Old Testament · Ezekiel

Ezekiel 13

Reproof of False Prophets

(Micah 2:6–11)

1And the word of the LORD came to me, saying: 2"Son of man^a, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who prophesy, and say to those who prophesy out of their own heart: Hear the word of the LORD: 3Thus says the Lord GOD: Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit^b and have seen nothing! 4Like foxes among ruins, your prophets, O Israel, have been. 5You have not gone up into the breaches, nor built up a wall for the house of Israel, to stand in the battle in the day of the LORD.

6They have seen vanity and lying divination, who say, 'The utterance of the LORD,' though the LORD has not sent them; yet they hope to confirm the word.

7Have you not seen a vain vision and spoken a lying divination, while you say: 'The utterance of the LORD,' though I have not spoken?

8Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Because you have spoken vanity and seen lies, therefore, behold, I am against you, the utterance of the Lord GOD. 9And my hand shall be against the prophets who see vanity and who divine lies; in the council of my people they shall not be, and in the register of the house of Israel they shall not be written, and into the ground^c of Israel they shall not come; and you shall know that I am the Lord GOD.

10Because, yes because, they have led my people astray, saying, 'Peace,' when there is no peace; and when one builds a partition, behold, they daub it with whitewash; 11say to those who daub with whitewash, that it shall fall; there shall be an overflowing rain, and you, O great hailstones, shall fall, and a wind of storms shall break forth. 12And behold, when the wall has fallen, shall it not be said to you: 'Where is the daubing with which you daubed?'

13Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: I will cause a wind of storms to break forth in my fury, and there shall be an overflowing rain in my anger, and great hailstones in fury to make an end. 14And I will break down the wall that you daubed with whitewash, and bring it down to the ground, and its foundation shall be uncovered; and it shall fall, and you shall be consumed in its midst; and you shall know that I am the LORD.

15And I will spend my fury upon the wall and upon those who daubed it with whitewash; and I will say to you: The wall is no more, and those who daubed it are no more— 16the prophets of Israel who prophesy concerning Jerusalem, and who see for her a vision of peace, when there is no peace, the utterance of the Lord GOD.

Reproof of False Prophetesses

17And you, son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people, who prophesy out of their own heart; and prophesy against them, 18and say: Thus says the Lord GOD: Woe to the women who sew cushions upon all the joints of the hands, and who make veils for the head of every stature, to hunt souls^d! Will you hunt the souls of my people, and keep souls alive for yourselves? 19And you have profaned me among my people for handfuls of barley and for crumbs of bread, to kill souls that should not die, and to keep alive souls that should not live, by your lying to my people who listen to lies.

20Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I am against your cushions, with which you hunt the souls there like birds; and I will tear them from your arms, and I will let the souls go free, the souls that you hunt like birds. 21And I will tear your veils, and deliver my people out of your hand, and they shall no more be in your hand to be hunted; and you shall know that I am the LORD.

22Because you have disheartened the heart of the righteous with falsehood, whom I had not pained, and strengthened the hands of the wicked, that he should not return from his evil way to keep him alive; 23therefore you shall no more see vanity nor practice divination; and I will deliver my people out of your hand; and you shall know that I am the LORD."