¹⁷ You, son of man, are to set your face against the daughters of your people, who are prophesying ecstatically from their own hearts. You are to prophesy against them. ¹⁸ You are to say that this is what the Lord God says.

Woe to those women who sew magic bands for all their^[a] wrists and who make veils of every size for people’s heads in order to trap souls.^[b] Will you women trap the souls of my people, but preserve your own souls? ¹⁹ You women profane me among my people for handfuls of barley and scraps of bread, killing people^[c] who should not die and keeping people alive who should not live. You do this by your lying to my people—those who listen to lies. ²⁰ Therefore, this is what the Lord God says.

Listen. I am against your magic bands, with which you women trap souls like birds. I will tear them from your arms, and I will set free the souls that you trap like birds. ²¹ I will tear off your veils and rescue my people from your hand. They will no longer be in your hand like prey. Then you will know that I am the Lord.

²² Because you have disheartened the righteous man with delusions, even though I have not intended to grieve him, and you have strengthened the hands of^[d] the wicked man, so that he does not repent of his evil way, and so he does not save his life, ²³ therefore, you women will no longer proclaim empty words, and you will no longer deceive with false omens. I will rescue my people from your hand. Then you will know that I am the Lord.