This verse denounces Israel’s prophets for failure to speak the truth. The first unit depicts them as false and deceptive. The second unit specifies how they have been deceptive, and the third is closely parallel in meaning to the first.

Your prophets have seen for you false and deceptive visions: the prophets spoken of here have been unfaithful to their calling. If they had indeed exposed Jerusalem’s sin, as they should have done, the people would perhaps have repented. By deceiving the people, and by thus taking away the opportunity for repentance, these prophets gave Jerusalem no chance to be restored to its former conditions. Prophets, as indicated in the discussion of verse 9, is sometimes translated “those who speak God’s message to the people.” But in this context that expression is hardly appropriate, since the prophets referred to have not been faithful in their function. So it may need to be adjusted to something like “those who were supposed to speak God’s message” or “the ones who should have spoken for God.”

Have seen … visions is a single verb in the Hebrew which is used regularly to describe a prophet’s experience of receiving a message from God.

False and deceptive translates two nouns meaning “emptiness and whitewash.” The prophets of Jerusalem are described in similar terms in Ezekiel 13.10-13: “… when the people build a wall, these prophets daub it with whitewash….” Covering with whitewash was done to make something appear as good on the surface, while underneath it was ugly and bad; thus whitewash became an image of deception. AB translates “Your prophets saw visions for you that were mere whitewash.”

The sense of seen for you is “they told you, interpreted their visions to you.” This unit may also be translated, for example, “Your prophets had nothing to tell you from their visions but empty lies” or “Your prophets saw visions and interpreted them by lying to you.”

Not exposed your iniquity must often be shifted in translation to two verb clauses; for example, “they did not make you see that you had done evil things” or “they failed to make you know that you had sinned.”

To restore your fortunes is literally “to turn back your captivity,” which New International Version translates “to ward off your captivity.” However, most modern translations understand this to mean “restore the fortunes,” as in Jeremiah 33.7.

But have seen for you oracles false and misleading: oracles refers to messages given by a god in response to inquiries. The Hebrew term has the basic meaning of a burden, something heavy; and when used of the messages of the prophets, it usually refers to threatening messages from the LORD. In many languages oracles in the sense of “visions” will be translated “dreams.” Here we may translate, for example, “they have told you their dreams and made you believe things which were not true.” Good News Translation has made the false visions a consequence of the failure to expose the people’s sins, and so translates “They made you think you did not need to repent,” which is a good model to follow. Another model is Bible en français courant, which has “they did not point out to you your sin, which would otherwise have changed your fate.”

In Revised Standard Version the meaning of the first and last units of the Hebrew is closely similar, and several of the words are the same in both units. False and misleading is of uncertain meaning, and New English Bible suggests alternative translations. According to the New English Bible text, “The visions that they saw for you were delusions, false and fraudulent.” The New English Bible margin has “The visions … were delusions, false and causing banishment.” If the second rendering is correct, the poet is making a play on the word in the previous half-line which resembles the word for “captivity.” The related verb is found in Jeremiah 27.15, “[The LORD] will drive you out,” which is also in a context relating to false prophets. However, it seems best to translate the third unit as in Revised Standard Version or Good News Translation.

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. A Handbook on Lamentations. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1992. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .