17. Some of the people hate the real messages from the Lord, so the prophets give them a different message. They say, ‘You will have peace.’ Some of the people are very stubborn. They do only what they want to do. So the prophets say, ‘Nothing bad will happen to you!’
18. But none of these prophets has stood in the heavenly council. None of them has seen or heard the message from the Lord. None of them has paid close attention to his message.
19. Now the punishment from the Lord will come like a storm. His anger will be like a tornado. It will come crashing down on the heads of those wicked people.
20. The Lord’S anger will not stop until he finishes what he plans to do. When that day is over, you will understand this clearly.
21. I did not send those prophets, but they ran to tell their messages. I did not speak to them, but they spoke in my name.
22. If they had stood in my heavenly council, then they would have told my messages to the people of Judah. They would have stopped the people from doing bad things. They would have stopped them from doing evil.”
23. This message is from the Lord. “I am God, and I am always near. I am not far away.
24. Someone might try to hide from me in some hiding place. But it is easy for me to see that person, says the Lord, because I am everywhere in heaven and earth.” This message is from the Lord:
25. “There are prophets who tell lies in my name. They say, ‘I have had a dream! I have had a dream!’ I heard them say those things.
26. How long will this continue? They think up lies and then they teach them to the people.
27. They are trying to make the people of Judah forget my name by telling each other these false dreams. They are trying to make my people forget me, just as their ancestors forgot me and worshiped the false god Baal.