Jeremiah 23:33-40 - The Burden Of The Lord

³³ The Lord said to me, "Jeremiah, when one of these people, or a prophet, or a priest asks you, 'What burdensome message do you have from the Lord?' Tell them, 'You are the burden, and I will cast you away. I, the Lord, affirm it! ³⁴ I will punish any prophet, priest, or other person who says "The Lord's message is burdensome." I will punish both that person and his whole family.'" ³⁵ So I, Jeremiah, tell you, "Each of you people should say to his friend or his relative, 'How did the Lord answer? Or what did the Lord say?' ³⁶ You must no longer say that the Lord's message is burdensome. For what is 'burdensome' really pertains to what a person himself says. You are misrepresenting the words of our God, the living God, the Lord who rules over all. ³⁷ Each of you should merely ask the prophet, 'What answer did the Lord give you? Or what did the Lord say?' ³⁸ But just suppose you continue to say, 'The message of the Lord is burdensome.' Here is what the Lord says will happen: 'I sent word to you that you must not say, "The Lord's message is burdensome." But you used the words "The Lord's message is burdensome" anyway. ³⁹ So I will carry you far off and throw you away. I will send both you and the city I gave to you and to your ancestors out of my sight. ⁴⁰ I will bring on you lasting shame and lasting disgrace which will never be forgotten!'"