Ezekiel 13:1-23
13 And the word of Jehovah again came to me, saying:
2 “Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel,+ and say to those who fabricate their own prophecies,*+ ‘Hear the word of Jehovah.
3 This is what the Sovereign Lord Jehovah says: “Woe to the stupid prophets, who follow their own spirit, when they have seen nothing!+
4 O Israel, your prophets have become like foxes among the ruins.
5 You will not go to the broken places in the stone walls to rebuild them for the house of Israel,+ so that Israel may keep standing in the battle in the day of Jehovah.”+
6 “They have seen false visions and foretold a lie, those who are saying, ‘The word of Jehovah is,’ when Jehovah himself has not sent them, and they have waited for their word to come true.+
7 Is it not a false vision that you have seen and a lie that you have foretold when you say, ‘The word of Jehovah is,’ when I have not said anything?”’
8 “‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord Jehovah says: “‘Because you have spoken what is false and your visions are a lie, I am against you,’ declares the Sovereign Lord Jehovah.”+
9 My hand is against the prophets whose visions are false and who foretell a lie.+ They will not be among the people with whom I confide; nor will they be written in the registry of the house of Israel; nor will they return to the land of Israel; and you will have to know that I am the Sovereign Lord Jehovah.+
10 All of this is because they have led my people astray by saying, “There is peace!” when there is no peace.+ When a flimsy partition wall is built, they are plastering it with whitewash.’*+
11 “Tell those plastering with whitewash that it will fall. A torrential downpour will come, hailstones* will fall, and powerful windstorms will break it down.+
12 And when the wall falls you will be asked, ‘Where is your coating of plaster?’+
13 “Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord Jehovah says: ‘I will cause powerful windstorms to burst forth in my wrath, and a torrential downpour in my anger, and hailstones in destructive fury.
14 I will tear down the wall that you plastered with whitewash and bring it down to the earth, and its foundation will be exposed. When the city falls, you will perish within her; and you will have to know that I am Jehovah.’
15 “‘When I fully unleash my wrath upon the wall and upon those who plastered it with whitewash, I will say to you: “The wall is no more, and those plastering it are no more.+
16 The prophets of Israel are gone, those who prophesy to Jerusalem and who see visions of peace for her, when there is no peace,”’+ declares the Sovereign Lord Jehovah.
17 “As for you, son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people who fabricate their own prophecies, and prophesy against them.
18 Tell them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord Jehovah says: “Woe to the women who sew together bands for all arms* and make veils for heads of every size in order to hunt down people’s lives!* Are you hunting for the lives* of my people and trying to preserve your own lives?*
19 Will you profane me among my people for handfuls of barley and for scraps of bread,+ putting to death those* who should not die and keeping alive those* who should not live, doing so by your lies to my people, who listen to your lies?”’+
20 “Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord Jehovah says: ‘Here I am against your bands, O women, which you use to hunt down people* as though they were birds, and I will rip them from your arms and release those whom you are hunting down like birds.
21 I will rip away your veils and rescue my people out of your hand, and they will no longer be something for you to catch in the hunt; and you will have to know that I am Jehovah.+
22 For you have disheartened the righteous one with your falsehood+ when I was not causing him distress,* and you have strengthened the hands of the wicked one,+ so that he does not turn back from his bad way and stay alive.+
23 Therefore, you women will no longer see false visions and practice divination;+ and I will rescue my people from your hand, and you will have to know that I am Jehovah.’”
Footnotes
^ Or “who prophesy out of their own heart.”
^ That is, building a weak interior wall and with whitewash trying to make it look strong.
^ Lit., “and you, O hailstones.”
^ That is, magic bands worn around elbows or wrists.
^ Or “souls.”
^ Or “souls.”
^ Or “souls.”
^ Or “the souls.”
^ Or “the souls.”
^ Or “souls.”
^ Or “pain.”
