22. But if they had stood in my secret, they would also have caused my people to hear my words, and they would have caused them to return from their evil way and from the evil of their doings.
23. Am I a God of the near only, said the Lord, and not a God of the far?
24. Can any hide himself in hiding places that I shall not see him? said the Lord. Do I not fill heaven and earth? said the Lord.
25. I have heard what those prophets said, that prophesy lies in my name, saying, I have dreamed, I have dreamed.
26. How long shall this be in the heart of the prophets that prophesy lies and that prophesy the deceit of their own heart?
27. Do they not think to cause my people to forget my name by their dreams which each one tells his neighbour, so much that their fathers have forgotten my name for Baal?
28. The prophet with whom the dream came, let him tell the dream; and he with whom my word came, let him speak my true word. What is the chaff to the wheat? said the Lord.
29. Is not my word like as a fire? saith the Lord; and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?
30. Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets, saith the Lord, that steal my words each one from his neighbour.
31. Behold, I am against the prophets, saith the Lord, that sweeten their tongues and say, He said.
32. Behold, I am against those that prophesy false dreams, saith the Lord, and did tell them, and caused my people to err by their lies, and by their flattery; yet I did not send them, nor command them; and they did not profit this people at all, said the Lord.
33. And when this people or the prophet or the priest shall ask thee, saying, What is the burden of the Lord? thou shalt then say unto them, What burden? I will forsake you, said the Lord.
34. And as for the prophet and the priest and the people, that shall say, The burden of the Lord, I will visit upon that man and upon his house.
35. Thus shall ye say each one to his neighbour and each one to his brother, What has the Lord answered? and, What has the Lord spoken?
36. And never again shall it come to your memory to say, The burden of the Lord; for every man’s word shall be his burden; for ye have perverted the words of the living God, of the Lord of the hosts, our God.
37. Thus shalt thou say to the prophet, What has the Lord answered thee? and, What has the Lord spoken?
38. But if ye say, The burden of the Lord; therefore thus hath the Lord said: Because ye say this word, The burden of the Lord, and I have sent unto you, saying, Ye shall not say, The burden of the Lord;
39. therefore, behold, I, even I, will utterly forget you, and I will uproot you from my presence and the city that I gave you and your fathers:
40. and I will place an everlasting reproach upon you, and eternal shame, which shall never be forgotten.