17 “Now you, son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people who are (A)talking like prophets (B)from their own [a]imagination. Prophesy against them 18 and say, ‘This is what the Lord God says: “Woe to the women who sew magic bands on [b]all wrists and make veils for the heads of persons of every stature to (C)capture souls! Will you capture the souls of My people, but keep the souls of others alive for yourselves? 19 (D)For handfuls of barley and pieces of bread, you have profaned Me to My people, to put to death [c]some who should not die, and to (E)keep [d]others alive who should not live, by your lying to My people who listen to lies.”’”

20 Therefore, this is what the Lord God says: “Behold, I am against your magic bands by which you capture souls there as [e]birds, and I will tear them from your arms; and I will let [f]them go, those souls whom you capture as [g]birds. 21 I will also tear off your veils and (F)save My people from your hands, and they will no longer be in your hands as prey; and you will know that I am the Lord. 22 Because you (G)disheartened the righteous with falsehood when I did not cause him pain, but you have [h](H)encouraged the wicked not to (I)turn from his wicked way to keep him alive, 23 therefore you women will no longer see (J)deceitful visions or practice divination, and I will (K)save My people from your hands. So you will (L)know that I am the Lord.”

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 13:17 Lit heart
  2. Ezekiel 13:18 Lit all joints of the hand; MT of my hands
  3. Ezekiel 13:19 Lit souls
  4. Ezekiel 13:19 Lit souls
  5. Ezekiel 13:20 Or flying ones
  6. Ezekiel 13:20 Or flying ones
  7. Ezekiel 13:20 Or flying ones
  8. Ezekiel 13:22 Lit strengthened the hands of

17 You, human one, face the daughters of your people, those women who prophesy from their imaginations. Prophesy against them 18 and say, The Lord God proclaims: Doom to the women who sew bands on every wrist and make veils for heads of all sizes to entrap human lives. Will you ensnare my people’s lives but preserve your own? 19 When you degrade me to my people for handfuls of barley and bread crumbs, you mislead my gullible people, and you bring about the death of those who shouldn’t die and keep alive those who shouldn’t live.

20 Therefore, the Lord God proclaims: I’m against the bands that you use to trap human lives.[a] I will tear them from your arms, and I will set free the lives that you’ve trapped like birds. 21 I will tear off your veils and snatch my people out of your clutches. They will be prey in your clutches no longer. Then you will know that I am the Lord. 22 You hurt the righteous with slander—I didn’t wound them!—and you strengthened the hands of the wicked so that they survived without changing their evil ways! 23 Therefore, you will no longer see empty visions or perform divinations. I will rescue my people from your clutches, and you will know that I am the Lord.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 13:20 LXX; MT adds like birds.