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Ezekiel 13
Christian Standard Bible Anglicised

Israel’s False Prophets Condemned

13 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 ‘Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who(A) are prophesying. Say to those who prophesy out of their own imagination,(B) “Hear the word of the Lord! 3 This is what the Lord God says: Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing. 4 Your prophets, Israel, are like jackals among ruins. 5 You did not go up to the gaps(C) or restore the wall round the house of Israel so that it might stand in battle on the day of the Lord. 6 They saw false visions and their divinations were a lie.(D) They claimed, ‘This is the Lord’s declaration,’ when the Lord did not send them,(E) yet they wait for the fulfilment of their message. 7 Didn’t you see a false vision and speak a lying divination when you proclaimed, ‘This is the Lord’s declaration,’ even though I had not spoken?

8 ‘ “Therefore, this is what the Lord God says: You have spoken falsely and had lying visions; that’s why you discover that I am against you. This is the declaration of the Lord God. 9 My hand will be against the prophets who see false visions and speak lying divinations.(F) They will not be present in the council of my people or be recorded in the register of the house of Israel, and they will not enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord God.

10 ‘ “Since they have led my people astray by saying, ‘Peace,’(G) when there is no peace, and since when a flimsy wall is being built, they plaster it with whitewash,(H) 11 therefore, tell those plastering it with whitewash that it will fall. Torrential rain will come,(I) and I will send hailstones plunging[a] down, and a whirlwind will be released. 12 When the wall has fallen, will you not be asked, ‘Where’s the whitewash you plastered on it? ’

13 ‘ “So this is what the Lord God says: I will release a whirlwind in my wrath. Torrential rain will come in my anger, and hailstones will fall in destructive fury. 14 I will demolish the wall you plastered with whitewash and knock it to the ground so that its foundation is exposed.(J) The city will fall, and you will be destroyed within it. Then you will know that I am the Lord. 15 After I exhaust my wrath against the wall and against those who plaster it with whitewash, I will say to you, ‘The wall is no more and neither are those who plastered it –  16 those prophets of Israel who prophesied to Jerusalem and saw a vision of peace for her when there was no peace.’(K) This is the declaration of the Lord God.”

17 ‘Now you, son of man, face[b] the women among your people who prophesy(L) out of their own imagination, and prophesy against them.(M) 18 Say, “This is what the Lord God says: Woe to the women who sew magic bands on the wrist of every hand and who make veils for the heads of people of every size in order to ensnare lives. Will you ensnare the lives of my people but preserve your own?(N) 19 You profane me among my people for handfuls of barley(O) and scraps of bread; you put those to death who should not die and spare those who should not live, when you lie to my people, who listen to lies.

20 ‘ “Therefore, this is what the Lord God says: I am against your magic bands with which you ensnare people like birds, and I will tear them from your arms. I will free the people you have ensnared like birds. 21 I will also tear off your veils and rescue my people from your hands,(P) so that they will no longer be prey in your hands. Then you will know that I am the Lord. 22 Because you have disheartened the righteous person with lies (when I intended no distress),(Q) and because you have supported[c] the wicked(R) person so that he does not turn from his evil way to save his life, 23 therefore you will no longer see false visions or practise divination.(S) I will rescue my people from your hands. Then you will know that I am the Lord.” ’

Footnotes

  1. 13:11 One Hb ms, LXX, Vg; other Hb mss read and you, hailstones, will plunge
  2. 13:17 Lit set your face
  3. 13:22 Lit strengthened the hand of
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Ezekiel 13
New King James Version

Woe to Foolish Prophets

13 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 “Son of man, prophesy (A)against the prophets of Israel who prophesy, and say to (B)those who prophesy out of their own (C)heart,[a] ‘Hear the word of the Lord!’ ”

3 Thus says the Lord God: “Woe to the foolish prophets, who follow their own spirit and have seen [b]nothing! 4 O Israel, your prophets are (D)like foxes in the deserts. 5 You (E)have not gone up into the [c]gaps to build a wall for the house of Israel to stand in battle on the day of the Lord. 6 (F)They have envisioned futility and false divination, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord!’ But the Lord has (G)not sent them; yet they hope that the word may [d]be confirmed. 7 Have you not seen a futile vision, and have you not spoken false divination? You say, ‘The Lord says,’ but I have not spoken.”

8 Therefore thus says the Lord God: “Because you have spoken nonsense and envisioned lies, therefore I am indeed against you,” says the Lord God. 9 “My hand will be (H)against the prophets who envision futility and who (I)divine lies; they shall not be in the assembly of My people, (J)nor be written in the record of the house of Israel, (K)nor shall they enter into the land of Israel. (L)Then you shall know that I am the Lord God.

10 “Because, indeed, because they have seduced My people, saying, (M)‘Peace!’ when there is no peace—and one builds a wall, and they (N)plaster[e] it with untempered mortar— 11 say to those who plaster it with untempered mortar, that it will fall. (O)There will be flooding rain, and you, O great hailstones, shall fall; and a stormy wind shall tear it down. 12 Surely, when the wall has fallen, will it not be said to you, ‘Where is the mortar with which you plastered it?’ ”

13 Therefore thus says the Lord God: “I will cause a stormy wind to break forth in My fury; and there shall be a flooding rain in My anger, and great hailstones in fury to consume it. 14 So I will break down the wall you have plastered with untempered mortar, and bring it down to the ground, so that its foundation will be uncovered; it will fall, and you shall be consumed in the midst of it. (P)Then you shall know that I am the Lord.

15 “Thus will I accomplish My wrath on the wall and on those who have plastered it with untempered mortar; and I will say to you, ‘The wall is no more, nor those who plastered it, 16 that is, the prophets of Israel who prophesy concerning Jerusalem, and who (Q)see visions of peace for her when there is no peace,’ ” says the Lord God.

17 “Likewise, son of man, (R)set your face against the daughters of your people, (S)who prophesy out of their own [f]heart; prophesy against them, 18 and say, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Woe to the women who sew magic charms [g]on their sleeves and make veils for the heads of people of every height to hunt souls! Will you (T)hunt the souls of My people, and keep yourselves alive? 19 And will you profane Me among My people (U)for handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread, killing people who should not die, and keeping people alive who should not live, by your lying to My people who listen to lies?”

20 ‘Therefore thus says the Lord God: “Behold, I am against your magic charms by which you hunt souls there like [h]birds. I will tear them from your arms, and let the souls go, the souls you hunt like birds. 21 I will also tear off your veils and deliver My people out of your hand, and they shall no longer be as prey in your hand. (V)Then you shall know that I am the Lord.

22 “Because with (W)lies you have made the heart of the righteous sad, whom I have not made sad; and you have (X)strengthened the hands of the wicked, so that he does not turn from his wicked way to save his life. 23 Therefore (Y)you shall no longer envision futility nor practice divination; for I will deliver My people out of your hand, and you shall know that I am the Lord.” ’ ”

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 13:2 Inspiration
  2. Ezekiel 13:3 No vision
  3. Ezekiel 13:5 breaches
  4. Ezekiel 13:6 Come true
  5. Ezekiel 13:10 Or whitewash
  6. Ezekiel 13:17 Inspiration
  7. Ezekiel 13:18 Lit. over all the joints of My hands; Vg. under every elbow; LXX, Tg. on all elbows of the hands
  8. Ezekiel 13:20 Lit. flying ones
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Ezekiel 13
New English Translation

False Prophets Denounced

13 Then the Lord’s message came to me: 2 “Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who are now prophesying. Say to the prophets who prophesy from their imagination:[a] ‘Listen to the Lord’s message! 3 This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit but have seen nothing! 4 Your prophets have become like jackals among the ruins, O Israel. 5 You have not gone up in the breaks in the wall, nor repaired a wall for the house of Israel that it would stand strong in the battle on the day of the Lord. 6 They see delusion and their omens are a lie.[b] They say, “The Lord declares,” though the Lord has not sent them;[c] yet they expect their word to be confirmed.[d] 7 Have you not seen a false vision and announced a lying omen when you say, “The Lord declares,” although I myself never spoke?

8 “‘Therefore, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because you have spoken false words and forecast delusion, look,[e] I am against you,[f] declares the Sovereign Lord. 9 My hand will be against the prophets who see delusion and announce lying omens. They will not be included in the council[g] of my people, nor be written in the registry[h] of the house of Israel, nor enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Sovereign Lord.

10 “‘This is because they have led my people astray saying, “All is well,”[i] when things are not well. When anyone builds a wall without mortar,[j] they coat it with whitewash. 11 Tell the ones who coat it with whitewash that it will fall. When there is a deluge of rain, hailstones[k] will fall and a violent wind will break out.[l] 12 When the wall has collapsed, people will ask you, “Where is the whitewash you coated it with?”

13 “‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: In my rage I will make a violent wind break out. In my anger there will be a deluge of rain and hailstones in destructive fury. 14 I will break down the wall you coated with whitewash and knock it to the ground so that its foundation is exposed. When it falls you will be destroyed beneath it,[m] and you will know that I am the Lord. 15 I will vent my rage against the wall and against those who coated it with whitewash. Then I will say to you, “The wall is no more and those who whitewashed it are no more— 16 those prophets of Israel who would prophesy about Jerusalem and would see visions of peace for it, when there was no peace,” declares the Sovereign Lord.’

17 “As for you, son of man, turn toward[n] the daughters of your people who are prophesying from their imagination.[o] Prophesy against them 18 and say ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to those who sew bands[p] on all their wrists[q] and make headbands[r] for heads of every size to entrap people’s lives![s] Will you entrap my people’s lives, yet preserve your own lives? 19 You have profaned me among my people for handfuls of barley and scraps of bread. You have put to death people[t] who should not die and kept alive those who should not live by your lies to my people, who listen to lies!

20 “‘Therefore, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Take note[u] that I am against your wristbands with which you entrap people’s lives[v] like birds. I will tear them from your arms and will release the people’s lives, which you hunt like birds. 21 I will tear off your headbands and rescue my people from your power;[w] they will no longer be prey in your hands. Then you will know that I am the Lord. 22 This is because you have disheartened the righteous person with lies (although I have not grieved him), and because you have encouraged the wicked person not to turn from his evil conduct and preserve his life. 23 Therefore you will no longer see false visions and practice divination. I will rescue my people from your power, and you[x] will know that I am the Lord.’”

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 13:2 tn Heb “from their mind.” sn Who prophesy from their imagination. Note the testimony of Moses in Num 16:28, which contains a similar expression.
  2. Ezekiel 13:6 sn The same description of a false prophet is found in Micah 2:11.
  3. Ezekiel 13:6 sn The Lord has not sent them. A similar concept is found in Jer 14:14 and 23:21.
  4. Ezekiel 13:6 tn Or “confirmed”; NIV has “to be fulfilled,” TEV “to come true.”
  5. Ezekiel 13:8 tn The word הִנֵּה (hinneh) indicates becoming aware of something and has been translated here as a verb.
  6. Ezekiel 13:8 tn Or “I challenge you.” The phrase “I am against you” may be a formula for challenging someone to combat or a duel. See D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 1:201-2, and P. Humbert, “Die Herausforderungsformel ‘hinnenî ’êlékâ’” ZAW 45 (1933): 101-8.
  7. Ezekiel 13:9 tn The Hebrew term may refer to the secret council of the Lord (Jer 23:18; Job 15:8), but here it more likely refers to a human council comprised of civic leaders (Gen 49:6; Jer 6:11; 15:17; Pss 64:3; 111:1).
  8. Ezekiel 13:9 tn The reference here is probably to a civil list (as in Ezra 2:16; Neh 7:64) rather than to a “book of life” (Exod 32:32; Isa 4:3; Ps 69:29; Dan 12:1). This registry may have been established at the making of David’s census (2 Sam 24:2, 9).
  9. Ezekiel 13:10 tn Or “peace.”
  10. Ezekiel 13:10 tn The Hebrew word only occurs here in the Bible. According to L. C. Allen (Ezekiel [WBC], 1:202-3), it is also used in the Mishnah of a wall of rough stones without mortar. This fits the context here, which compares the false prophetic messages to a nice coat of whitewash on a structurally unstable wall.
  11. Ezekiel 13:11 tn Heb “and you, O hailstones.”
  12. Ezekiel 13:11 sn A violent wind will break out. God’s judgments are frequently described in storm imagery (Pss 18:7-15; 77:17-18; 83:15; Isa 28:17; 30:30; Jer 23:19; 30:23).
  13. Ezekiel 13:14 tn Or “within it,” referring to the city of Jerusalem.
  14. Ezekiel 13:17 tn Heb “set your face against.”
  15. Ezekiel 13:17 tn Heb “from their heart.”
  16. Ezekiel 13:18 sn The wristbands mentioned here probably represented magic bands or charms. See D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 1:413.
  17. Ezekiel 13:18 tn Heb “joints of the hands.” This may include the elbow and shoulder joints.
  18. Ezekiel 13:18 tn The Hebrew term occurs in the Bible only here and in v. 21. It has also been understood as a veil or type of head covering. D. I. Block (Ezekiel [NICOT], 1:414) suggests that given the context of magical devices, the expected parallel to the magical arm bands, and the meaning of this Hebrew root (סָפַח [safakh, “to attach” or “join”]), it may refer to headbands or necklaces on which magical amulets were worn.
  19. Ezekiel 13:18 tn Heb “human lives” or “souls” (three times in v. 18 and twice in v. 19).
  20. Ezekiel 13:19 tn Heb “human lives” or “souls.”
  21. Ezekiel 13:20 tn The word הִנֵּה (hinneh, traditionally “behold”) indicates becoming aware of something and has been translated here as a verb.
  22. Ezekiel 13:20 tn Heb “human lives” or “souls.”
  23. Ezekiel 13:21 tn Heb “from your hand(s).” This refers to their power over the people.
  24. Ezekiel 13:23 tn The Hebrew verb is feminine plural, indicating that it is the false prophetesses who are addressed here.
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Ezekiel 13
New International Version

False Prophets Condemned

13 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “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) 3 This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to the foolish[a] prophets(D) who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing!(E) 4 Your prophets, Israel, are like jackals among ruins. 5 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) 6 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) 7 Have you not seen false visions(K) and uttered lying divinations when you say, “The Lord declares,” though I have not spoken?

8 “‘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. 9 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
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