3. “I will gather the remnant of My flock from all the lands where I have banished them, and I will return them to their grazing land. They will become fruitful and numerous.
4. I will raise up shepherds over them who will shepherd them. They will no longer be afraid or dismayed, nor will any be missing.” This is the Lord’s declaration.
5. “The days are coming” — this is the Lord’s declaration —“when I will raise up a Righteous Branch of David. He will reign wisely as kingand administer justice and righteousness in the land.
6. In His days Judah will be saved,and Israel will dwell securely. This is what He will be named:Yahweh Our Righteousness.
7. “The days are coming” — the Lord’s declaration — “when it will no longer be said, ‘As the Lord lives who brought the Israelites from the land of Egypt,’
8. but, ‘As the Lord lives, who brought and led the descendants of the house of Israel from the land of the north and from all the other countries where I had banished them.’ They will dwell once more in their own land.”
9. 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.
10. For the land is full of adulterers; the land mourns because of the curse, and the grazing lands in the wilderness have dried up.Their way of life has become evil,and their power is not rightly used
11. because both prophet and priest are ungodly, even in My house I have found their evil.This is the Lord’s declaration.
12. Therefore, their way will be to themlike slippery paths in the gloom. They will be driven away and fall down there,for I will bring disaster on them,the year of their punishment. This is the Lord’s declaration.
13. Among the prophets of SamariaI saw something disgusting:They prophesied by Baaland led My people Israel astray.
14. 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.
15. Therefore, this is what the Lord of Hosts says concerning the prophets:I am about to feed them wormwood and give them poisoned water to drink, for from the prophets of Jerusalemungodliness has spread throughout the land.
16. 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.