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Yahweh’s Wrath Against Lying Prophets

13 Then the word of Yahweh came to me saying, “Son of man, prophesy against the (A)prophets of Israel who prophesy, and say to those who prophesy from their own heart, ‘(B)Hear the word of Yahweh! Thus says Lord Yahweh, “Woe to the (C)wickedly foolish prophets who are walking after their own spirit and have (D)seen nothing. O Israel, your prophets have been like foxes among waste places. You have not (E)gone up into the (F)breaches, nor did you build the wall around the house of Israel to stand in the battle on the (G)day of Yahweh. They behold (H)worthlessness and lying divination who are saying, ‘Yahweh declares,’ when Yahweh has not sent them; (I)yet they wait for the establishing of their word. (J)Did you not see a worthless vision and speak a lying divination when you said, ‘Yahweh declares,’ but it is not I who have spoken?”’”

Therefore, thus says Lord Yahweh, “Because you have spoken worthlessness and beheld a lie, therefore behold, (K)I am against you,” declares Lord Yahweh. “So My hand will be against the (L)prophets who see worthless visions and utter lying divinations. They will not be in the council of My people, (M)nor will they be written down in the register of the house of Israel, nor will they enter the land of Israel, [a]that you may know that I am Lord Yahweh. 10 It is definitely because they have (N)misled My people by saying, ‘(O)Peace!’ when there is (P)no peace. And when anyone builds a wall, behold, they plaster it over with whitewash; 11 so tell those who plaster it over with whitewash that it will fall. A (Q)flooding rain will come, and you, O hailstones, will fall; and a stormy wind will break out. 12 Now behold, the wall will fall. Will it then not be said to you, ‘Where is the plaster with which you plastered it?’” 13 Therefore, thus says Lord Yahweh, “I will make a stormy wind break out in My wrath. There will also be in My anger a flooding rain and (R)hailstones to consume it in wrath. 14 So I will pull down the wall which you plastered over with whitewash and bring it down to the ground, so that its (S)foundation is laid bare; and it will fall, and you will be (T)consumed in its midst. And you will (U)know that I am Yahweh. 15 Thus I will spend My wrath on the wall and on those who have plastered it over with whitewash; and I will say to you, ‘The wall [b]is gone, and its plasterers are gone— 16 the prophets of Israel who prophesy to Jerusalem and who (V)see visions of peace for her when there is (W)no peace,’ declares Lord Yahweh.

17 “Now as for you, son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people who are (X)prophesying (Y)from their own heart. Prophesy against them 18 and say, ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh, “Woe to the women who sew magic bands on [c]all wrists and make veils for the heads of persons of every stature to (Z)hunt down [d]souls! Will you hunt down My people’s souls, but preserve your own souls? 19 (AA)For handfuls of barley and fragments of bread, you have profaned Me to My people to put to death souls who should not die and to (AB)keep other souls alive who should not live, by your lying to My people who listen to lies.”’”

20 Therefore, thus says Lord Yahweh, “Behold, I am against your magic bands by which you hunt souls there as [e]birds, and I will tear them from your arms; and I will let their souls go, the very souls whom you hunt as [f]birds. 21 I will also tear off your veils and (AC)deliver My people from your hands, and they will no longer be in your hands to be hunted; and you will know that I am Yahweh. 22 Because you (AD)disheartened the righteous with falsehood when I did not cause him grief, but have (AE)strengthened the hands of the wicked not to (AF)turn from his evil way and preserve his life, 23 therefore, you women will no longer see (AG)worthless visions or practice divination, and I will (AH)deliver My people out of your hand. Thus you will (AI)know that I am Yahweh.”

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 13:9 Or and you will know
  2. Ezekiel 13:15 Lit is not...are not
  3. Ezekiel 13:18 Lit all joints of the hand; M.T. of my hands
  4. Ezekiel 13:18 Or lives, so in ch
  5. Ezekiel 13:20 Or flying ones
  6. Ezekiel 13:20 Or flying ones

False Prophets Condemned

13 The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, prophesy against the prophets(A) of Israel who are now prophesying. Say to those who prophesy out of their own imagination:(B) ‘Hear the word of the Lord!(C) This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to the foolish[a] prophets(D) who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing!(E) Your prophets, Israel, are like jackals among ruins. You have not gone up to the breaches in the wall to repair(F) it for the people of Israel so that it will stand firm in the battle on the day of the Lord.(G) Their visions are false(H) and their divinations a lie. Even though the Lord has not sent(I) them, they say, “The Lord declares,” and expect him to fulfill their words.(J) Have you not seen false visions(K) and uttered lying divinations when you say, “The Lord declares,” though I have not spoken?

“‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because of your false words and lying visions, I am against you,(L) declares the Sovereign Lord. My hand will be against the prophets who see false visions and utter lying(M) divinations. They will not belong to the council of my people or be listed in the records(N) of Israel, nor will they enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Sovereign Lord.(O)

10 “‘Because they lead my people astray,(P) saying, “Peace,”(Q) when there is no peace, and because, when a flimsy wall is built, they cover it with whitewash,(R) 11 therefore tell those who cover it with whitewash that it is going to fall. Rain will come in torrents, and I will send hailstones(S) hurtling down,(T) and violent winds will burst forth.(U) 12 When the wall collapses, will people not ask you, “Where is the whitewash you covered it with?”

13 “‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: In my wrath I will unleash a violent wind, and in my anger hailstones(V) and torrents of rain(W) will fall with destructive fury.(X) 14 I will tear down the wall(Y) you have covered with whitewash and will level it to the ground so that its foundation(Z) will be laid bare. When it[b] falls,(AA) you will be destroyed in it; and you will know that I am the Lord. 15 So I will pour out my wrath against the wall and against those who covered it with whitewash. I will say to you, “The wall is gone and so are those who whitewashed it, 16 those prophets of Israel who prophesied to Jerusalem and saw visions of peace for her when there was no peace, declares the Sovereign Lord.(AB)”’

17 “Now, son of man, set your face(AC) against the daughters(AD) of your people who prophesy out of their own imagination. Prophesy against them(AE) 18 and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to the women who sew magic charms on all their wrists and make veils of various lengths for their heads in order to ensnare people. Will you ensnare the lives of my people but preserve your own? 19 You have profaned(AF) me among my people for a few handfuls of barley and scraps of bread.(AG) By lying to my people, who listen to lies, you have killed those who should not have died and have spared those who should not live.(AH)

20 “‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against your magic charms with which you ensnare people like birds and I will tear them from your arms; I will set free the people that you ensnare like birds.(AI) 21 I will tear off your veils and save my people from your hands, and they will no longer fall prey to your power. Then you will know that I am the Lord.(AJ) 22 Because you disheartened the righteous with your lies,(AK) when I had brought them no grief, and because you encouraged the wicked not to turn from their evil ways and so save their lives,(AL) 23 therefore you will no longer see false visions(AM) or practice divination.(AN) I will save(AO) my people from your hands. And then you will know that I am the Lord.(AP)’”

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 13:3 Or wicked
  2. Ezekiel 13:14 Or the city