Ezekiel 13

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

Again, the word of Yahweh came to me, saying,

2 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:

“Son of man, prophesy against the prophets who are prophesying in Israel, and say to those who are prophesying out of their own imaginations, 'Listen to the word of Yahweh.

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

The Lord Yahweh says this: Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit, but who have seen nothing!

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

Israel, your prophets have been like jackals in the wastelands.

5 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.

You have not gone to the breaks in the wall around the house of Israel in order to repair it, in order to resist in battle on the day of Yahweh.

6 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.

The people have false visions and make false predictions, those who say, “Such and such is Yahweh's declaration.” Yahweh has not sent them, but they nevertheless have made people hope that their messages would come true.

7 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.

Have you not had false visions and made false predictions, you who say, “Such and such is Yahweh's declaration” when I myself have not spoken?'

8 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.

Therefore the Lord Yahweh says this, 'Because you have had false visions and have told lies—therefore this is the Lord Yahweh's declaration against you:

9 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.

My hand will be against the prophets who have lying visions and who make false predictions. They will not be in the assembly of my people, or enrolled in the record of the house of Israel; they must not go to the land of Israel. For you will know that I am the Lord Yahweh!

10 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.

Because of this, and because they led my people astray and said, “Peace!” when there is no peace, they are building a wall that they will paint with whitewash.'

11 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.

Say to those who are whitewashing the wall, 'It will fall down; there will be a downpour of rain, and I will send hailstones to make it fall down, and a windstorm wind to break it down.

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

See, the wall will fall down. Have others not said to you, “Where is the whitewash that you put on it?”

13 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.

Therefore the Lord Yahweh says this: I will bring a windstorm in my rage, and there will be floods of rain in my wrath! Hailstones in my rage will completely destroy it.

14 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.

For I will tear down the wall that you have covered with whitewash, and I will demolish it to the ground and lay bare its foundations. So it will fall, and you will be annihilated in the middle of it all. Then you will know that I am Yahweh.

15 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;

For I will annihilate in my fury the wall and those who whitewashed it. I will say to you, “The wall exists no more, nor do the people who whitewashed it—

16 [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.

the prophets of Israel who prophesied about Jerusalem and who had visions of peace for her. But there is no peace!—this is the Lord Yahweh's declaration.”'

17 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,

So you, son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people who prophesy out of their own minds, and prophesy against them.

18 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?

Say, 'The Lord Yahweh says this: Woe to the women who sew magic charms onto every part of their hand and make veils for their heads of every size, used to hunt down people. Will you hunt down my people but save your own lives?

19 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!

You have profaned me among my people for handfuls of barley and crumbs of bread, to kill people who should not die, and to preserve the lives of those who should not continue to live, because of your lies to my people who heard you.

20 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.]

Therefore the Lord Yahweh says this: I am against the magic charms that you have used to ensnare the people's lives as if they were birds. Indeed, I will tear them from your arms; and the people whom you have trapped like birds—I will let them go free.

21 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.

I will tear away your veils and rescue my people from your hand, so they will no longer be trapped in your hands. You will know that I am Yahweh.

22 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.

Because you discourage the heart of the righteous person with lies, even though I did not desire his discouragement, and because you encourage instead the actions of the wicked person so that he will not turn from his way to save his life—

23 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.

therefore you will no longer have false visions or continue to make predictions, for I will rescue my people out of your hand. You will know that I am Yahweh.'”