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A Prophecy against Prophets

13 This message came to me from the Lord: ² “Son of Man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel, who even now are prophesying, and tell those prophets that keep on prophesying according to what they wish would happen,^[a] ‘Listen to what the Lord says.’”

³ “This is what the Lord God says, ‘How terrible it will be for the false prophets who walk according to their own wrong inclinations^[b] and see nothing. ⁴ Israel, your prophets have become like foxes among ruins. ⁵ You didn’t go up to repair^[c] the breaches in the walls and you didn’t build the walls so Israel’s house would be able to endure battle on the Day of the Lord. ⁶ Instead, they crafted^[d] false prophecies and divination.

“‘They say, “…declares the Lord,” even though the Lord didn’t send them. And they hope for the fulfillment of their message. ⁷ You’ve crafted^[e] a false prophesy and spoken deceptive divination, haven’t you? But then you say, “…declares the Lord,” although I haven’t spoken a single word.

⁸ “‘Therefore this is what the Lord God says, “Because you’ve spoken falsehood and deceptions, I am therefore opposing^[f] you,” declares the Lord God. ⁹ My hand will oppose the prophets who see false visions and speak deceptive divinations. They won’t be included with the council of my people, nor will they be entered into the registry of Israel’s house or enter Israel’s land. Then you’ll know that I am the Lord God, ¹⁰ because they’ve truly caused my people to stray saying, “Peace,” but there’s no peace.’”

Metaphor of the Whitewashed Wall

“When someone builds a wall, they coat it with whitewash. ¹¹ Tell those who coat it with whitewash that it will fall. It will be washed off by the rain. Great hailstones will fall and a stormy wind will strip it off.^{[g] 12} Look! When the wall collapses, won’t it be said of you, ‘Where’s the coat of paint that you spread all over the wall?’

¹³ “Therefore this is what the Lord God says, ‘In my burning anger, I’ll rip it open with a windstorm. In my anger, I’ll rinse it off with rain, and put an end to it with a hailstorm in my destructive rage. ¹⁴ I’ll tear down the wall that you’ve smeared with whitewash, level it to the ground, and tear out its foundation. Then it will collapse—and you’ll perish with it! Then you’ll know that I am the Lord.

¹⁵ “‘That’s how I’ll vent my anger on the wall and on the ones who coated it with whitewash. And I’ll say to you, “The wall is gone and so are those who coated it.”^{[h] 16} The prophets of Israel prophesied about Jerusalem and saw visions of peace concerning her, yet there’s no peace,’” declares the Lord God.

A Rebuke to Israel’s Women

¹⁷ “And now, Son of Man, turn toward and oppose^[i] the women^[j] of your people who prophesy according to their own wrong inclinations^[k] and prophesy against them. ¹⁸ Tell them, ‘This is what the Lord God says, “How terrible it will be for those women who sew magical bracelets on all their wrists and make one-size-fits all headbands,^[l] in order to entrap their souls. Will you hunt for the souls of my people and remain alive? ¹⁹ You’ve profaned me among my people for a handful of barley and a morsel of bread. You’re causing people to die who shouldn’t have to die, and you’re causing people to live who shouldn’t survive, when you deceive my people who tend to listen to lies.”

²⁰ “‘Therefore, this is what the Lord God says, “Watch out! I’m opposing your amulets with which you hunt souls as one would swat at a flying insect.^[m] I’ll tear them off your arms and then deliver those people, whom you’ve hunted like birds. ²¹ I’ll also tear off your headbands^[n] and deliver my people from your grip so that they won’t be under your control anymore. Then you’ll know that I am the Lord.

²² “‘“Because you’ve dismayed the heart of the righteous—whom I never intended to dismay—with lies, and because you’ve encouraged^[o] the wicked so that he wouldn’t abandon his evil behavior and by doing so live, ²³ you’ll no longer see false visions or again practice divination, because I’m going to deliver my people from your power. Then you’ll know that I am the Lord.”’”

A Prophecy against Idolatry

14 Later, some men from the elders of Israel came to visit me. After they had sat down in my presence, ² this message came to me from the Lord.

³ “Son of Man, these men have taken idols into their hearts. They’ve placed the stumbling block that is their own iniquity right in front of their faces. Should I be consulted by them at all? ⁴ Therefore, speak up and tell them, ‘This is what the Lord God says, “Every person from Israel’s house who follows his idols and sets the stumbling block that is his own sin in front of his face, and then consults a prophet, I the Lord will answer him according to how many idols he embraces. ⁵ I’ll do this in order to capture the hearts of Israel’s house who have become alienated from me due to all of their idols.”’”

An Exhortation to Turn Away

⁶ “Therefore you are to tell Israel’s house, ‘This is what the Lord God says, “Turn away! Turn away from your idols, and abandon your detestable practices! ⁷ For when a native Israeli or a resident alien abandons me to set up idols in his heart behind my back, and then places the stumbling block of his iniquity right in front of his own face, then approaches a prophet to inquire of me on behalf of his own self-interest, I, the Lord will answer him myself. ⁸ I’m determined to oppose that person^[p] and make him an example. Proverbs will be written about him^[q] when I eliminate him from my people. Then you’ll know that I am the Lord.”’”

On False Prophets

⁹ “Now as to the prophet, if through deceit he delivers a message, I the Lord have deceived that prophet! I’ll reach out in opposition to him and exterminate him from among my people Israel. ¹⁰ They’ll bear the consequences of their guilt, and the prophet will be just as guilty as the one who seeks that prophet’s guidance. ¹¹ Then Israel’s house won’t wander away from me again, nor will they defile themselves again with all their transgressions. They’ll become my people and I’ll be their God,” declares the Lord God.

On Noah, Daniel, and Job

¹² This message came to me from the Lord: ¹³ “Son of Man, when a nation^[r] sins against me by a treacherous act,^[s] I’ll reach out to oppose it, destroying its source of food,^[t] by sending famine against it, and by destroying both people and beast within it. ¹⁴ Though these three men, Noah, Daniel,^[u] and Job lived in that land, they would only save their own lives on account of their righteousness,” declares the Lord God.

¹⁵ “If I were to make wild animals pass throughout the land, so that they kill its residents^[v] and it were to become desolate because no one will travel through it due to those wild animals,^{[w] 16} then even though these three men were in it, as I live,” says the Lord God, “they wouldn’t be able to deliver even their sons or daughters. They would only save themselves, but the land would become desolate.

¹⁷ “Or if I were to bring war to^[x] that land and say, ‘Hey, sword! Pass throughout the land so I can destroy both man and beasts in it,’ ¹⁸ though these three men lived there, as I live,” declares the Lord God, “they couldn’t deliver their own sons and daughters. They would only save themselves.

¹⁹ “Or if I were to send a pestilence against that land and pour out my anger in it with bloodshed, destroying both man and beast in it, ²⁰ even though Noah, Daniel, and Job were among them, as I live” says the Lord God, “they couldn’t save their own sons or daughters. They would only save their own souls due to their own righteousness.”

²¹ This is what the Lord God says, “I’m sending four of my most destructive judgments—military invasion,^[y] famine, wild animals, and pestilence—into Jerusalem to destroy both human beings and livestock in it. ²² But look! There will be a remnant who escapes, a few sons and daughters to be brought out. Look! They’ll come out to you and you’ll see how they’ve lived and what they’ve done, and you’ll be comforted concerning the catastrophe that I brought on Jerusalem, including everything that I brought against her. ²³ They’ll comfort you when you see how they’ve lived and what they’ve done, because you’ll know for certain that I haven’t done anything that I’ve done against them without any reason,”^[z] declares the Lord God.

A Message about Vines

15 This message came to me from the Lord: ² “Son of Man, how does wood from a vine compare to a branch taken from any of the trees in the forest? ³ Is wood ever taken from it to make anything practical? Can it even be made into a peg to hang something on? ⁴ After all, it’s useful only for kindling a fire, isn’t it? And once you’ve burnt up the ends and charred through the middle of it, is it useful for anything else? ⁵ If it was useless before it was burned, now that it’s been burned and charred through, it’s even more useless!

⁶ Therefore this is what the Lord God says: “Just as the wood from a grape vine is removed from the forest and used for kindling fires, I’m giving the inhabitants of Jerusalem over ⁷ to punishment. They may have escaped one fire, but the coming fire will burn them up completely, and they will know that I am the Lord, when I set myself in opposition to^[aa] them ⁸ and dedicate the land to desolation because of their unfaithful unbelief,” declares the Lord God.