Then the people said,“ Come on, let’s plot a way to stop Jeremiah. We have plenty of priests and wise men and prophets. We don’t need him to teach the word and give us advice and prophecies. Let’s spread rumors about him and ignore what he says.”

他们就说：“来吧！我们可以设计谋害耶利米；因为我们有祭司讲律法，智慧人设谋略，先知说预言，都不能断绝。来吧！我们可以用舌头击打他，不要理会他的一切话。”

他们说：“来吧！让我们设计谋害耶利米；因为我们有祭司讲律法，有智慧人设谋略，有先知说预言，都未曾断绝。来吧！让我们用舌头攻击他，不要理他一切的话。”

他们说：“来吧！让我们设计谋害耶利米；因为我们有祭司讲律法，有智慧人设谋略，有先知说预言，都未曾断绝。来吧！让我们用舌头攻击他，不要理他一切的话。”

他们说：“来！我们设计对付耶利米吧，反正我们有祭司教导律法，有智者出谋划策，有先知传讲预言。来吧！我们抨击他，不要理会他的话。”

他们说：“来吧！我们来设计对付耶利米；因为祭司的律法、智慧人的谋略、先知的话都不会断绝。来吧！我们用舌头攻击他，不理会他的一切话。”

他們就說：「來吧！我們可以設計謀害耶利米；因為我們有祭司講律法，智慧人設謀略，先知說預言，都不能斷絕。來吧！我們可以用舌頭擊打他，不要理會他的一切話。」

他們說：「來吧！讓我們設計謀害耶利米；因為我們有祭司講律法，有智慧人設謀略，有先知說預言，都未曾斷絕。來吧！讓我們用舌頭攻擊他，不要理他一切的話。」

他們說：「來吧！讓我們設計謀害耶利米；因為我們有祭司講律法，有智慧人設謀略，有先知說預言，都未曾斷絕。來吧！讓我們用舌頭攻擊他，不要理他一切的話。」

他們說：「來！我們設計對付耶利米吧，反正我們有祭司教導律法，有智者出謀劃策，有先知傳講預言。來吧！我們抨擊他，不要理會他的話。」

他們說：“來吧！我們來設計對付耶利米；因為祭司的律法、智慧人的謀略、先知的話都不會斷絕。來吧！我們用舌頭攻擊他，不理會他的一切話。”

他們就說：『來吧，我們來設計謀害耶利米；因為祭司有禮節規矩，智慧人有謀略，神言人有話語，都不能斷絕掉。來吧，我們用口舌攻擊他，他的甚麼話、我們都別理它。』

彼曰、其來、爾我同謀以攻耶利米、因法律不絕於祭司、謀畧不絕於哲人、預言不絕於先知、來哉、我儕以舌攻之、勿聽其言、○

人曰、祭司有律例、智士有箴規、先知有預言、如耶利米其言不可信、予當批其頰、而謀害之。

彼眾曰、我儕不如設謀、坑害耶利米、攻之以詞、勿聽其所言、蓋祭司非失律法、智者非缺謀略、先知非無預言、

They said,“ Come, let’s make plans against Jeremiah; for the teaching of the law by the priest will not cease, nor will counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophets. So come, let’s attack him with our tongues and pay no attention to anything he says.”

They said,“ Come on. Let’s make plans against Jeremiah. We’ll still have priests to teach us the law. We’ll always have wise people to give us advice. We’ll have prophets to bring us messages from the Lord. So come on. Let’s speak out against Jeremiah. We shouldn’t pay any attention to what he says.”

Then they said,“ Come, let us make plots against Jeremiah, for the law shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. Come, let us strike him with the tongue, and let us not pay attention to any of his words.”

Then certain ones said,“ Come, let’s make plans against Jeremiah, for instruction will never be lost from the priest, or counsel from the wise, or a word from the prophet. Come, let’s denounce him and pay no attention to all his words.”

Then they said,“ Come and let’s devise plans against Jeremiah. Certainly the Law is not going to be lost by the priest, nor advice by the wise, nor the divine word by the prophet! Come, and let’s strike at him with our tongue, and let’s pay no attention to any of his words.”

Then they said,“ Come and let us devise plans against Jeremiah; for the law shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. Come and let us attack him with the tongue, and let us not give heed to any of his words.”

Then said they, Come, and let us devise devices against Jeremiah; for the law shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. Come, and let us smite him with the tongue, and let us not give heed to any of his words.

Then certain ones said,“ Come, let’s make plans against Jeremiah, for instruction will never be lost from the priest, or counsel from the wise, or an oracle from the prophet. Come, let’s denounce him and pay no attention to all his words.”

Then said they, Come, and let us devise devices against Jeremiah; for the law shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. Come, and let us smite him with the tongue, and let us not give heed to any of his words.

Then some people said,“ Come on! Let us consider how to deal with Jeremiah! There will still be priests to instruct us, wise men to give us advice, and prophets to declare God’s word. Come on! Let’s bring charges against him and get rid of him! Then we will not need to pay attention to anything he says.”

Then they said,“ Come! Let’s devise plans against Jeremiah; for the law won’t perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. Come, and let’s strike him with the tongue, and let’s not give heed to any of his words.”

All day long you plot destruction. Your tongue cuts like a sharp razor; you’re an expert at telling lies.

I was like a lamb being led to the slaughter. I had no idea that they were planning to kill me!“ Let’s destroy this man and all his words,” they said.“ Let’s cut him down, so his name will be forgotten forever.”

Although they plot against you, their evil schemes will never succeed.

“ The words of a priest’s lips should preserve knowledge of God, and people should go to him for instruction, for the priest is the messenger of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

They sharpen their tongues like swords and aim their bitter words like arrows.

The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences.

I am surrounded by fierce lions who greedily devour human prey— whose teeth pierce like spears and arrows, and whose tongues cut like swords.

What sorrow awaits you who lie awake at night, thinking up evil plans. You rise at dawn and hurry to carry them out, simply because you have the power to do so.When you want a piece of land, you find a way to seize it. When you want someone’s house, you take it by fraud and violence. You cheat a man of his property, stealing his family’s inheritance.But this is what the Lord says:“ I will reward your evil with evil; you won’t be able to pull your neck out of the noose. You will no longer walk around proudly, for it will be a terrible time.”

The priests did not ask,‘ Where is the Lord?’ Those who taught my word ignored me, the rulers turned against me, and the prophets spoke in the name of Baal, wasting their time on worthless idols.

Then Absalom and all the men of Israel said,“ Hushai’s advice is better than Ahithophel’s.” For the Lord had determined to defeat the counsel of Ahithophel, which really was the better plan, so that he could bring disaster on Absalom!

“ Then tell them,‘ No, this is what the Lord means: I will fill everyone in this land with drunkenness— from the king sitting on David’s throne to the priests and the prophets, right down to the common people of Jerusalem.I will smash them against each other, even parents against children, says the Lord. I will not let my pity or mercy or compassion keep me from destroying them.’”

He traps the wise in their own cleverness so their cunning schemes are thwarted.

“ Therefore, Jeremiah, go and warn all Judah and Jerusalem. Say to them,‘ This is what the Lord says: I am planning disaster for you instead of good. So turn from your evil ways, each of you, and do what is right.’”

Then Zedekiah son of Kenaanah walked up to Micaiah and slapped him across the face.“ Since when did the Spirit of the Lord leave me to speak to you?” he demanded.

The smooth tricks of scoundrels are evil. They plot crooked schemes. They lie to convict the poor, even when the cause of the poor is just.

Azariah son of Hoshaiah and Johanan son of Kareah and all the other proud men said to Jeremiah,“ You lie! The Lord our God hasn’t forbidden us to go to Egypt!

When someone told David that his adviser Ahithophel was now backing Absalom, David prayed,“ O Lord, let Ahithophel give Absalom foolish advice!”

And you must teach the Israelites all the decrees that the Lord has given them through Moses.”

Then the Lord said,“ These prophets are telling lies in my name. I did not send them or tell them to speak. I did not give them any messages. They prophesy of visions and revelations they have never seen or heard. They speak foolishness made up in their own lying hearts.Therefore, this is what the Lord says: I will punish these lying prophets, for they have spoken in my name even though I never sent them. They say that no war or famine will come, but they themselves will die by war and famine!As for the people to whom they prophesy— their bodies will be thrown out into the streets of Jerusalem, victims of famine and war. There will be no one left to bury them. Husbands, wives, sons, and daughters— all will be gone. For I will pour out their own wickedness on them.

“ They have lied about the Lord and said,‘ He won’t bother us! No disasters will come upon us. There will be no war or famine.God’s prophets are all windbags who don’t really speak for him. Let their predictions of disaster fall on themselves!’”

“ Teacher,” said an expert in religious law,“ you have insulted us, too, in what you just said.”

“ This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: You wrote a letter on your own authority to Zephaniah son of Maaseiah, the priest, and you sent copies to the other priests and people in Jerusalem. You wrote to Zephaniah,“ The Lord has appointed you to replace Jehoiada as the priest in charge of the house of the Lord. You are responsible to put into stocks and neck irons any crazy man who claims to be a prophet.So why have you done nothing to stop Jeremiah from Anathoth, who pretends to be a prophet among you?Jeremiah sent a letter here to Babylon, predicting that our captivity will be a long one. He said,‘ Build homes, and plan to stay. Plant gardens, and eat the food they produce.’”But when Zephaniah the priest received Shemaiah’s letter, he took it to Jeremiah and read it to him.

“ Have you been led astray, too?” the Pharisees mocked.“ Is there a single one of us rulers or Pharisees who believes in him?This foolish crowd follows him, but they are ignorant of the law. God’s curse is on them!”

Some Pharisees who were standing nearby heard him and asked,“ Are you saying we’re blind?”

We will do whatever we want. We will burn incense and pour out liquid offerings to the Queen of Heaven just as much as we like— just as we, and our ancestors, and our kings and officials have always done in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. For in those days we had plenty to eat, and we were well off and had no troubles!

The priests and prophets presented their accusations to the officials and the people.“ This man should die!” they said.“ You have heard with your own ears what a traitor he is, for he has prophesied against this city.”