Ezekiel 13

1 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:

Yahweh gave me another message. [He said, ]

2 “Son of man, prophesy to the prophets of Israel who are prophesying, and you shall say to those who prophesy from their own heart: Hear the word of the Lord:

“You human, [a warning] against the prophets in Israel who are prophesying. Some of them are prophesying things that they themselves have imagined/thought. Say to them: 'Listen to what Yahweh says!

3 Thus says the Lord God: Woe to the foolish prophets, who are following their own spirit, and who see nothing.

He says, “Terrible things will happen to those wicked prophets who proclaim their own ideas and have not seen [visions from me].

4 Your prophets, O Israel, were like foxes in the deserts.

You Israeli people, your prophets [as useless] as [SIM] jackals/wolves [that only dig] through the [of a city].

5 You have not gone up against the adversary, and you have not established a wall for the house of Israel, so as to stand in battle on the day of the Lord.

Those prophets have not helped you Israeli people [MTY] to repair the places where [city] walls have (been broken/crumbled). That needs to be done in order that the walls will be strong at the time when I, Yahweh, [allow your enemies] to attack you.

6 They see emptiness, and they foretell falsehoods, saying, ‘The Lord says,’ though the Lord has not sent them. And they continued to affirm what they said.

The visions and prophecies of those prophets are false. They say, 'Yahweh told me this,' but I have not sent [to you to be my prophets]. But they expect that what they prophesy will truly happen!

7 Have you not seen a futile vision and spoken a lying divination? And yet you say, ‘The Lord says,’ though I have not spoken.

They say that they have seen visions, but those visions are false, and the things that they prophesy are lies [RHQ]. They say, 'Yahweh told me this,' but I have told them nothing!”

8 Because of this, thus says the Lord God: Since you have spoken emptiness and have seen falsehoods, therefore: behold, I am against you, says the Lord God.

Therefore, this is what I, Yahweh the Lord, say: “Because you prophets have said what is false, and because your visions are lies, I am opposed to you.

9 And my hand will be over the prophets who are seeing emptiness and divining lies. They shall not be in the council of my people, and they shall not be written in the writing of the house of Israel. Neither shall they enter into the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the Lord God.

I will strike/punish all you prophets who falsely say that you have seen visions and prophesy things that are lies. You will not have any place among my people, your names will not be listed in the records of the Israeli people, and you will never return to Israel. Then you will know that I, Yahweh, [have the power to do what I say that I will do].”

10 For they have deceived my people, saying, ‘Peace,’ and there is no peace. And they have built a wall, but they have covered it in clay without straw.

They deceive my people, saying “Things will go well for us,” when things will not go well. [It as though] [MET] the people have built a shaky/weak wall, and the prophets cover it with (whitewash/white paint) [to make people think that it is a very strong wall].

11 Say to those who spread mortar without mixing, that it will fall apart. For there will be an inundating rain, and I will cause full-grown hailstones to rush down from above, and a windstorm to dissipate it.

So, tell those prophets who cover the wall with whitewash that the wall will surely fall down. It will rain very hard. I will send big hailstones to fall. Very strong winds will blow against it.

12 So then, behold: when the wall has fallen, will it not be said to you: ‘Where is the mortar with which you covered it?’

When the wall falls down, the people will certainly say to those prophets, “The white paint certainly did not [RHQ] make the wall strong!”

13 Because of this, thus says the Lord God: And I will cause a violent wind to burst forth in my indignation, and there will be an inundating rain in my fury, and great hailstones in wrath, to consume.

So this is what I, Yahweh the Lord, say: “Because I am very angry with you, [I will send enemy armies to destroy Jerusalem. It will be as though] [MET] I will send a very strong wind and hailstones and very heavy rains to destroy you.”

14 And I will destroy the wall that you have covered without tempering it. And I will level it to the ground, and its foundation will be revealed. And it will fall and be consumed in its midst. And you shall know that I am the Lord.

[The false prophecies of your prophets are like] [MET] a wall that they have covered with whitewash, but I will break it down, and shatter it down to the ground, with the result that people can see its foundations. When the wall collapses, you also will be killed, and everyone will know that I, Yahweh, [have the power to do what I say that I will do].

15 And I will fulfill my indignation against the wall, and against those who cover it without mixing the mortar, and I will say to you: The wall is no more, and those who covered it are no more:

In that way I will show that I am very angry [the people who built] the wall and those who covered it with (whitewash/white paint). Then I will say to you, “The wall is destroyed/gone, and those prophets who put (whitewash/white paint) on it have been killed.”

16 the prophets of Israel, who prophesy to Jerusalem, and who see visions of peace for her when there is no peace, says the Lord God.

Those are the prophets who prophesied that things would go well for the people in Jerusalem, when things would not go well for them.

17 And as for you, son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people, who prophesy from their own heart. And prophesy about them,

So, you human, show that you are angry with [IDM] the women of Jerusalem who prophesy things that they themselves have imagined.

18 and say: Thus says the Lord God: Woe to those who sew together little pillows under every forearm, and who make little cushions for the heads of every stage of life, in order to capture souls. And when they have seized the souls of my people, they became the life of their souls.

Tell them, “This is what Yahweh the Lord says: Terrible things will happen to you women who fasten magic charms on your wrists and make veils of various sizes to put on your heads in order to deceive the people. [You think that] [RHQ] you will deceive [by telling them that you know what will happen in the future], and that you will save your own lives.

19 And they violated me among my people, for the sake of a handful of barley and a fragment of bread, so that they would kill the souls that should not die, and enliven the souls that should not live, lying to my people who believe in falsehoods.

You dishonored [by telling lies] in order to get from my people a few handfuls of barley and a few pieces of bread. My people listen to lies; and you women who are lying to them have caused to be killed people who did not deserve to die and have (spared/allowed to remain alive) those who should not continue to live.”

20 Because of this, thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am against your little pillows, with which you catch flying souls. And I will tear them away from your arms. And I will release the souls that you are capturing, the souls that should fly.

Therefore, this is what I, Yahweh the Lord, [to those women]: “I detest your magic charms by which you deceive people like [SIM] [people trap] birds. I will tear those charms off your wrists, and I will cause the people whom you have deceived to no longer be deceived by you.

21 And I will tear away your little cushions. And I will free my people from your hand. And they shall no longer be a prey in your hands. And you shall know that I am the Lord.

I will also tear off your veils and rescue my people from continuing to be deceived by you, and they will no longer be under your control. Then you will know that I, Yahweh, [have the power to do what I say that I will do].

22 For by deception you have caused the heart of the just to grieve, whom I would not sadden. And I have strengthened the hands of the impious, so that he would not be turned back from his evil way and live.

You have discouraged righteous people by telling them lies when I did not [do things to] cause them to be sad. And you have encouraged wicked people to not turn away from their wicked behavior; if they had done that, they would have continued to remain alive.

23 Therefore, you shall not see emptiness, and you shall not divine divinations, any more. And I will rescue my people from your hand. And you shall know that I am the Lord.”

Therefore, you will no longer falsely say that you have seen visions or tell people what will happen in the future [in order to please them]. I will rescue my people from being deceived by you. And then you will know that I, Yahweh, [have the power to do what I say that I will do].” '”