EzekielChapter 13

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¹Then the word of the LORD came to me. He said, ²"Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who are prophesying now. Speak to those who make up prophecies in their own minds. Tell them: Hear the word of the LORD! ³This is what the Lord GOD says: How terrible it will be for the foolish prophets! They follow their own spirit, but they have seen nothing. ⁴Israel, your prophets are like foxes living among ruins. ⁵You did not go up into the broken places in the wall. You did not repair the wall around the house of Israel so that it would stand firm in the battle on the Day of the LORD. ⁶Their visions are false. Their fortune-telling is a lie. They say, 'The LORD says this,' but the LORD did not send them. Yet they expect their message to come true. ⁷Haven't you seen false visions? Haven't you told lying fortunes? You say, 'The LORD says this,' but I have not spoken. ⁸So this is what the Lord GOD says: You have spoken empty words and seen false visions. So I am against you, says the Lord GOD. ⁹My hand will be against the prophets who see false visions and tell lying fortunes. They will not be part of the council of my people. Their names will not be written in the record of the house of Israel. They will not enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord GOD. ¹⁰They have led my people the wrong way. They say, 'Peace,' when there is no peace. When a weak wall is built, they cover it with whitewash. ¹¹So tell those who cover the wall with whitewash that it will fall. Rain will pour down in floods. I will send hailstones crashing down. A windstorm will break out. ¹²When the wall has fallen, people will surely ask you, 'Where is the whitewash you covered it with?' ¹³So this is what the Lord GOD says: In my fury I will let loose a windstorm. In my anger, floods of rain and hail will fall and destroy everything. ¹⁴I will tear down the wall you covered with whitewash. I will knock it flat to the ground, and its foundation will be uncovered. The city will fall, and you will be destroyed inside it. Then you will know that I am the LORD. ¹⁵I will pour out my fury on the wall and on those who covered it with whitewash. Then I will say to you, 'The wall is gone, and so are those who whitewashed it. ¹⁶They were the prophets of Israel who prophesied to Jerusalem. They saw visions of peace for her when there was no peace, says the Lord GOD.' ¹⁷Now, son of man, turn your face against the women of your people who make up prophecies in their own minds. Prophesy against them. ¹⁸Tell them this is what the Lord GOD says: How terrible it will be for the women who sew magic charms for everyone's wrists! They make veils for the heads of people of every size. They do it to trap people's souls. Will you trap the souls of my people and keep your own souls alive? ¹⁹You have dishonored me among my people for a few handfuls of barley and some scraps of bread. You lie to my people, who listen to lies. By doing this, you have killed people who should not have died. And you have kept alive people who should not have lived. ²⁰So this is what the Lord GOD says: Look, I am against your magic charms. You use them to trap souls like birds. I will tear them off your arms. I will set free the souls you have trapped like birds. ²¹I will also tear off your veils. I will rescue my people from your hands. They will no longer be caught in your power. Then you will know that I am the LORD. ²²With your lies you have discouraged people who do what is right, even though I did not cause them sorrow. And you have encouraged the wicked not to turn from their evil ways and save their lives. ²³So you will no longer see false visions or tell fortunes. I will rescue my people from your hands. Then you will know that I am the LORD."