Mischief shall come upon mischief, and rumour shall be upon rumour; then shall they seek a vision of the prophet; but the law shall perish from the priest, and counsel from the ancients.
Mischief shall come upon mischief - (Deuteronomy 32:23; Jeremiah 4:20). This is said because the Jews were apt to fancy at every abatement of suffering that their calamities were about to cease; but God will accumulate woe on woe.
Rumour shall be upon rumour - "rumour" of the advance of the foe, and of his cruelty (Matthew 24:6).
Then shall they seek a vision of the prophet - to find some way of escape from their difficulties (Isaiah 26:9). So Zedekiah consulted Jeremiah (Jeremiah 37:17; Jeremiah 38:14).
The law shall perish from the priest - fulfilled (Ezekiel 20:1; Ezekiel 20:3; Psalms 74:9; Lamentations 2:9; cf. Amos 8:11). God will thus set aside the idle boast, "The law shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet" (Jeremiah 18:18).
And counsel from the ancients - the ecclesiastical rulers of the people.