Ezekiel 13

1 And there is a word of YHWH to me, saying,

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

2 “Son of man, prophesy concerning the prophets of Israel who are prophesying, and you have said to those prophesying from their own heart, Hear a word of YHWH!

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;

3 Thus said Lord YHWH: Woe to the prophets who are foolish, Who are going after their own spirit, And they have seen nothing.

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!

4 Your prophets have been As foxes in the wasteland, O Israel.

O Israel, your prophets have been like jackals in the waste places.

5 You have not gone up into breaches, Nor do you make a wall for the house of Israel, To stand in battle in a day of YHWH.

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.

6 They have seen vanity, and lying divination, Who are saying: A declaration of YHWH, And YHWH has not sent them, And they have hoped to establish a word.

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.

7 Have you not seen a vain vision, And spoken a lying divination, When you say, A declaration of YHWH, And I have not spoken?

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?

8 Therefore, thus said Lord YHWH: Because you have spoken vanity, and seen a lie, Therefore, behold, I [am] against you, A declaration of Lord YHWH.

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.

9 And My hand has been on the prophets, Who are seeing vanity, and who are divining a lie, They are not in the assembly of My people, And they are not written in the writing of the house of Israel, And they do not come to the ground of Israel, And you have known that I [am] Lord YHWH.

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.

10 Because, even because, they caused My people to err, Saying, Peace! And there is no peace, And that one is building a wall, And behold, they are coating it with chalk.

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:

11 Say to those coating with chalk—It falls, There has been an overflowing shower, And you, O hailstones, fall, And a turbulent wind breaks out,

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.

12 And behold, the wall has fallen! Does one not say to you, Where [is] the coating that you coated?

And when the wall has come down, will they not say to you, Where is the whitewash which you put on it?

13 Therefore, thus said Lord YHWH: I have broken with a turbulent wind in My fury, And an overflowing shower is in My anger, And hailstones in My fury—to consume.

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.

14 And I have broken down the wall that you coated with chalk, And have caused it to come to the earth, And its foundation has been revealed, And it has fallen, And you have been consumed in its midst, And you have known that I [am] YHWH.

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.

15 And I have completed My wrath on the wall, And on those coating it with chalk, And I say to you: The wall is not, And those coating it are not,

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?

16 [These]—the prophets of Israel, who are prophesying concerning Jerusalem, And who are seeing a vision of peace for her, And there is no peace, A declaration of Lord YHWH.

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.

17 And you, son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people, who are prophesying out of their own heart, and prophesy concerning them,

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,

18 And you have said, Thus said Lord YHWH: Woe to those sowing [magic] bands for all joints of the arm, And to those making the veils For the head of every stature—to hunt souls, Do you hunt the souls of My people? And do your souls that live remain alive?

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?

19 Indeed, you pierce Me concerning My people, For handfuls of barley, And for pieces of bread, To put to death souls that should not die, And to keep alive souls that should not live, By your lying to My people—listening to lies.

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.

20 Therefore, thus said Lord YHWH: Behold, I [am] against your [magic] bands, With which you are hunting there the souls of the flourishing, And I have torn them from off your arms, And have sent away the souls that you are hunting, The souls of the flourishing.

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.

21 And I have torn your veils, And delivered My people out of your hand, And they are no longer for a prey in your hand, And you have known that I [am] YHWH.

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.

22 Because of paining the heart of the righteous with falsehood, And I have not pained it, And strengthening the hands of the wicked, So as not to turn [him] back from his evil way, To keep him alive,

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:

23 Therefore, you do not see vanity, And you do not divine divination again, And I have delivered My people out of your hand, And you have known that I [am] YHWH!”

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.