en_tn_condensed/jer/23/28.md

Connecting Statement:

Yahweh continues to deliver his message about the false prophets and priests that he began in Jeremiah 23:9 and completes in Jeremiah 23:40.

What does straw have to do with grain?

Straw was the worthless stems from which farmers separated the valuable grain. This question emphasizes the difference between false messages and messages from Yahweh. AT: "Straw and grain are two totally different things." or "Worthless straw is nothing like the valuable grain." (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor and rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion)

Is not my word like fire? ... and like a hammer that shatters a rock into pieces?

Yahweh uses these questions to emphasize that his word is much more powerful than the words of mere men. In that way, his word is like fire or a hammer. AT: "My word is powerful like fire ... and powerful like a hammer that shatters a rock into pieces." (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion and rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-simile)

this is Yahweh's declaration

Yahweh speaks of himself by name to express the certainty of what he is declaring. See how you translated this in Jeremiah 1:8. AT: "this is what Yahweh has declared" or "this is what I, Yahweh, have declared" (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-123person)

I am against

"I am opposed to"

steals words from another person

This implies that the false prophets are thieves. They are so evil that they take each other's messages without permission rather than make up their own false messages.