Jeremiah 23:38

Easy-to-Read Version

But don't say, ‘What was the announcement from the Lord ?' If you use these words, the Lord will say this to you: ‘You should not have called my message an "announcement from the Lord ." I told you not to use those words.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
But if you say, ‘The burden of the Lord,’ then this is what the Lord says: Because you have said, ‘The burden of the Lord,’ and I specifically told you not to say, ‘The burden of the Lord,’

Hebrew Names Version
But if you say, The burden of the LORD; therefore thus says the LORD: Because you say this word, The burden of the LORD, and I have sent to you, saying, You shall not say, The burden of the LORD;

King James Version
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 ;

English Standard Version
But if you say, ‘The burden of the Lord ,' thus says the Lord , ‘Because you have said these words, "The burden of the Lord ," when I sent to you, saying, "You shall not say, ‘The burden of the Lord ,'"

New American Standard Bible
"And if you say, 'The pronouncement of the LORD!' for that reason the LORD says this: 'Because you said this word, "The pronouncement of the LORD!" I have also sent word to you, saying, "You shall not say, 'The pronouncement of the LORD!'"'

New Century Version
But don't say, ‘The message from the Lord .' If you use these words, this is what the Lord says: Because you called it a ‘message from the Lord ,' though I told you not to use those words,

Amplified Bible
"For if you say, 'The oracle of the LORD!' surely thus says the LORD, 'Because you said this word, "The oracle of the LORD!" when I have also sent to you, saying, "You shall not say, 'The oracle of the LORD!'"'

World English Bible
But if you say, The burden of Yahweh; therefore thus says Yahweh: Because you say this word, The burden of Yahweh, and I have sent to you, saying, You shall not say, The burden of Yahweh;

Geneva Bible (1587)
And if you say, The burden of the Lorde, Then thus saith the Lorde, Because yee say this word, The burden of the Lorde, and I haue sent vnto you, saying, Ye shall not say, The burden of the Lorde,

Legacy Standard Bible
For if you all say, ‘The oracle of Yahweh!' surely thus says Yahweh, ‘Because you said this word, "The oracle of Yahweh!" I have also sent to you, saying, "You shall not say, ‘The oracle of Yahweh!'"'

Berean Standard Bible
But if you claim, 'This is the oracle of the LORD,' then this is what the LORD says: Because you have said, 'This is the oracle of the LORD,' and I specifically told you not to make this claim,

Contemporary English Version
But if you disobey me and say, "Here is news from the Lord ,"

Complete Jewish Bible
But if you talk about "the burden of Adonai ," then here is what Adonai says: "Because you use this expression, ‘the burden of Adonai ,' after I have already sent you the order not to say, ‘the burden of Adonai ,'

Darby Translation
But since ye say, The burden of Jehovah, therefore thus saith Jehovah: Because ye say this word, The burden of Jehovah, and I have sent unto you, saying, Ye shall not say, The burden of Jehovah;

George Lamsa Translation
But if you speak the word of the LORD, therefore, thus says the LORD: Because you have said this word, The words of the LORD, and I have sent you, saying, You shall not say, The words of the LORD;

Good News Translation
And if they disobey my command and use the words ‘the Lord 's burden,' then tell them that

Lexham English Bible
But if you say, ‘The burden of Yahweh,' therefore thus says Yahweh, ‘because of your saying these words, "The burden of Yahweh," then I will send to you, saying, "You shall not say, ‘The burden of Yahweh.'"'

Literal Translation
But if you say, The burden of Jehovah, therefore so says Jehovah: Because you say this word, the burden of Jehovah; and I have sent to you saying, You shall not say, The burden of Jehovah;

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And not once to name the burthen of the LORDE. Therfore thus saieth the LORDE: For so moch as ye haue vsed this terme (the burthen of the LORDE) where as I notwithstondinge sent vnto you, and forbade you to speake of the LORDES burthen:

American Standard Version
But if ye say, The burden of Jehovah; therefore thus saith Jehovah: Because ye say this word, The burden of Jehovah, and I have sent unto you, saying, Ye shall not say, The burden of Jehovah;

Bible in Basic English
But if you say, The word of weight of the Lord; this is what the Lord has said: Because you say, The weight of the Lord, and I have sent to you, saying, You are not to say, The weight of the Lord;

JPS Old Testament (1917)
But if 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';

King James Version (1611)
But sith ye say, The burden of the Lord; therefore thus sayeth the Lord, Because you say this word, The burden of the Lord, and I haue sent vnto you, saying; Ye shall not say, The burden of the Lord:

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And not once to name the burthen of the Lorde. Therefore thus saith the Lord: Forasmuch as ye haue vsed this terme (the burthen of the Lord) where as I notwithstanding sent vnto you and forbad you to speake of the Lordes burthen:

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Therefore thus saith the Lord our God; Because ye have spoken this word, The burden of the Lord, and I sent to you, saying, ye shall not say, The burden of the Lord;

English Revised Version
But if 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;

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Forsothe if ye seien, The birthin of the Lord, for this thing the Lord seith these thingis, For ye seiden this word, The birthun of the Lord, and Y sente to you, and Y seide, Nyle ye seie, The birthun of the Lord; therfor lo!

Update Bible Version
But if you say, The burden of Yahweh; therefore thus says Yahweh: Because you say this word, The burden of Yahweh, and I have sent to you, saying, You shall not say, The burden of Yahweh;

Webster's Bible Translation
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 to you, saying, Ye shall not say, The burden of the LORD;

New English Translation
But just suppose you continue to say, ‘The message of the Lord is burdensome.' Here is what the Lord says will happen: ‘I sent word to you that you must not say, "The Lord 's message is burdensome." But you used the words "The Lord 's message is burdensome" anyway.

New King James Version
But since you say, "The oracle of the LORD!' therefore thus says the LORD: "Because you say this word, "The oracle of the LORD!" and I have sent to you, saying, "Do not say, "The oracle of the LORD!"'

New Living Translation
But suppose they respond, ‘This is a prophecy from the Lord !' Then you should say, ‘This is what the Lord says: Because you have used this phrase, "prophecy from the Lord ," even though I warned you not to use it,

New Life Bible
But if you say, ‘The heavy load of the Lord,' then the Lord says, ‘You have said, "The heavy load of the Lord," when I told you not to say it.'

New Revised Standard
But if you say, "the burden of the Lord ," thus says the Lord : Because you have said these words, "the burden of the Lord ," when I sent to you, saying, You shall not say, "the burden of the Lord ,"

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
But, since ye keep on saying, The Oracle of Yahweh, therefore, Thus saith Yahweh, Because ye have said this word, The oracle of Yahweh, whereas I had sent unto you saying, Ye shall not say, The oracle of Yahweh

Douay-Rheims Bible
But if you shall say: The burden of the Lord: therefore thus saith the Lord: Because you have said this word: The burden of the Lord: and I have sent to you, saying: Say not, The burden of the Lord:

Revised Standard Version
But if you say, 'The burden of the LORD,' thus says the LORD, 'Because you have said these words, "The burden of the LORD," when I sent to you, saying, "You shall not say, 'The burden of the LORD,'"

Young's Literal Translation
And if the burden of Jehovah ye say, Therefore thus said Jehovah: Because of your saying this word, The burden of Jehovah, And I do send unto you, saying, Ye do not say, The burden of Jehovah.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"For if you say, 'The oracle of the LORD!' surely thus says the LORD, 'Because you said this word, "The oracle of the LORD!" I have also sent to you, saying, "You shall not say, 'The oracle of the LORD!'"'

Contextual Overview

³³ "The people of Judah, or a prophet, or a priest may ask you, ‘Jeremiah, what is the announcement of the Lord ?' You will answer them and say, ‘You are a heavy load, and I will throw down this heavy load.' This message is from the Lord . ³⁴ "A prophet, or a priest, or maybe one of the people might say, ‘This is an announcement from the Lord ….' Because of that lie, I will punish that person and their whole family. ³⁵ This is what you will say to one another: ‘What did the Lord answer?' or ‘What did the Lord say?' ³⁶ But you will never again use the expression, ‘The announcement of the Lord .' That is because his message should not be a heavy load for anyone. But you changed the words of our God. He is the living God, the Lord All-Powerful! ³⁷ "If you want to learn about God's message, ask a prophet, ‘What answer did the Lord give you?' or ‘What did the Lord say?' ³⁸ But don't say, ‘What was the announcement from the Lord ?' If you use these words, the Lord will say this to you: ‘You should not have called my message an "announcement from the Lord ." I told you not to use those words. ³⁹ But you called my message a heavy load, so I will pick you up like a heavy load and throw you away from me. I gave the city of Jerusalem to your ancestors. But I will throw you and that city away from me, ⁴⁰ and I will make you a disgrace forever. You will never forget your shame.'"

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

ye say: 2 Chronicles 11:13, 2 Chronicles 11:14

Gill's Notes on the Bible

But since ye say, the burden of the Lord,.... Seeing, notwithstanding all prohibitions of it, and directions to the contrary, they still persisted to call prophecy by this name, and that in a jocose and bantering way, and asked for it, and what it was, in a scoffing manner:

therefore thus saith the Lord, because you say this word, the burden of the Lord; will continue to use it, though so displeasing to me:

and I have sent unto you, saying, ye shall not say, the burden of the Lord; and therefore could not plead ignorance of his will, or excuse themselves, by saying they would have avoided it, had they known it was disagreeable to him: this was an aggravation of their impiety, that they should obstinately persist in it, after he had remonstrated against it by his messages to them.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Since - Or, But if ye say.