Ezekiel 13

1 Yahweh gave me another message. [He said, ]

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

2 “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!

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

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

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

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

5 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.

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 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!

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 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!”

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, 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.

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 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].”

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 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].

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 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.

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

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

13 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.”

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 [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].

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 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.”

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

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

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 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.

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 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.”

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, 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.

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 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].

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 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.

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, 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].” '”

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.'”