Jeremiah 23

Jeremiah 23:3

And I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all countries whither I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds: and they shall be fruitful and increase.

In that happy time of restoration, I will gather the remnant of mine elect people, out of all countries, both them of Judah and of Israel, into the bosom of my Church; where they shall be fruitful of all good works.

Jeremiah 23:4

And I will set shepherds over them which shall feed them.

I will set over them, holy considerable, able pastors, which shall feed them with the food of life.

Jeremiah 23:6

In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall

dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. In his days, those, that belong to his true Church, shall be saved and delivered from their spiritual enemies: and he shall be endued with infinite wisdom, righteousness, and holiness; insomuch, as we shall be made the righteousness of God in him. XXIII. 7, 8. They shall no more say, The Lord liveth, which brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt, &c. See chap. xvi. verse 14, and 15.

Jeremiah 23:9

Mine heart within me is broken because of the prophets; all my bones shake; I am like a drunken man, and like a man whom wine hath overcome, because of the LORD, and because of the words of his holiness.

My heart within me is extremely grieved and vexed, because of the false prophets, which mislead the people: I am in a great agony and distress for them: I am not myself for extremity of passion, to think of those heavy judgments, which the Lord hath intended and threatened, in his holy and just vengeance, to bring upon this people.

Jeremiah 23:10

For because of swearing the land mourneth; the pleasant places of the wilderness are dried up, and their course is evil, and their force is not right.

The land groaneth and mourneth, under that fearful and ordinary profanation of the name of God, by false and rash oaths: the pleasant pastures of those plains, where their flocks had wont to feed, are now dried and parched; because the men of Judah take wicked courses, and employ their power to violence and oppression.

Jeremiah 23:12

Wherefore their way shall be unto them as slippery ways in the darkness: they shall be driven on, and fall therein.

They shall fall and perish, in the just punishment of their sins: as those, that, in the night time, walk in slippery places; so shall they be driven hastily forward, and fall, and miscarry under the vengeance.

Jeremiah 23:13

And I have seen folly in the prophets of Samaria; they prophesied in Baal, and caused my people Israel to err.

If we shall make comparison betwixt the late prophets of Israel or the ten tribes, with those of Judah and Jerusalem; surely the prophets of Israel, or Samaria, were foolish and superstitious: they prophesied in the name of Baal, and caused my people to err through their false doctrine and idolatrous practices.

Jeremiah 23:14

I have seen also in the prophets of Jerusalem an horrible thing: they commit adultery, and walk in lies: they strengthen also the hands of evil doers, that none doth return from his wickedness: they are all of them unto me as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrah.

But I have noted the prophets of Judah and Jerusalem to be extremely vicious in life, and abominably filthy: they do not only

Jeremiah 23:18

For who hath stood in the counsel of the LORD, and hath perceived and heard his word? who hath marked his word and heard it?

Fear not the sad predictions of this man, say these false prophets, for he speaks at random, howsoever he pretends. Who hath been of counsel with God? What man hath been so familiar with the Almighty, as to take messages from him?

Jeremiah 23:19

Behold a whirlwind of the LORD is gone forth in fury, even a grievous whirlwind; it shall fall grievously upon the head of the wicked.

Behold, God shall rush suddenly and violently upon these men: and shall carry them away, like some furious whirlwind, which cannot be either avoided or resisted.

Jeremiah 23:20

In the latter days ye shall consider.

At last, ye shall, by woeful experience, find all this verified, and shall then be deeply affected with it.

Jeremiah 23:21

I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran: &c.

I gave no commission to these prophets, yet they ran, as of their own heads: &c.

Jeremiah 23:22

But if they had stood in my counsel, and had caused my people to hear my words, then they should have turned them from their evil way, &c.

If they had received directions and errands from me, and had delivered them accordingly to my people, they should have laboured to have turned them from their lewd courses.

Jeremiah 23:23

Am I a God at hand, saith the LORD, and not a God afar off?

What do ye make of me, saith the Lord? Do ye think me a God that may be eluded or fled from? Do ye think that I take notice only of that, which is done near hand, and not of that, which is done afar off?

Jeremiah 23:26

Yea, they are prophets of the deceit of their own heart.

They are their own prophets; they are not mine: they have broached the deceivable imaginations of their own hearts.

Jeremiah 23:28

The prophet that hath a dream, let him tell a dream: and he that hath my word, let him speak my word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat? saith the LORD.

Away with all fraud in this holy service: that prophet, which hath but dreamed, let him confess it is but a dream; and he, that hath indeed a vision and word from me, let him deliver it as my message, faithfully: for what hath this chaff of idle dreams to do with the pure grain of my visions and revelations?

Jeremiah 23:29

Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?

Is not my word a powerful word? Is it not as a fire, to burn up all the chaff and stubble? Is it not as an iron hammer, to break the hardest and most rocky hearts in pieces?

Jeremiah 23:30

Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets, saith the LORD, that steal my word every one from his neighbour.

I am against those prophets, saith the Lord, that fraudulently and cunningly keep back the word of the Lord from the people; and that take from each other, by compact and agreement, those prophecies, which themselves have falsely devised, and unjustly ascribed unto God.

Jeremiah 23:31

Behold, I am against the prophets, saith the LORD, that use their tongues, and say, He saith.

I am against those prophets, which, by their smooth tongues, persuade the people it is the word of the Lord, which they deliver, when it is nothing but their own fancy.

Jeremiah 23:33

And when this people, or the prophet, or a priest, shall ask thee, saying, What is the burden of the LORD? thou shalt then say unto them, What burden? I will even forsake you, saith the LORD.

When they shall ask thee, in scorn, Now, prophet, what is the burden from the Lord? thou shalt answer them, What is the burden, do ye ask? Lo, this is the burden; I will utterly cast you off, saith the Lord.

Jeremiah 23:34

And as for the prophets, and the priest, and the people, that shall say, The burden of the LORD, I will even punish that man and his house.

And that man, whether priest, or prophet, or whosoever, that shall scornfully ask thee this question, I will plague both him and his house.

Jeremiah 23:35

Thus shall ye say every one to his neighbour, and every one to his brother, What hath the LORD answered? and, What hath the LORD spoken?

Neither would I have, indeed, any mention amongst men, of any burden in my messages; as if there were nothing but heavy tidings sent by me to my people: instead thereof, let them rather say, What hath the Lord spoken?

Jeremiah 23:36

For every man’s word shall be his burden.

Though there were no prophet to denounce judgment against men, yet every man would be a prophet to himself: his very conscience would sufficiently lay before him the just judgment of the Almighty.