“Therefore behold,” declares the LORD, “I am against the prophets who steal from one another words they attribute to Me.”
Parallel translations
- WEB “Therefore behold, I am against the prophets,” says Yahweh, “who each steal my words from his neighbor.
- KJV Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets, saith the LORD, that steal my words every one from his neighbour.
- NKJV “Therefore behold, I am against the prophets,” says the Lord, “who steal My words every one from his neighbor.
- NASB Therefore behold, I am against the prophets,” declares the Lord, “who steal My words from each other.
- NLT “Therefore,” says the Lord, “I am against these prophets who steal messages from each other and claim they are from me.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
God declares Himself against the prophets who steal His words from one another. Borrowing and counterfeiting genuine revelation provokes His opposition.
Overview
The LORD sets Himself against prophets who plagiarize divine-sounding phrases from each other rather than receiving a true word from Him. Imitation of God's speech without His commission is treated as theft. To have God 'against' someone is the gravest peril, showing how seriously He guards the integrity of His revelation.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 12
- Deut 18:20But if any prophet dares to speak a message in My name that I have not commanded him to speak, or to speak in the name of other gods, that prophet must be put to death.”
- Ezek 13:8Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: Because you have uttered vain words and seen false visions, I am against you, declares the Lord GOD.
- Jer 14:14–15“The prophets are prophesying lies in My name,” replied the LORD. “I did not send them or appoint them or speak to them. They are prophesying to you a false vision, a worthless divination, the futility and delusion of their own minds.
- Ezek 13:20Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: See, I am against the magic charms with which you ensnare souls like birds, and I will tear them from your arms. So I will free the souls you have ensnared like birds.
- Ps 34:16But the face of the LORD is against those who do evil, to wipe out all memory of them from the earth.
- Ezek 15:7And I will set My face against them. Though they may have escaped the fire, yet another fire will consume them. And when I set My face against them, you will know that I am the LORD.
- 1 Pet 3:12For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are inclined to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”
- Deut 29:20The LORD will never be willing to forgive him. Instead, His anger and jealousy will burn against that man, and every curse written in this book will fall upon him. The LORD will blot out his name from under heaven
- Jer 44:29This will be a sign to you that I will punish you in this place, declares the LORD, so that you may know that My threats of harm against you will surely stand.
- Lev 20:3And I will set My face against that man and cut him off from his people, because by giving his offspring to Molech, he has defiled My sanctuary and profaned My holy name.
- Lev 26:17And I will set My face against you, so that you will be defeated by your enemies. Those who hate you will rule over you, and you will flee when no one pursues you.
- Jer 44:11Therefore this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: I will set My face to bring disaster and to cut off all Judah.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Against the failure of false shepherds Jeremiah promises the Righteous Branch, 'The LORD our righteousness,' and the new covenant written on the heart and sealed in the blood of Christ.
How Jeremiah 23:30 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.