18. Now, who has stood in the council of the Lord,to see him and to hear his word?Who has heeded his word so as to announce it?
19. See, the storm of the Lord!His wrath breaks forthIn a whirling stormthat bursts upon the heads of the wicked.
20. The anger of the Lord shall not abateuntil he has carried out completelythe decisions of his heart.In days to comeyou will understand fully.
21. I did not send these prophets,yet they ran;I did not speak to them,yet they prophesied.
22. Had they stood in my council,they would have proclaimed my words to my people,They would have brought them back from their evil waysand from their wicked deeds.
23. Am I a God near at hand only—oracle of the Lord—and not a God far off?
24. Can anyone hide in secretwithout my seeing them?—oracle of the Lord.Do I not fillheaven and earth?—oracle of the Lord.
25. I have heard the prophets who prophesy lies in my name say, “I had a dream! I had a dream!”
26. How long? Will the hearts of the prophets who prophesy lies and their own deceitful fancies ever turn back?
27. By the dreams they tell each other, they plan to make my people forget my name, just as their ancestors forgot my name for Baal.
28. Let the prophets who have dreams tell their dreams; let those who have my word speak my word truthfully!What has straw to do with wheat?—oracle of the Lord.
29. Is not my word like fire—oracle of the Lord—like a hammer shattering rock?
30. Therefore I am against the prophets—oracle of the Lord—those who steal my words from each other.
31. Yes, I am against the prophets—oracle of the Lord—those who compose their own speeches and call them oracles.
32. Yes, I am against the prophets who tell lying dreams—oracle of the Lord—those who lead my people astray by recounting their reckless lies. It was not I who sent them or commanded them; they do this people no good at all—oracle of the Lord.