<p class="poetry">The prophets prophesy lies.p> <p class="poetry">The priests exercise power by their own authority.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">And my people love to have it this way.p> <p class="poetry">But they will not be able to help you when the time of judgment comes!<n id="2" />p>

From earliest times, the prophets who preceded you and me invariably<n id="1" /> prophesied war, disaster,<n id="2" /> and plagues against many countries and great kingdoms.

I sent my servants the prophets to you people over and over<n id="1" /> again warning you not to do this disgusting thing I hate.<n id="2" />

From the time your ancestors departed the land of Egypt until now,<n id="1" /> I sent my servants the prophets to you again and again,<n id="2" /> day after day.<n id="3" />

<p class="bodytext">The <sc>Lordsc> says, &#8220;When that time comes,<n id="1" /> the bones of the kings of Judah and its leaders, the bones of the priests and prophets and of all the other people who lived in Jerusalem will be dug up from their graves.

Then<n id="1" /> tell them, &#8216;The <sc>Lordsc> says, &#8220;I will soon fill all the people who live in this land with stupor.<n id="2" /> I will also fill the kings from David&#8217;s dynasty,<n id="3" /> the priests, the prophets, and the citizens of Jerusalem with stupor.<n id="4" />

<p class="bodytext">Then the officials and all the people rendered their verdict to the priests and the prophets. They said,<n id="1" /> &#8220;This man should not be condemned to die.<n id="2" /> For he has spoken to us under the authority of the <sc>Lordsc> our God.&#8221;<n id="3" />

<t /><p class="bodytext">The prophet Jeremiah sent a letter to the exiles Nebuchadnezzar had carried off from Jerusalem<n id="1" /> to Babylon. It was addressed to the elders who were left among the exiles, to the priests, to the prophets, and to all the other people who were exiled in Babylon.<n id="2" />