1 WOE be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! [ Who Were the Evil Pastors?
Chapter 23 is primarily a scathing denunciation of the religious leaders of Jeremiah’s day, but in the midst of this condemnation is a remarkable prophecy relating to Israel’s future. A great gathering is predicted (vv. 3–4, 7–8) in which the “righteous Branch” (the Messiah) will become the king over Israel (vv. 5–6; see also Notes and Commentary on Jeremiah 23:3; 23:4–8). Jeremiah showed that the pastors (religious leaders) of Judah had not fed and protected the sheep (Israel), but had scattered them and driven them away (enticed them away from God). That is why Jeremiah prophesied that sometime in the future righteous shepherds will be found to gather Israel again so they can serve their true king, Jehovah. The rest of Jeremiah 23 is a catalog of the sins of the Jewish religious leaders, the priests and the “prophets.” The following phrases are particularly noteworthy: • Both prophets and priests are profane (see v. 11). • They prophesied in the name of Baal and led the people into error (see v. 13). • The prophets are adulterers, liars, and supporters of evil men. They are as evil as sodom and Gomorrah in God’s sight (see v. 14). • They speak their own words, not those of the Lord (see v. 16).
• They tell the wicked they can have peace and that there is no evil in what they are doing (see v. 17). • They called themselves to the ministry and prophesy without revelation (see v. 21). • They say “Thus saith the Lord” when the Lord has not spoken through them (v. 31).] saith the LORD.

2 Therefore thus saith the LORD God of Israel against the pastors that feed my people; Ye have scattered my flock, and driven them away, and have not visited them: behold, I will visit upon you the evil of your doings, saith the LORD.

3 And I will gather the remnant of my flock [ Elder Bruce R. McConkie taught that the gathering of Israel first of all means that they are converted to the Church: “The gathering of Israel consists of receiving the truth, gaining again a true knowledge of the Redeemer, and coming back into the true fold of the Good Shepherd. In the language of the Book of Mormon, it consists of being ‘restored to the true church and fold of God,’ and then being ‘gathered’ and ‘established’ in various ‘lands of promise.’ (2 Ne. 9:2.)” (“Come: Let Israel Build Zion,” Ensign, May 1977, p. 117.) Speaking of the great latter-day restoration of the house of Israel, President Spencer W. Kimball said: “A great group of people left the Old World at the time of the Tower of Babel. “Another great group left the Old World [in] 600 B.C. And since the coming of Columbus to America, there have been numerous groups that have come to America from the Old World. The Lord had that in hand and watched it. He said through Nephi, ‘The house of Israel [sooner or later will] be scattered upon all the face of the earth.’ (1 Nephi 22:3.) And now He says, ‘I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all countries whither I have driven them.’ (Jeremiah 23:3.) “The gathering of Israel is now in progress. Hundreds of thousands of people have been baptized into the Church. Millions more will join the Church. And this is the way that we will gather Israel. The English people will gather in England. The Japanese people will gather in the Orient. The Brazilian people will gather in Brazil. Instructions to Students 1. Use Notes and Commentary below to help you as you read and study Jeremiah 23; 30–31; 33; 46–51; and the book of Obadiah. 2. Complete Points to Ponder as directed by your teacher. (Individual-study students should complete all of this section.) Jeremiah 23; 30–31; 33; 46–51; Obadiah 253 so that important element of the world history is already being accomplished. “It is to be done by missionary work. It is your responsibility to attend to this missionary work.” (In Conference Report, Sao Paulo Brazil Area Conference, Feb.–Mar. 1975, p. 73.) Once one understands that the great gathering of the last days consists first of all in coming into the covenant (joining the Church), then the Old Testament prophecies of the restoration of the house of Israel become much clearer. For example, the “shepherds . . . which shall feed them” (v. 4) are the righteous prophets and priesthood leaders who, unlike the priests and prophets of Jeremiah’s time, lead their people to do good and obey the Lord. ] out of all countries whither I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase.

4 And I will set up shepherds over them which shall feed them: and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall they be lacking, saith the LORD.

5 ¶ Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.

6 In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.

7 Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that they shall no more say, The LORD liveth, which brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt; [ Or this event that the Lord will cause to happen with the restoration of the Lost 10 tribes will be so great that no one will ever think to mention the parting of the red sea. D&C133:27 highway cast up out of the great deep. ]

8 But, The LORD liveth, [ It will be done by the hand of the Lord and everyone will kind of recognize it. ] which brought up and which led the seed of the house of Israel out of the north country, [ The place where God took them in the first place. Also note that they were led by the Lord. The Hebrew word for north is tsafon (צָפוֹן). Tsafon is a feminine noun that means "hidden" or "dark". In the Bible, it's used to refer to the north as a quarter, which is considered gloomy and unknown. In the Bible, the words for left and right are used to refer to the south and north, respectively. This is because the Bible assumes that east is the frame of reference, as Adam was created facing east. ] and from all countries whither I had driven them; and they shall dwell in their own land.

9 ¶ Mine heart within me is broken because of the prophets; all my bones shake; I am like a drunken man, and like a man whom wine hath overcome, because of the LORD, and because of the words of his holiness.

10 For the land is full of adulterers; for because of swearing the land mourneth; the pleasant places of the wilderness are dried up, and their course is evil, and their force is not right.

11 For both prophet and priest are profane; [ If you look up the entomology of the word "profane", you’re gonna find that the word comes from the Latin word "pro", which means "before or outside". And the Latin word "phantom", which means "temple". And when you put pro and phantom together, you get the Latin word "profanus", from which our English word profane is derived, which literally means "outside the temple". The word profane literally means one who is not sacred, one who is not allowed to enter sacred temple space. ] yea, in my house have I found their wickedness, saith the LORD.

12 Wherefore their way shall be unto them as slippery ways in the darkness: they shall be driven on, and fall therein: for I will bring evil upon them, even the year of their visitation, saith the LORD.

13 And I have seen folly in the prophets of Samaria; they prophesied in Baal, and caused my people Israel to err.

14 I have seen also in the prophets of Jerusalem an horrible thing: they commit adultery, and walk in lies: they strengthen also the hands of evildoers, that none doth return from his wickedness: they are all of them unto me as sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrah.

15 Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts concerning the prophets; [ False prophets I believe. ] Behold, I will feed them with wormwood, [ Wormwood is a bitter plant that can be toxic. ] , and make them drink the water of gall: for from the prophets [ Again these are false prophets. ] of Jerusalem is profaneness gone forth into all the land.

16 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Hearken not unto the words of the prophets [ Hebrew "Shema" is translated here as hearken which means to "listen" and "obey". Why not hearken to them? Because what they are teaching is false. ] that prophesy unto you: they make you vain: they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the LORD.

17 They say still unto them that despise me, The LORD hath said, Ye shall have peace; and they [ False prophets. ] say unto every one that walketh after the imagination of his own heart, No evil shall come upon you.

18 For who hath stood in the counsel of the LORD, [ The Lord is specifically telling us that we can recognize a true prophet because he has stood in the Heavenly Council the sôd. Other references to sôd include Amos 3:7; Alma 13:3; Abraham 2:23; 1 Ne.1:8. ] and hath perceived and heard his word? who hath marked his word, and heard it?

19 Behold, a whirlwind of the LORD is gone forth in fury, even a grievous whirlwind: it shall fall grievously upon the head of the wicked.

20 The anger of the LORD shall not return, until he have executed, and till he have performed the thoughts of his heart: in the latter days ye shall consider it perfectly.

21 I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran: I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied.

22 But if they had stood in my counsel, [ A prophets job is to call people to repentance, but these false prophets are telling people what they want to hear in v.17. The big difference between a false prophet and a prophet of God - a true prophet will be telling us to repent. ] and had caused my people to hear my words, then they should have turned them from their evil way, and from the evil of their doings.

23 Am I a God at hand, saith the LORD, and not a God afar off?

24 Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the LORD. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the LORD.

25 I have heard what the 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? yea, they are prophets of the deceit of their own heart;

27 Which think to cause my people to forget my name by their dreams which they tell every man to his neighbour, as their fathers have forgotten my name for Baal.

28 The prophet that hath a dream, let him tell a dream; and he that hath my word, let him speak my word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat? saith the LORD.

29 Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?

30 Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets, saith the LORD, that steal my words every one from his neighbour.

31 Behold, I am against the prophets, saith the LORD, that use their tongues, and say, He saith.

32 Behold, I am against them that prophesy false dreams, saith the LORD, and do tell them, and cause my people to err by their lies, and by their lightness; yet I sent them not, nor commanded them: therefore they shall not profit this people at all, saith the LORD.

33 ¶ And when this people, or the prophet, or a priest, shall ask thee, saying, What is the burden of the LORD? thou shalt then say unto them, What burden? I will even forsake you, saith the LORD.

34 And as for the prophet, and the priest, and the people, that shall say, The burden of the LORD, I will even punish that man and his house.

35 Thus shall ye say every one to his neighbour, and every one to his brother, What hath the LORD answered? and, What hath the LORD spoken?

36 And the burden of the LORD shall ye mention no more: for every man’s word shall be his burden; for ye have perverted the words of the living God, of the LORD of hosts our God.

37 Thus shalt thou say to the prophet, What hath the LORD answered thee? and, What hath the LORD spoken?

38 But since ye say, The burden of the LORD; therefore thus saith the LORD; 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 forsake you, and the city that I gave you and your fathers, and cast you out of my presence:

40 And I will bring an everlasting reproach upon you, and a perpetual shame, which shall not be forgotten.