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Thursday, July 31st, 2025
the Week of Proper 12 / Ordinary 17
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Read the Bible

THE MESSAGE

Jeremiah 23:32

"Oh yes, I've had it with the prophets who preach the lies they dream up, spreading them all over the country, ruining the lives of my people with their cheap and reckless lies. "I never sent these prophets, never authorized a single one of them. They do nothing for this people—nothing!" God 's Decree.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Dream;   Minister, Christian;   Prophets;   Vanity;   Scofield Reference Index - Israel;   Thompson Chain Reference - Leaders;   Ministers;   Religious;   The Topic Concordance - Opposition;   Profit;   Prophecy and Prophets;   Sending and Those Sent;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Dreams;   Prophets, False;   Vanity;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Dream;   Lie;   Prophecy, prophet;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - False Prophet;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Quakers;   Holman Bible Dictionary - False Prophet;   Jeremiah;   Lamentations, Book of;   Nehelam, Nehelamite;   Oracles;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Dreams;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Dream (2);   Smith Bible Dictionary - Divination;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Divide;   Light;   Micaiah;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Dreams;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
I am against those who prophesy false dreams”—the Lord’s declaration—“telling them and leading my people astray with their reckless lies. It was not I who sent or commanded them, and they are of no benefit at all to these people”—this is the Lord’s declaration.
Hebrew Names Version
Behold, I am against those who prophesy lying dreams, says the LORD, and do tell them, and cause my people to err by their lies, and by their vain boasting: yet I didn't send them, nor commanded them; neither do they profit this people at all, says the LORD.
King James Version
Behold, I am against them that prophesy false dreams, saith the Lord , and do tell them, and cause my people to err by their lies, and by their lightness; yet I sent them not, nor commanded them: therefore they shall not profit this people at all, saith the Lord .
English Standard Version
Behold, I am against those who prophesy lying dreams, declares the Lord , and who tell them and lead my people astray by their lies and their recklessness, when I did not send them or charge them. So they do not profit this people at all, declares the Lord .
New American Standard Bible
"Behold, I am against those who have prophesied false dreams," declares the LORD, "and reported them and led My people astray by their lies and reckless boasting; yet I did not send them nor command them, nor do they provide this people the slightest benefit," declares the LORD.
New Century Version
I am against the prophets who prophesy false dreams," says the Lord . "They mislead my people with their lies and false teachings! I did not send them or command them to do anything for me. They can't help the people of Judah at all," says the Lord .
Amplified Bible
"Hear this, I am against those who have prophesied false and made-up dreams," says the LORD, "and have told them and have made My people err and go astray by their lies and by their reckless boasting; yet I did not send them or command them nor do they benefit and enhance [the life of] these people in the slightest way," says the LORD.
World English Bible
Behold, I am against those who prophesy lying dreams, says Yahweh, and do tell them, and cause my people to err by their lies, and by their vain boasting: yet I didn't send them, nor commanded them; neither do they profit this people at all, says Yahweh.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Beholde, I will come against them that prophecie false dreames, saith the Lorde, and doe tell them, and cause my people to erre by their lies, and by their flatteries, and I sent them not, nor commanded them: therefore they bring no profite vnto this people, saith the Lord.
Legacy Standard Bible
Behold, I am against those who have prophesied lying dreams," declares Yahweh, "and who recounted them and led My people astray by their lying and reckless boasting; yet I did not send them, and I did not command them, and they do not furnish this people the slightest benefit," declares Yahweh.
Berean Standard Bible
"Indeed," declares the LORD, "I am against those who prophesy false dreams they tell to lead My people astray with their reckless lies. It was not I who sent or commanded them, and they are of no benefit at all to these people," declares the LORD.
Complete Jewish Bible
"I am against those who concoct prophecies out of fake dreams," says Adonai . "They tell them, and by their lies and arrogance they lead my people astray. I didn't send them, I didn't commission them, and they don't do this people any good at all," says Adonai .
Darby Translation
Behold, I am against them that prophesy false dreams, saith Jehovah, and that tell them, and cause my people to err by their lies and by their boasting; and I have not sent them, nor commanded them; and they profit not this people at all, saith Jehovah.
Easy-to-Read Version
I am against the false prophets who tell false dreams." This message is from the Lord . "They mislead my people with their lies and false teachings. I did not send them to teach the people. I never commanded them to do anything for me. They cannot help the people of Judah at all." This message is from the Lord .
George Lamsa Translation
Behold, I am against the prophets who see false dreams, says the LORD, and tell them, and lead my people astray by their lies and their wantonness; yet I did not command them nor send them; so they do not profit this people at all.
Good News Translation
Listen to what I, the Lord , say! I am against the prophets who tell their dreams that are full of lies. They tell these dreams and lead my people astray with their lies and their boasting. I did not send them or order them to go, and they are of no help at all to the people. I, the Lord , have spoken."
Lexham English Bible
Look, I am against those who prophesy dreams of lies," declares Yahweh, "and tell them, and they caused my people to err through their lies, and in their recklessness, when I myself have not sent them nor commanded them, so they profit not this people at all," declares Yahweh.
Literal Translation
Jehovah says, Behold, I am against those who prophesy false dreams, and tell them, and cause My people to go astray by their lies, and by their frivolity. Yet I did not send them nor commandthem. And they will not profit this peopleat all, says Jehovah.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
, that darre prophecy lies, and disceaue my people with their vanities and miracles, whom I neuer sent, ner commaunded them. They shal do this people greate harme, saieth the LORDE.
American Standard Version
Behold, I am against them that prophesy lying dreams, saith Jehovah, and do tell them, and cause my people to err by their lies, and by their vain boasting: yet I sent them not, nor commanded them; neither do they profit this people at all, saith Jehovah.
Bible in Basic English
See, I am against the prophets of false dreams, says the Lord, who give them out and make my people go out of the way by their deceit and their uncontrolled words: but I did not send them or give them orders; and they will be of no profit to this people, says the Lord.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Behold, I am against them that prophesy lying dreams, saith the LORD, and do tell them, and cause My people to err by their lies, and by their wantonness; yet I sent them not, nor commanded them; neither can they profit this people at all, saith the LORD.
King James Version (1611)
Behold, I am against them that prophecie false dreames, sayeth the Lord, and doe tell them, and cause my people to erre by their lyes and by their lightnesse, yet I sent them not, nor commanded them: therefore they shall not profite this people at all, sayth the Lord.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Beholde, 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.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets that prophesy false dreams, and have not told them truly, and have caused my people to err by their lies, and by their errors; yet I sent them not, and commanded them not; therefore, they shall not profit this people at all.
English Revised Version
Behold, I am against them that prophesy lying dreams, saith the LORD, and do tell them, and cause my people to err by their lies, and by their vain boasting: yet I sent them not, nor commanded them; neither shall they profit this people at all, saith the LORD.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Lo! Y to the profetis, dremynge a leesyng, seith the Lord; which telden tho, and disseyueden my puple in her leesyng, and in her myraclis, whanne Y hadde not sente hem, nether hadde comaundide to hem; whiche profitiden no thing to this puple, seith the Lord.
Update Bible Version
Look, I am against those that prophesy lying dreams, says Yahweh, and tell them, and cause my people to err by their lies, and by their vain boasting: yet I did not send them, nor command them; neither do they profit this people at all, says Yahweh.
Webster's Bible Translation
Behold, I [am] against them that prophesy false dreams, saith the LORD, and do tell them, and cause my people to err by their lies, and by their lightness; yet I sent them not, nor commanded them: therefore they shall not profit this people at all, saith the LORD.
New English Translation
I, the Lord , affirm that I am opposed to those prophets who dream up lies and report them. They are misleading my people with their reckless lies. I did not send them. I did not commission them. They are not helping these people at all. I, the Lord , affirm it!"
New King James Version
Behold, I am against those who prophesy false dreams," says the LORD, "and tell them, and cause My people to err by their lies and by their recklessness. Yet I did not send them or command them; therefore they shall not profit this people at all," says the LORD.
New Living Translation
I am against these false prophets. Their imaginary dreams are flagrant lies that lead my people into sin. I did not send or appoint them, and they have no message at all for my people. I, the Lord , have spoken!
New Life Bible
I am against those who have told false dreams," says the Lord, "and have led My people the wrong way by their lies and foolish words of pride. I did not send them or tell them what to say, so they do not help these people at all," says the Lord.
New Revised Standard
See, I am against those who prophesy lying dreams, says the Lord , and who tell them, and who lead my people astray by their lies and their recklessness, when I did not send them or appoint them; so they do not profit this people at all, says the Lord .
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Behold me! against such as prophesy the dreams of falsehood, Declareth Yahweh, who have related them and led astray my people, with their falsehoods and with their recklessness, - whereas, I, had not sent them nor commanded them, so that they could be of no, profit, to this people, Declareth Yahweh.
Douay-Rheims Bible
Behold I am against the prophets that have lying dreams, saith the Lord: and tell them, and cause my people to err by their lying, and by their wonders: when I sent them not, nor commanded them, who have not profited this people at all, saith the Lord.
Revised Standard Version
Behold, I am against those who prophesy lying dreams, says the LORD, and who tell them and lead my people astray by their lies and their recklessness, when I did not send them or charge them; so they do not profit this people at all, says the LORD.
Young's Literal Translation
Lo, I [am] against the prophets of false dreams, An affirmation of Jehovah, And they recount them, and cause my people to err, By their falsehoods, and by their instability, And I -- I have not sent them, Nor have I commanded them, And they are not at all profitable to this people, An affirmation of Jehovah.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Behold, I am against those who have prophesied false dreams," declares the LORD, "and related them and led My people astray by their falsehoods and reckless boasting; yet I did not send them or command them, nor do they furnish this people the slightest benefit," declares the LORD.

Contextual Overview

9 My head is reeling, my limbs are limp, I'm staggering like a drunk, seeing double from too much wine— And all because of God , because of his holy words. 10Now for what God says regarding the lying prophets: "Can you believe it? A country teeming with adulterers! faithless, promiscuous idolater-adulterers! They're a curse on the land. The land's a wasteland. Their unfaithfulness is turning the country into a cesspool, Prophets and priests devoted to desecration. They have nothing to do with me as their God. My very own Temple, mind you— mud-spattered with their crimes." God 's Decree. "But they won't get by with it. They'll find themselves on a slippery slope, Careening into the darkness, somersaulting into the pitch-black dark. I'll make them pay for their crimes. It will be the Year of Doom." God 's Decree. 13"Over in Samaria I saw prophets acting like silly fools—shocking! They preached using that no-god Baal for a text, messing with the minds of my people. And the Jerusalem prophets are even worse—horrible!— sex-driven, living a lie, Subsidizing a culture of wickedness, and never giving it a second thought. They're as bad as those wretches in old Sodom, the degenerates of old Gomorrah." 15 So here's the Message to the prophets from God -of-the-Angel-Armies: "I'll cook them a supper of maggoty meat with after-dinner drinks of strychnine. The Jerusalem prophets are behind all this. They're the cause of the godlessness polluting this country." 16A Message from God -of-the-Angel-Armies: "Don't listen to the sermons of the prophets. It's all hot air. Lies, lies, and more lies. They make it all up. Not a word they speak comes from me. They preach their ‘Everything Will Turn Out Fine' sermon to congregations with no taste for God, Their ‘Nothing Bad Will Ever Happen to You' sermon to people who are set in their own ways. 18"Have any of these prophets bothered to meet with me, the true God ? bothered to take in what I have to say? listened to and then lived out my Word? Look out! God 's hurricane will be let loose— my hurricane blast, Spinning the heads of the wicked like tops! God's raging anger won't let up Until I've made a clean sweep, completing the job I began. When the job's done, you'll see that it's been well done. 21"I never sent these prophets, but they ran anyway. I never spoke to them, but they preached away. If they'd have bothered to sit down and meet with me, they'd have preached my Message to my people. They'd have gotten them back on the right track, gotten them out of their evil ruts. 23"Am I not a God near at hand"— God 's Decree— "and not a God far off? Can anyone hide out in a corner where I can't see him?" God 's Decree. "Am I not present everywhere, whether seen or unseen?" God 's Decree. 25"I know what they're saying, all these prophets who preach lies using me as their text, saying ‘I had this dream! I had this dream!' How long do I have to put up with this? Do these prophets give two cents about me as they preach their lies and spew out their grandiose delusions? They swap dreams with one another, feed on each other's delusive dreams, trying to distract my people from me just as their ancestors were distracted by the no-god Baal. 28"You prophets who do nothing but dream— go ahead and tell your silly dreams. But you prophets who have a message from me— tell it truly and faithfully. What does straw have in common with wheat? Nothing else is like God 's Decree. Isn't my Message like fire?" God 's Decree. "Isn't it like a sledgehammer busting a rock?

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

to err: Jeremiah 23:16, Jeremiah 27:14-22, Jeremiah 28:15-17, Jeremiah 29:21-23, Jeremiah 29:31, Deuteronomy 13:1-18, Deuteronomy 18:20, Isaiah 3:12, Ezekiel 13:7-18, Zechariah 13:2, Zechariah 13:3, Revelation 19:20

and by: Zephaniah 3:4, 2 Corinthians 1:17

therefore: Jeremiah 23:22, Jeremiah 7:8, Lamentations 2:14, Matthew 15:14

Reciprocal: Judges 18:6 - Go in peace 1 Kings 13:18 - But Jeremiah 20:6 - thy friends Jeremiah 23:14 - in the Jeremiah 23:21 - General Jeremiah 23:25 - dreamed Jeremiah 27:9 - hearken Ezekiel 13:6 - saying Micah 2:11 - a man Micah 3:5 - concerning Zechariah 11:17 - idol John 10:1 - He Romans 10:15 - And how 1 Corinthians 14:6 - what shall I 1 Timothy 4:2 - lies 2 Timothy 2:14 - to no

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Behold, I [am] against them that prophesy false dreams, saith the Lord,.... And not true ones, such as the Lord spoke in to his prophets, and which they communicated from him to his people; see

Numbers 12:6;

and do tell them, and cause my people to err by their lies, and by their lightness; by the false doctrines and prophecies which they delivered, and by their loose and disorderly lives which they led; so that they debauched the principles of the people by the former, and their practices by the latter. Kimchi interprets the word translated "lightness" of lightness of their knowledge; as if it was through the shallowness of their judgments, and want of capacity in teaching, that the people were made to err by their false doctrines. The Targum interprets it of their temerity or rashness; and Schultens s, from the use of the word in the Arabic language, explains it of their pride and false glorying;

yet I sent them not, nor commanded them; wherefore they lied, and acted a vainglorious part, when they pretended they were sent by him, and had their orders from him what they should say; see Jeremiah 23:21;

therefore they shall not profit this people at all, saith the Lord; so far from it, that they did them a great deal of hurt by their lies and flatteries; seducing them from the ways and worship of God, and leading them on in such as would issue in their destruction, and did.

s Animadv. in Job. p. 144.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The third characteristic. See Jeremiah 23:25.

Lightness - Vain, empty, talk.


 
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