Ezekiel 13

1 Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,

2 “Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who are now prophesying. Tell those who prophesy out of their own imagination: Hear the word of the LORD!

Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel that prophesy, and say thou unto those that prophesy out of their own heart, Hear ye the word of the Lord:

3 This is what the Lord GOD says: Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit, yet have seen nothing.

Thus hath said the Lord Eternal, Woe unto the scandalous prophets, that follow their own spirit, without having seen any thing!

4 Your prophets, O Israel, are like foxes among the ruins.

Like foxes among the ruins have been thy prophets, O Israel!

5 You did not go up to the gaps or restore the wall around the house of Israel so that it would stand in the battle on the Day of the LORD.

Ye did not go up into the breaches, nor did ye make a fence around the house of Israel to stand in the battle on the day of the Lord.

6 They see false visions and speak lying divinations. They claim, ‘Thus declares the LORD,’ when the LORD did not send them; yet they wait for the fulfillment of their message.

They saw falsehood and lying divination, they who say, “The Lord saith,” when the Lord had not sent them; and yet they made others hope for the fulfillment of the word.

7 Haven’t you seen a false vision and spoken a lying divination when you proclaim, ‘Thus declares the LORD,’ even though I have not spoken?

Had ye not seen a false vision, and had ye not said a lying divination? and ye say, “The Lord saith,” when I have not spoken.

8 Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: Because you have uttered vain words and seen false visions, I am against you, declares the Lord GOD.

Therefore thus hath said the Lord Eternal, Whereas ye have spoken falsehood, and have seen lies: therefore, behold, I am against you, saith the Lord Eternal.

9 My hand will be against the prophets who see false visions and speak lying divinations. They will not belong to the council of My people or be recorded in the register of the house of Israel, nor will they enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord GOD.

And my hand shall be against the prophets that see false-hood, and that divine lies; in the secret council of my people shall they not be, and in the register of the house of Israel shall they not be written, and into the land of Israel shall they not come: and ye shall know that I am the Lord Eternal.

10 Because they have led My people astray, saying, ‘Peace,’ when there is no peace, and whitewashing any flimsy wall that is built,

Because, even because they have seduced my people, saying, “Peace,” when there was no peace: and [my people] build a protecting wall, and lo, they plaster it with unadhesive mortar.

11 tell those whitewashing the wall that it will fall. Rain will come in torrents, I will send hailstones plunging down, and a windstorm will burst forth.

Say unto those who plaster it with unadhesive mortar, that it shall fall: there cometh an overflowing rain-shower; and ye, O great hailstones, shall fall; and a storm-wind shall rend it.

12 Surely when the wall has fallen, you will not be asked, ‘Where is the whitewash with which you covered it?’

And, lo, the wall is fallen down; will it not now be said unto you, Where is the plastering wherewith ye have plastered?

13 Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: In My wrath I will release a windstorm, and in My anger torrents of rain and hail will fall with destructive fury.

Therefore thus hath said the Lord Eternal, I will even rend it with storm-winds in my fury; and an overflowing rain-shower shall come in my anger, with great hailstones in my fury to destroy it.

14 I will tear down the wall you whitewashed and level it to the ground, so that its foundation is exposed. The city will fall, and you will be destroyed within it. Then you will know that I am the LORD.

And I will pull down the wall that ye have plastered with unadhesive mortar, and I will cast it down to the ground, so that the foundation thereof shall be laid open; and it shall fall, and ye shall be destroyed in the midst of it: and ye shall know that I am the Lord.

15 And after I have vented My wrath against the wall and against those who whitewashed it, I will say to you: ‘The wall is gone, and so are those who whitewashed it—

Thus will I let out all my wrath upon the wall, and upon those that have plastered it with unadhesive mortar; and I will say unto you, Gone is the wall, and gone are they that plastered it;

16 those prophets of Israel who prophesied to Jerusalem and saw a vision of peace for her when there was no peace, declares the Lord GOD.’

[Namely, ] the prophets of Israel who prophesy concerning Jerusalem, and who see for her a vision of peace, when there is no peace, saith the Lord Eternal.

17 Now, O son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people who prophesy out of their own imagination. Prophesy against them

But, thou son of man, set thy face against the daughters of thy people, who prophesy out of their own heart: and prophesy against them,

18 and tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: Woe to the women who sew magic charms on their wrists and make veils for the heads of people of every height, in order to ensnare their souls. Will you ensnare the souls of My people but preserve your own?

And say, Thus hath said the Lord Eternal, Woe to the women that sew bolsters together for the armpits of all, and make cushions for the head of every stature, to hunt souls! Will ye hunt the souls of my people, that ye may keep your own soul alive?

19 You have profaned Me among My people for handfuls of barley and scraps of bread. By lying to My people who would listen, you have killed those who should not have died and spared those who should not have lived.

And ye profane me among my people for handfuls of barley and for bits of bread, to slay the souls that should not die, and to keep alive the souls that should not live, by your lying to my people that listen to lies!

20 Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: See, I am against the magic charms with which you ensnare souls like birds, and I will tear them from your arms. So I will free the souls you have ensnared like birds.

Therefore thus hath said the Lord Eternal, Behold, I am against your bolsters, whereon ye hunt the souls that they may flutter [in your net], and I will tear them away from your arms; and I will let the souls go free, even the souls that ye hunt that they may flutter [in your net.]

21 I will also tear off your veils and deliver My people from your hands, so that they will no longer be prey in your hands. Then you will know that I am the LORD.

And I will tear away your cushions, and deliver my people out of your hand, and they shall be no more in your hand to be hunted: and ye shall know that I am the Lord.

22 Because you have disheartened the righteous with your lies, even though I have caused them no grief, and because you have encouraged the wicked not to turn from their evil ways to save their lives,

Because ye grieve the heart of the righteous with falsehood, when I have not given him pain; and strengthen the hands of the wicked, so that he should not return from his wicked way, through which he might live.

23 therefore you will no longer see false visions or practice divination. I will deliver My people from your hands. Then you will know that I am the LORD.”

Therefore shall ye see no more falsehood, and tell no more divinations; and I will deliver my people out of your hand: and ye shall know that I am the Lord.