耶利米書23: 16-22

23:16 萬軍之耶和華如此說：「這些先知向你們說預言，你們不要聽他們的話。他們以虛空教訓你們，所說的異象是出於自己的心，不是出於耶和華的口。

23:17 他們常對藐視我的人說：『耶和華說：你們必享平安』；又對一切按自己頑梗之心而行的人說：『必沒有災禍臨到你們。』」

23:18 有誰站在耶和華的會中得以聽見並會悟他的話呢？有誰留心聽他的話呢？

23:19 看哪！耶和華的忿怒好像暴風，已經發出；是暴烈的旋風，必轉到惡人的頭上。

23:20 耶和華的怒氣必不轉消，直到他心中所擬定的成就了。末後的日子你們要全然明白。

23:21 我沒有打發那些先知，他們竟自奔跑；我沒有對他們說話，他們竟自預言。

23:22 他們若是站在我的會中，就必使我的百姓聽我的話，又使他們回頭離開惡道和他們所行的惡。

​Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you, filling you with vain hopes. They speak visions of their own minds, not from the mouth of the Lord.  They say continually to those who despise the word of the Lord, It shall be well with you’; and to everyone who stubbornly follows his own heart, they say, No disaster shall come upon you.’”

  For who among them has stood in the council of the Lord

to see and to hear his word,

or who has paid attention to his word and listened?

  Behold, the storm of the Lord!

Wrath has gone forth,

a whirling tempest;

it will burst upon the head of the wicked.

  The anger of the Lord will not turn back

until he has executed and accomplished

the intents of his heart.

In the latter days you will understand it clearly.

“I did not send the prophets,

yet they ran;

I did not speak to them,

yet they prophesied.

  But if they had stood in my council,

then they would have proclaimed my words to my people,

and they would have turned them from their evil way,

and from the evil of their deeds.

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    這是上帝對先知的要求：「他們若是站在我的會中，就必使我的百姓聽我的話，又使他們回頭離開惡道和他們所行的惡。」

    然而耶利米在此描述的先知卻是害怕傳上帝責備的話，專門說好話，正如上帝在此所說的：「他們常對藐視我的人說：『耶和華說：你們必享平安』；又對一切按自己頑梗之心而行的人說：『必沒有災禍臨到你們。』」

    因為如此，所以上帝說：「這些先知向你們說預言，你們不要聽他們的話。他們以虛空教訓你們，所說的異象是出於自己的心，不是出於耶和華的口。」「有誰站在耶和華的會中得以聽見並會悟他的話呢？有誰留心聽他的話呢？」

    先知耶利米更進一步宣告，上帝是公義的上帝，對罪惡是充滿怒氣！這是上帝的先知必須有的基本認識，若沒有這樣的認識是不配做上帝的先知與代言人！因此上帝的傳道者，該責備的時候，還是要勇敢說出責備的話，不要害怕人的反應！更何況上帝期盼人的悔改，不知罪及不知罪的嚴重性，人豈能悔改接受耶穌基督的救恩呢？

    所以，上帝話語的宣講者，就是要勇敢傳講，人才會悔改接受福音！