<p class="poetry">How can you say, &#8220;We are wise!p> <p class="poetry">We have the law of the <sc>Lordsc>&#8221;?p> <p class="poetry">The truth is,<n id="1" /> those who teach it<n id="2" /> have used their writingsp> <p class="poetry">to make it say what it does not really mean.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">One friend deceives anotherp> <p class="poetry">and no one tells the truth.p> <p class="poetry">These people have trained themselves<n id="1" /> to tell lies.p> <p class="poetry">They do wrong and are unable to repent.p>

<p class="poetry">All these idolaters<n id="1" /> will prove to be stupid and ignorant.p> <p class="poetry">Every goldsmith will be disgraced by the idol he made.p> <p class="poetry">For the image he forges is merely a sham.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">There is no breath in any of those idols.<n id="3" />p>

Do not listen to them,<n id="1" /> because their prophecies are lies.<n id="2" /> Listening to them will only cause you<n id="3" /> to be taken far away from your native land. I will drive you out of your country and you will die in exile.<n id="4" />

Do not listen to the prophets who are telling you that you do not need to serve<n id="1" /> the king of Babylon. For they are prophesying lies to you.

Jeremiah answered, &#8220;That&#8217;s a lie! I am not deserting to the Babylonians.&#8221;<n id="1" /> But Irijah would not listen to him. Irijah put Jeremiah under arrest and took him to the officials.

<p class="poetry">All idolaters will prove to be stupid and ignorant.p> <p class="poetry">Every goldsmith will be disgraced by the idol he made.p> <p class="poetry">For the image he forges is merely a sham.p> <p class="poetry">There is no breath in any of those idols.p>

This is because you have disheartened the righteous person with lies (although I have not grieved him), and because you have encouraged the wicked person not to turn from his evil conduct and preserve his life.

<p class="poetry">whenever I want to heal Israel,p> <p class="poetry">the sin of Ephraim is revealed,p> <p class="poetry">and the evil deeds of Samaria are exposed.p> <p class="poetry">For they do what is wrong;p> <p class="poetry">thieves break into houses,p> <p class="poetry">and gangs rob people out in the streets.p>

<p class="poetry">What good<n id="1" /> is an idol? Why would a craftsman make it?<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">What good is a metal image that gives misleading oracles?<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">Why would its creator place his trust in it<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">and make<n id="5" /> such mute, worthless things?p>

He replied, &#8216;I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets.&#8217; The <sc>Lordsc><n id="1" /> said, &#8216;Deceive and overpower him.<n id="2" /> Go out and do as you have proposed.&#8217;

<n id="1" /><p class="poetry">So I will give their wives to other menp> <p class="poetry">and their fields to new owners.p> <p class="poetry">For from the least important to the most important of them,p> <p class="poetry">all of them are greedy for dishonest gain.p> <p class="poetry">Prophets and priests alike,p> <p class="poetry">all practice deceit.p>

<t /><p class="bodytext">The <sc>Lordsc> says,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;These people are like soldiers who have readied their bows.p> <p class="poetry">Their tongues are always ready to shoot out lies.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">They have become powerful in the land,p> <p class="poetry">but they have not done so by honest means.<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">Indeed, they do one evil thing after another<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">and do not pay attention to me.<n id="5" />p>

<p class="bodytext">Then I said,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;<sc>Lordsc>, you give me strength and protect me.p> <p class="poetry">You are the one I can run to for safety when I am in trouble.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">Nations from all over the earthp> <p class="poetry">will come to you and say,p> <p class="poetry">&#8216;Our ancestors had nothing but false gods &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">worthless idols that could not help them at all.<n id="3" />p>

I, the <sc>Lordsc>, affirm<n id="1" /> that I am opposed to those prophets who dream up lies and report them. They are misleading my people with their reckless lies.<n id="2" /> I did not send them. I did not commission them. They are not helping these people at all.<n id="3" /> I, the <sc>Lordsc>, affirm it!&#8221;<n id="4" />p>

Then the prophet Jeremiah told the prophet Hananiah, &#8220;Listen, Hananiah! The <sc>Lordsc> did not send you! You are making these people trust in a lie!<n id="1" />

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;The <sc>Lordsc> God of Israel who rules over all<n id="1" /> also has something to say about Ahab son of Kolaiah and Zedekiah son of Maaseiah, who are prophesying lies to you and claiming my authority to do so.<n id="2" /> &#8216;I will hand them over to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and he will execute them before your very eyes.

This will happen to them because they have done what is shameful<n id="1" /> in Israel. They have committed adultery with their neighbors&#8217; wives and have spoken lies while claiming my authority.<n id="2" /> They have spoken words that I did not command them to speak. I know what they have done. I have been a witness to it,&#8217; says the <sc>Lordsc>.&#8221;<n id="3" />p>

&#8220;Send a message to all the exiles in Babylon. Tell them, &#8216;The <sc>Lordsc> has spoken about Shemaiah the Nehelamite. &#8220;Shemaiah has spoken to you as a prophet even though I did not send him. He is making you trust in a lie.<n id="1" />

But Gedaliah son of Ahikam said to Johanan son of Kareah, &#8220;Do not do that<n id="1" /> because what you are saying about Ishmael is not true.&#8221;<n id="2" />p>