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)”’

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Footnotes

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

Condemnation of False Prophets

13 And the word of Yahweh came[a] to me, saying,[b] “Son of man,[c] prophesy to[d] the prophets of Israel who are prophesying,[e] and you must say to those who are prophets out of their own imagination,[f] ‘Hear the word of Yahweh!’ Thus says the Lord Yahweh: ‘Alas, for the foolish prophets who are going after their own spirit, and they did not see anything![g] Your prophets have been like foxes[h] among ruins. You did not go up into[i] the breaches and repair a wall for the house of Israel to stand firm in the battle on the day of Yahweh. They saw falseness and a lying divination,[j] the ones saying, ‘Declaration of Yahweh!’ and Yahweh did not send them, and they wait for the confirmation of their word.[k] Have you not seen a false vision[l] and spoken a lying divination,[m] and you said, ‘Declaration of Yahweh!’ but I myself did not speak.[n] Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: ‘Because of your speaking falseness and because you envisioned a lie, therefore, look! I am against you!” declares[o] the Lord Yahweh. “And it will be my hand against the prophets who are seeing falseness and who are practicing lying divination. They will not be in the council of my people, and they will not be written down in the record book of the house of Israel, and into[p] the land of Israel they will not come, and then you will know that I am the Lord Yahweh. 10 Because, yes, because they led my people astray, saying[q] ‘Peace!’ And there is not peace. And when anyone[r] builds a flimsy wall, look, they coat it with whitewash. 11 Say to those covering it with whitewash that it will fall; there will be a torrent of rain,[s] and I will give stones of hail; they will fall! [t] And a windstorm[u] will burst forth! 12 And look! When the wall falls, will it not be said to you, ‘Where is the whitewash with which you covered it?’ 13 Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: ‘And so I will let burst forth a windstorm[v] in my rage, and there will be a torrent of rain[w] in my anger, and hailstones in my rage for complete destruction.[x] 14 And I will break down the wall that you covered with whitewash, and I will knock it to the ground, and its foundation will be revealed, and it will fall, and you will come to an end in the midst of it, and you will know that I am Yahweh! 15 And I will fully vent my rage against the wall and against those covering it with whitewash, and I will say to you, “The wall is no more,[y] and the people covering it are no more,[z] 16 that is, the prophets of Israel, the ones prophesying concerning Jerusalem and the ones seeing visions of peace, and there is not peace!’” ” declares[aa] the Lord Yahweh.

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Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 13:1 Literally “was”
  2. Ezekiel 13:1 Or “to say”
  3. Ezekiel 13:2 Or “mortal,” or “son of humankind”
  4. Ezekiel 13:2 Or “against”
  5. Ezekiel 13:2 Literally “the ones prophesying”
  6. Ezekiel 13:2 Literally “heart”
  7. Ezekiel 13:3 Literally “and not they saw”
  8. Ezekiel 13:4 Or “jackals”
  9. Ezekiel 13:5 Hebrew “in”
  10. Ezekiel 13:6 Literally “a divination of a lie”
  11. Ezekiel 13:6 Literally “to confirm a word”
  12. Ezekiel 13:7 Literally “vision of falseness”
  13. Ezekiel 13:7 Literally “divination of a lie”
  14. Ezekiel 13:7 Literally “I not I spoke”
  15. Ezekiel 13:8 Literally “declaration of”
  16. Ezekiel 13:9 Hebrew “in”
  17. Ezekiel 13:10 Literally “to say”
  18. Ezekiel 13:10 Hebrew “he”
  19. Ezekiel 13:11 Literally “rain flooding”
  20. Ezekiel 13:11 Or “and I will give great hailstones. They will fall”
  21. Ezekiel 13:11 Literally “wind of a storm”; or “with respect/concerning you stones of hail, they will fall”
  22. Ezekiel 13:13 Literally “a wind of storm”
  23. Ezekiel 13:13 Literally “rain flooding there will be”
  24. Ezekiel 13:13 Literally “to complete destruction”
  25. Ezekiel 13:15 Literally “not is the wall”
  26. Ezekiel 13:15 Literally “not are the people whitewashing him”
  27. Ezekiel 13:16 Literally “declaration of”