Jeremiah 23:15
“Therefore Yahweh of Armies says concerning the prophets: “Behold, I will feed them with wormwood, and make them drink the water of gall; for from the prophets of Jerusalem ungodliness has gone out into all the land.””
What does Jeremiah 23:15 mean?
God is announcing judgment against false prophets who have led people astray with lies and corruption. The imagery of eating wormwood (a bitter plant) and drinking gall (another bitter substance) represents experiencing the bitter consequences of their own deception, rather than enjoying the comfort they falsely promised to others. Jeremiah lived during a time when many so-called prophets were telling people what they wanted to hear—that everything would be fine—while ignoring the real spiritual and moral problems destroying the nation. God takes seriously those who misuse spiritual authority to mislead vulnerable people, and this verse warns that such deception carries real consequences.