17 “And you, son of man, (A)set your face against (B)the daughters of your people, (C)who prophesy out of their own hearts. Prophesy against them 18 and say, Thus says the Lord God: Woe to the women (D)who sew magic bands upon all wrists, and (E)make veils for the heads of persons of every stature, in (F)the hunt for souls! Will you hunt down souls belonging to my people and keep your own souls alive? 19 You have profaned me among my people (G)for handfuls of barley (H)and for pieces of bread, putting to death souls who should not die and keeping alive souls who should not live, by your lying to my people, who listen to lies.

20 “Therefore thus says the Lord God: Behold, (I)I am against (J)your magic bands with which you hunt the souls like birds, and I will tear them from your arms, and I will let the souls whom you hunt go free, the souls like birds. 21 Your veils also I will tear off and (K)deliver my people out of your hand, and they shall be no more in your hand as prey, (L)and you shall know that I am the Lord. 22 (M)Because you have disheartened the righteous falsely, although I have not grieved him, and (N)you have encouraged the wicked, that (O)he should not turn from his evil way to save his life, 23 (P)therefore you shall no more see false visions nor practice divination. I will deliver my people out of your hand. And you shall know that I am the Lord.”

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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.

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Footnotes

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