Jeremiah 23:16-22

EasyEnglish Bible

‘Do not listen to the messages that the prophets are telling you.
    They are only deceiving you.
They speak about visions that are their own ideas.
    They do not speak a message that comes from the Lord himself.
¹⁷ When people refuse to listen to me,
    the prophets still encourage them.
They say to them,
    “The Lord will give you peace.”
When people refuse to change their wicked way of life,
    the prophets tell them,
    “Nothing bad will happen to you.”
¹⁸ But none of those prophets has met with the Lord.
    They have not seen him
    and they have not heard his voice.
So none of them has ever listened to him
    to know what he is saying.
¹⁹ But look! The Lord's anger will come
    like a strong storm.
It will blow away the heads of those wicked people.
²⁰ The Lord will not stop being angry,
    until he has finished what he has decided to do.
When the time comes,
    you will understand this clearly.
²¹ I did not send those prophets.
    But they have still run to speak to you.
I did not tell them what to say,
    but they have continued to prophesy.
²² If they had really met with me,
    they would have spoken my message to my people.
They would have caused my people to turn away from their wicked way of life.
    They would have stopped my people doing evil things.’