their depravity, and because of them the way of truth will be defamed. / In their greed, these false teachers will exploit you with deceptive words. The longstanding verdict against them remains in force, and their destruction does not sleep.

Zechariah 11:5
whose buyers slaughter them without remorse. Those who sell them say, ‘Blessed be the LORD, for I am rich!’ Even their own shepherds have no compassion on them.

Matthew 23:13
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let in those who wish to enter.

1 Timothy 4:1-2
Now the Spirit expressly states that in later times some will abandon the faith to follow deceitful spirits and the teachings of demons, / influenced by the hypocrisy of liars, whose consciences are seared with a hot iron.

Isaiah 5:20
Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who turn darkness to light and light to darkness, who replace bitter with sweet and sweet with bitter.


Treasury of Scripture

The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will you do in the end thereof?

prophets.

Jeremiah 14:14
Then the LORD said unto me, The prophets prophesy lies in my name: I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spake unto them: they prophesy unto you a false vision and divination, and a thing of nought, and the deceit of their heart.

Jeremiah 23:25,26
I have heard what the prophets said, that prophesy lies in my name, saying, I have dreamed, I have dreamed…

Lamentations 2:14
Thy prophets have seen vain and foolish things for thee: and they have not discovered thine iniquity, to turn away thy captivity; but have seen for thee false burdens and causes of banishment.

bear rule.

Isaiah 30:10,11
Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits: …

Micah 2:6,11
Prophesy ye not, say they to them that prophesy: they shall not prophesy to them, that they shall not take shame…

John 3:19-21
And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil…

and what.

Jeremiah 4:30,31
And when thou art spoiled, what wilt thou do? Though thou clothest thyself with crimson, though thou deckest thee with ornaments of gold, though thou rentest thy face with painting, in vain shalt thou make thyself fair; thy lovers will despise thee, they will seek thy life…

Jeremiah 22:22,23
The wind shall eat up all thy pastors, and thy lovers shall go into captivity: surely then shalt thou be ashamed and confounded for all thy wickedness…

Deuteronomy 32:29
O that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end!

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Jeremiah 5
1. The judgments of God upon the people, for their perverseness;
7. for their adultery;
10. for their impiety;
15. for their worship of idols;
19. for their contempt of God;
25. and for their great corruption in the civil state;
30. and ecclesiastical.














The prophets prophesy falsely
In this phrase, the Hebrew word for "prophets" is "נְבִיאִים" (nevi'im), which refers to those who are supposed to be God's messengers. However, these prophets are described as prophesying "falsely" (שֶׁקֶר, sheker), indicating deceit and falsehood. Historically, false prophets were a significant issue in ancient Israel, leading people away from God's truth. This highlights the importance of discernment and the need for leaders who are truly aligned with God's word.

and the priests rule by their own authority
The Hebrew term for "priests" is "כֹּהֲנִים" (kohanim), who were meant to be spiritual leaders and mediators between God and the people. However, they are described as ruling "by their own authority" (עַל־יְדֵיהֶם, al-yedehem), suggesting a usurpation of divine authority for personal gain. This reflects a corruption of spiritual leadership, where human authority is placed above God's commands, a recurring theme in the history of Israel.

and My people love it so!
The phrase "My people" (עַמִּי, ammi) refers to the Israelites, God's chosen people. The fact that they "love it so" (אָהֲבוּ כֵן, ahavu ken) indicates a troubling acceptance and even desire for this false leadership. This suggests a deep spiritual malaise where the people prefer comforting lies over challenging truths, a condition that can lead to moral and spiritual decay.

But what will you do in the end?
This rhetorical question serves as a sobering warning. The Hebrew word for "end" (אַחֲרִית, acharit) often refers to the ultimate outcome or destiny. It challenges the people to consider the consequences of their actions and the inevitable judgment that follows. This is a call to repentance and a return to God's truth, emphasizing the urgency of aligning with divine will before it is too late.

(31) Prophesy falsely.--Literally, with a lie, so in Jeremiah 20:6; Jeremiah 29:9.

Bear rule by their means.--Better, move at their hands, i.e., according to their direction (as in 1Chronicles 25:2; 2Chronicles 23:18. The Vulg. and LXX. translate The priests applauded with their hands. So taken, the words of Jeremiah make the priests follow the prophets, not the prophets the instruments of the priests. In Isaiah 9:15 the prophets are as "the tail," the basest element in the nation. . . .

Verse 31. - The prophets... the priests. (See on Jeremiah 2:26.) Bear rule by their means; rather, rule at their beck. (literally, at their hands, comp. Jeremiah 33:13; 1 Chronicles 25:2, 3; 2 Chronicles 23:18). An example of this interference of the false prophets with the priestly office is given by Jeremiah himself. (Jeremiah 29:24-26). My people love to have it so. Sometimes the prophets speak as if the governing classes alone were responsible for the sins and consequent calamities of their country. But Jeremiah here expressly declares that the governed were as much to blame as their governors.



Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
The prophets
הַנְּבִיאִ֞ים (han·nə·ḇî·’îm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 5030: A spokesman, speaker, prophet

prophesy
נִבְּא֣וּ־ (nib·bə·’ū-)
Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 5012: To prophesy, speak, by inspiration

falsely,
בַשֶּׁ֗קֶר (ḇaš·še·qer)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 8267: Deception, disappointment, falsehood

and the priests
וְהַכֹּהֲנִים֙ (wə·hak·kō·hă·nîm)
Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 3548: Priest

rule
יִרְדּ֣וּ (yir·dū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 7287: To tread down, subjugate, to crumble off

by
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

their own authority.
יְדֵיהֶ֔ם (yə·ḏê·hem)
Noun - fdc | third person masculine plural
Strong's 3027: A hand

My people
וְעַמִּ֖י (wə·‘am·mî)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 5971: A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock

love
אָ֣הֲבוּ (’ā·hă·ḇū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 157: To have affection f

it so,
כֵ֑ן (ḵên)
Adverb
Strong's 3651: So -- thus

but what
וּמַֽה־ (ū·mah-)
Conjunctive waw | Interrogative
Strong's 4100: What?, what!, indefinitely what

will you do
תַּעֲשׂ֖וּ (ta·‘ă·śū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural
Strong's 6213: To do, make

in the end?”
לְאַחֲרִיתָֽהּ׃ (lə·’a·ḥă·rî·ṯāh)
Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person feminine singular
Strong's 319: The last, end, the future, posterity


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OT Prophets: Jeremiah 5:31 The prophets prophesy falsely and the priests (Jer.)
Jeremiah 5:30
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