Ezekiel 13
1 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
2 Son of man, be a prophet against the prophets of Israel, and say to those prophets whose words are the invention of their hearts, Give ear to 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 has said: A curse on the foolish prophets who go after the spirit which is in them and 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 O Israel, your prophets have been like jackals in the waste places.
Like foxes among the ruins have been thy prophets, O Israel!
5 You have not gone up into the broken places or made up the wall for the children of Israel to take your place in the fight in 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 have seen visions without substance and made use of secret arts, who say, The Lord has said; and the Lord has not sent them: hoping that the word would have effect.
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 Have you not seen a vision without substance and have you not falsely made use of secret arts, when you say, The Lord has said; though I have said nothing?
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 So this is what the Lord has said: Because your words are without substance and your visions are false, see, I am against you, says the Lord.
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 And my hand will be against the prophets who see visions without substance and who make false use of secret arts: they will not be in the secret of my people, and they will not be recorded in the list of the children of Israel, and they will not come into the land of Israel; and it will be clear to you that I am the Lord.
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, even because they have been guiding my people into error, saying, Peace; when there is no peace; and in the building of a division wall they put whitewash on it:
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 Say to those who put whitewash on it, There will be an overflowing shower; and you, O ice-drops, will come raining down; and it will be broken in two by the storm-wind.
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 And when the wall has come down, will they not say to you, Where is the whitewash which you put on 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 For this reason, the Lord has said: I will have it broken in two by a storm-wind in my passion; and there will be an overflowing shower in my wrath, and you, O ice-drops, will come raining angrily down.
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 So I will let the wall, which you were covering with whitewash, be broken down; I will have it levelled to the earth so that its base is uncovered: it will come down, and destruction will come on you with it; and it will be clear to you 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 So I will let loose my passion on the wall in full measure, and on those who put whitewash on it; and I will say to you, Where is the wall, and where are those who put whitewash on 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 Even the prophets of Israel who say words to Jerusalem, who see visions of peace for her when there is no peace, says the Lord.
[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 And you, son of man, let your face be turned against the daughters of your people, who are acting the part of prophets at their pleasure; be a prophet against them, and say,
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 This is what the Lord has said: A curse is on the women who are stitching bands on all arms and putting veils on the heads of those of every size, so that they may go after souls! Will you go after the souls of my people and keep yourselves safe from death?
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 And you have put me to shame among my people for a little barley and some bits of bread, sending death on souls for whom there is no cause of death, and keeping those souls living who have no right to life, by the false words you say to my people who give ear to what is false.
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 For this cause the Lord has said: See, I am against your bands with which you go after souls, and I will violently take them off their arms; and I will let loose the souls, even the souls whom you go after freely.
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 And I will have your veils violently parted in two, and will make my people free from your hands, and they will no longer be in your power for you to go after them; and you will be certain 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 with your false words you have given pain to the heart of the upright man when I had not made him sad; in order to make strong the hands of the evil-doer so that he may not be turned from his evil way and get life:
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 For this cause you will see no more foolish visions or make false use of secret arts: and I will make my people free from your power; and you will be certain 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.
