Ezekiel 13

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

A message from 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, you are to prophesy against the prophets of Israel who right now are busy prophesying. Tell those who make up their own prophecies: Listen 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 God says: Disaster is coming to these foolish prophets who follow their own ideas. They haven't seen anything.

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

Israel, your prophets are like foxes that live in the ruins.

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.

They didn't go and help repair the gaps in the wall that defends the people of Israel so that it would stand secure during the battle on 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.

The visions they see are false, and the prophecies they give are lies. They claim, ‘This is what the Lord says,’ when the Lord didn't send them. Even so they still expect their message to be fulfilled!

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?

Isn't it a false vision that you people saw? Isn't it a prophecy of lies when you announce, ‘This is what the Lord says,’ even though I haven't said anything?

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 God says: Since you've spoken lies and claimed to see false visions, then watch out, because I'm against you, declares the Lord God.

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.

I will punish the prophets who see false visions and give prophecies that are lies. They will not belong to the assembly of my people or be listed in the register of Israelites, and they won't be allowed to enter the country of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord God.

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.

They have deceived my people by saying, ‘We shall have peace,’ when there won't be any peace. It's like they're putting a coat of whitewash on an unstable wall of loose stones that the people have built.

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,

So tell those people whitewashing the wall that it's going to collapse. Rain will come pouring down. I will send hailstones crashing down on it. A windstorm will blow hard against it.

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

Don't you think that when the wall collapses people are going to ask you, ‘What happened to the whitewash you painted it with?’

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.

So this is what the Lord God says: In my furious anger I'm going to send a windstorm, pouring rain, and hailstones to destroy the wall.

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.

I will demolish the wall you whitewashed, knocking it to the ground to reveal its foundations. The city is going to fall, and you're going to be destroyed with it. Then you will know 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,

Once the wall and those who whitewashed it have experienced my anger, I will tell you: The wall is no more, and those who whitewashed it are no more,

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.

those ‘prophets’ of Israel who prophesied to Jerusalem and claimed to have seen a vision of peace for her when there wasn't going to be any peace, declares the Lord God.

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,

Now, son of man, you are to oppose those Israelite women who make up prophecies in their own minds. Prophesy against them

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?

and tell them that this is what the Lord God says: Disaster is coming to the women who sew bracelets of magic charms for their wrists and make veils for all kinds of people to wear as ways to trap and exploit them. Do you think you can trap the lives of my people yet still keep your own?

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.

You have disgraced me among my people for a few handfuls of barley and scraps of bread. By lying to my people who believe in you, you have killed those who shouldn't have died and let others live who shouldn't.

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.

So this is what the Lord God says: Watch out! I condemn the magic charms you use to trap people like birds, and I will rip them off your arms. I will set free those you have trapped.

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.

I will also rip off your veils and rescue my people from your power, so that they will no longer be your victims. Then you will know 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 you have discouraged good people with your lies, even though I didn't have anything against them, and because you have encouraged the wicked that they shouldn't give up from their evil ways to save their lives,

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!”

from now on you won't claim these false visions or practice magic. I will rescue my people from your power. Then you will know that I am the Lord.”