Jeremiah 23:31

Bible in Basic English

See, I am against the prophets, says the Lord, who let their tongues say, He has said.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
I am against the prophets”—the Lord’s declaration—“who use their own tongues to make a declaration.

Hebrew Names Version
Behold, I am against the prophets, says the LORD, who use their tongues, and say, He says.

King James Version
Behold, I am against the prophets, saith the Lord , that use their tongues, and say, He saith.

English Standard Version
Behold, I am against the prophets, declares the Lord , who use their tongues and declare, ‘declares the Lord .'

New American Standard Bible
"Behold, I am against the prophets," declares the LORD, "who use their tongues and declare, 'The Lord declares!'

New Century Version
I am against the false prophets," says the Lord . "They use their own words and pretend it is a message from me.

Amplified Bible
"Hear this, I am against the prophets," says the LORD, "who use their [own deceitful] tongues and say, 'Thus says the Lord.'

World English Bible
Behold, I am against the prophets, says Yahweh, who use their tongues, and say, He says.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Beholde, I will come against the prophets, saith the Lord, which haue sweete tongues, & say, He saith.

Legacy Standard Bible
Behold, I am against the prophets," declares Yahweh, "who take their tongues and declare, ‘Yahweh declares.'

Berean Standard Bible
"Yes," declares the LORD, "I am against the prophets who wag their own tongues and proclaim, 'The Lord declares it.'"

Complete Jewish Bible
Yes, I am against the prophets," says Adonai , "who speak their own words, then add, ‘He says.'

Darby Translation
Behold, I am against the prophets, saith Jehovah, that use their tongues, and say, He hath said.

Easy-to-Read Version
Yes, the Lord says, "I am against the false prophets. They use their own words and pretend that it is a message from me.

George Lamsa Translation
Behold, I am against the prophets, says the LORD, who pervert their tongues, and say, Thus says the LORD.

Good News Translation
I am also against those prophets who speak their own words and claim they came from me.

Lexham English Bible
Look, I am against the prophets," declares Yahweh, "who take their tongues and declare as prophets, ‘Yahweh declares.'

Literal Translation
Jehovah says, Behold, I am against the prophets who use their tongues and say, He says.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Beholde, here am I (saieth the LORDE) agaynst the prophetes, that take vpon their tunges to speake: The LORDE hath sayde it.

American Standard Version
Behold, I am against the prophets, saith Jehovah, that use their tongues, and say, He saith.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
Behold, I am against the prophets, saith the LORD, that use their tongues and say: 'He saith.'

King James Version (1611)
Beholde, I am against the prophets, saith the Lord, that vse their tongues, and say; He sayth.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Beholde, here am I saith the Lorde, against the prophetes that make tongues tender to speake, and to say, The Lorde hath saide it.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Behold, I am against the prophets that put forth prophecies of mere words, and slumber their sleep.

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

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Lo! Y to the profetis, seith the Lord, that taken her tungis, and seien, The Lord seith.

Update Bible Version
Look, I am against the prophets, says Yahweh, that use their tongues, and say, He says.

Webster's Bible Translation
Behold, I [am] against the prophets, saith the LORD, that use their tongues, and say, He saith.

New English Translation
I, the Lord , affirm that I am opposed to those prophets who are using their own tongues to declare, ‘The Lord declares….'

New King James Version
Behold, I am against the prophets," says the LORD, "who use their tongues and say, "He says.'

New Living Translation
I am against these smooth-tongued prophets who say, ‘This prophecy is from the Lord !'

New Life Bible
See, I am against these men," says the Lord, "who use their tongues and say, ‘This is what the Lord says.'

New Revised Standard
See, I am against the prophets, says the Lord , who use their own tongues and say, "Says the Lord ."

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Behold me! against the prophets, Declareth Yahweh, who presume with their tongue and declare He declareth:

Douay-Rheims Bible
Behold I am against the prophets, saith the Lord: who use their tongues, and say: The Lord saith it.

Revised Standard Version
Behold, I am against the prophets, says the LORD, who use their tongues and say, 'Says the LORD.'

Young's Literal Translation
Lo, I [am] against the prophets, An affirmation of Jehovah, Who are making smooth their tongue, And they affirm -- an affirmation.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Behold, I am against the prophets," declares the LORD, "who use their tongues and declare, 'The Lord declares.'

Contextual Overview

⁹ About the prophets. My heart is broken in me, all my bones are shaking; I am like a man full of strong drink, like a man overcome by wine; because of the Lord, and because of his holy words. ¹⁰ For the land is full of men who are untrue to their wives; because of the curse the land is full of grief; the green fields of the waste land have become dry; and they are quick to do evil, their strength is for what is not right. ¹¹ For the prophet as well as the priest is unclean; even in my house I have seen their evil-doing, says the Lord. ¹² For this cause their steps will be slipping on their way: they will be forced on into the dark and have a fall there: for I will send evil on them in the year of their punishment, says the Lord. ¹³ And I have seen ways without sense in the prophets of Samaria; they became prophets of the Baal, causing my people Israel to go wrong. ¹⁴ And in the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen a shocking thing; they are untrue to their wives, walking in deceit, and they make strong the hands of evil-doers, so that a man may not be turned back from his evil-doing: they have all become like Sodom to me, and its people like Gomorrah. ¹⁵ So this is what the Lord of armies has said about the prophets: See, I will give them a bitter plant for their food, and bitter water for their drink: for from the prophets of Jerusalem unclean behaviour has gone out into all the land. ¹⁶ This is what the Lord of armies has said: Do not give ear to the words which the prophets say to you: they give you teaching of no value: it is from themselves that their vision comes, and not out of the mouth of the Lord. ¹⁷ They keep on saying to those who have no respect for the word of the Lord, You will have peace; and to everyone who goes on his way in the pride of his heart, they say, No evil will come to you. ¹⁸ For which of them has knowledge of the secret of the Lord, and has seen him, and given ear to his word? which of them has taken note of his word and given attention to it?

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

use: or, smooth, Isaiah 30:10, Micah 2:11

He: Jeremiah 23:17, 2 Chronicles 18:5, 2 Chronicles 18:10-12, 2 Chronicles 18:19-21

Reciprocal: Deuteronomy 18:20 - the prophet 1 Kings 22:11 - Thus saith Lamentations 2:14 - false Ezekiel 13:6 - saying

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Behold, I [am] against the prophets, saith the Lord,.... Not another sort of prophets distinct from the former, or those that follow; but the same under another character, and against whom he was, and set his face on another occasion;

that use their tongues; at their pleasure, their lips being their own. So the Targum,

"who prophesy according to the will of their own hearts;''

talk in a haughty and insolent manner, speaking bold and daring things of the divine Being; or in a boasting bragging manner, extolling themselves, and speaking highly in their own commendations; or rather in a flattering way to the people: so some read it, by a transposition of a radical letter r, "that smooth their tongues", as Kimchi; or speak smooth things with their tongues, to please the people:

and say, he saith; that is, "the Lord", as the Vulgate Latin and Syriac versions express it; that so they, night be the more easily believed by the people; but this was highly provoking to God, to father their lies and falsehoods upon him.

r הלוקחים "hic pro" המחליקים "qui lenificant linguam suam", Pagninus, Gataker; "sumentes blandam linguan suam", Schmidt.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

That use their tongues - literally, that take their tongues. Their second characteristic. They have no message from God, but they take their tongues, their only implement, and say, He saith, using the solemn formula by which Yahweh affirms the truth of His words. Solemn asseverations seemed to give reality to their emptiness.