'Prophets' in the Bible

The priests quit asking, “Where is the Lord?”The experts in the law no longer knew Me,and the rulers rebelled against Me.The prophets prophesied by Baaland followed useless idols.

Like the shame of a thief when he is caught,so the house of Israel has been put to shame.They, their kings, their officials,their priests, and their prophets

I have struck down your children in vain;they would not accept discipline.Your own sword has devoured your prophetslike a ravaging lion.

“On that day”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“the king and the officials will lose their courage. The priests will tremble in fear, and the prophets will be scared speechless.”

The prophets become only wind,for the Lord’s word is not in them.This will in fact happen to them.

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?

Since the day your ancestors came out of the land of Egypt until this day, I have sent all My servants the prophets to you time and time again.

“At that time”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“the bones of the kings of Judah, the bones of her officials, the bones of the priests, the bones of the prophets, and the bones of the residents of Jerusalem will be brought out of their graves.

And you will say to them: This is what the Lord says: I am about to fill all who live in this land—the kings who reign for David on his throne, the priests, the prophets and all the residents of Jerusalem—with drunkenness.

And I replied, “Oh no, Lord God! The prophets are telling them, ‘You won’t see sword or suffer famine. I will certainly give you true peace in this place.’”

But the Lord said to me, “These prophets are prophesying a lie in My name. I did not send them, nor did I command them or speak to them. They are prophesying to you a false vision, worthless divination, the deceit of their own minds.

“Therefore, this is what the Lord says concerning the prophets who prophesy in My name, though I did not send them, and who say, ‘There will never be sword or famine in this land.’ By sword and famine these prophets will meet their end.

Concerning the prophets:My heart is broken within me,and all my bones tremble.I have become like a drunkard,like a man overcome by wine,because of the Lord,because of His holy words.

Among the prophets of SamariaI saw something disgusting:They prophesied by Baaland led My people Israel astray.

Among the prophets of Jerusalem alsoI saw a horrible thing:They commit adultery and walk in lies.They strengthen the hands of evildoers,and none turns his back on evil.They are all like Sodom to Me;Jerusalem’s residents are like Gomorrah.

Therefore, this is what the Lord of Hosts says concerning the prophets:I am about to feed them wormwoodand give them poisoned water to drink,for from the prophets of Jerusalemungodliness has spread throughout the land.

This is what the Lord of Hosts says: “Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you. They are making you worthless. They speak visions from their own minds, not from the Lord’s mouth.

I did not send these prophets,yet they ran with a message.I did not speak to them,yet they prophesied.

“I have heard what the prophets who prophesy a lie in My name have said, ‘I had a dream! I had a dream!’

How long will this continue in the minds of the prophets prophesying lies, prophets of the deceit of their own minds?

Therefore, take note! I am against the prophets”—the Lord’s declaration—“who steal My words from each other.

I am against the prophets”—the Lord’s declaration—“who use their own tongues to make a declaration.

The Lord sent all His servants the prophets to you time and time again, but you have not obeyed or even paid attention.

and by listening to the words of My servants the prophets I have been sending you time and time again, though you did not listen,

The priests, the prophets, and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the temple of the Lord.

He finished the address the Lord had commanded him to deliver to all the people. Then the priests, the prophets, and all the people took hold of him, yelling, “You must surely die!

Then the priests and prophets said to the officials and all the people, “This man deserves the death sentence because he has prophesied against this city, as you have heard with your own ears.”

Then the officials and all the people told the priests and prophets, “This man doesn’t deserve the death sentence, for he has spoken to us in the name of Yahweh our God!”

But as for you, do not listen to your prophets, diviners, dreamers, fortune-tellers, or sorcerers who say to you, ‘Don’t serve the king of Babylon!’

Do not listen to the words of the prophets who are telling you, ‘You must not serve the king of Babylon,’ for they are prophesying a lie to you.

‘I have not sent them’—this is the Lord’s declaration—‘and they are prophesying falsely in My name; therefore, I will banish you, and you will perish—you and the prophets who are prophesying to you.’”

Then I spoke to the priests and all these people, saying, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Do not listen to the words of your prophets. They are prophesying to you, claiming, “Look, very soon now the articles of the Lord’s temple will be brought back from Babylon.” They are prophesying a lie to you.

If they are indeed prophets and if the word of the Lord is with them, let them intercede with the Lord of Hosts not to let the articles that remain in the Lord’s temple, in the palace of the king of Judah, and in Jerusalem go to Babylon.’

The prophets who preceded you and me from ancient times prophesied war, disaster, and plague against many lands and great kingdoms.

This is the text of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the rest of the elders of the exiles, the priests, the prophets, and all the people Nebuchadnezzar had deported from Jerusalem to Babylon.

For this is what the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: “Don’t let your prophets who are among you and your diviners deceive you, and don’t listen to the dreams you elicit from them,

You have said, “The Lord has raised up prophets for us in Babylon!”

I will do this because they have not listened to My words”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“that I sent to them with My servants the prophets time and time again. And you too have not listened.” This is the Lord’s declaration.

because of all the evil the Israelites and Judeans have done to provoke Me to anger—they, their kings, their officials, their priests, and their prophets, the men of Judah, and the residents of Jerusalem.

Time and time again I have sent you all My servants the prophets, proclaiming: Turn, each one from his evil way of life, and correct your actions. Stop following other gods to serve them. Live in the land that I gave you and your ancestors. But you would not pay attention or obey Me.

Where are your prophets who prophesied to you, claiming, ‘The king of Babylon will not come against you and this land’?

So I sent you all My servants the prophets time and time again, saying: Don’t do this detestable thing that I hate.