²² “Son of man, what is this proverb^(A) you have in the land of Israel: ‘The days go by and every vision comes to nothing’?^(B)

² “What do you people mean by quoting this proverb about the land of Israel:

³ “As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, you will no longer quote this proverb^(B) in Israel.

³ They say, ‘Haven’t our houses been recently rebuilt? This city is a pot,^(A) and we are the meat in it.’^(B)

²⁷ “Son of man, the Israelites are saying, ‘The vision he sees is for many years from now, and he prophesies about the distant future.’^(A)

³ Above all, you must understand that in the last days^(A) scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires.^{(B) 4} They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised?^(C) Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.”^(D)

False Prophecy

³³ “When these people, or a prophet or a priest, ask you, ‘What is the message^(A) from the Lord?’ say to them, ‘What message? I will forsake^(B) you, declares the Lord.’ ³⁴ If a prophet or a priest or anyone else claims, ‘This is a message^(C) from the Lord,’ I will punish^(D) them and their household. ³⁵ This is what each of you keeps saying to your friends and other Israelites: ‘What is the Lord’s answer?’^(E) or ‘What has the Lord spoken?’ ³⁶ But you must not mention ‘a message from the Lord’ again, because each one’s word becomes their own message. So you distort^(F) the words of the living God,^(G) the Lord Almighty, our God. ³⁷ This is what you keep saying to a prophet: ‘What is the Lord’s answer to you?’ or ‘What has the Lord spoken?’ ³⁸ Although you claim, ‘This is a message from the Lord,’ this is what the Lord says: You used the words, ‘This is a message from the Lord,’ even though I told you that you must not claim, ‘This is a message from the Lord.’ ³⁹ Therefore, I will surely forget you and cast^(H) you out of my presence along with the city I gave to you and your ancestors. ⁴⁰ I will bring on you everlasting disgrace^(I)—everlasting shame that will not be forgotten.”