The Lord punishes those who pretend to be true prophets
1A message from the LORD came to me. The LORD said,2‘Son of man, prophesy against those who are now prophesying in Israel. What they prophesy comes out of their own minds. Tell them, “Listen to the LORD’s message!3The LORD and King says, ‘How terrible it will be for you foolish prophets! You say what your own minds tell you to. Your visions do not come from me.4Israel, your prophets are like wild dogs that live among broken-down buildings.5You have not repaired the cracks in the city wall for the people of Israel. So it will not stand firm in the battle on the day I judge you.6The visions of those prophets are false. They use magic to try to find out what is going to happen. But their magic tricks are lies. They say, “The LORD announces.” But I have not sent them. In spite of that, they expect him to make their words come true.7You prophets have seen false visions. You have used magic to try to find out what is going to happen. But your magic tricks are lies. So you lied when you said, “The LORD announces.” I did not even speak to you at all.’8‘ “The LORD and King says, ‘I am against you prophets. Your messages are false. Your visions do not come true,’ announces the LORD and King.9‘Israel, my power will be against the prophets who see false visions. Their magic tricks are lies. They will not be among the leaders of my people. They will not be listed in the records of Israel. In fact, they will not even enter the land. Then you will know that I am the LORD and King.10‘ “ ‘They lead my people away from me. They say, “Peace”. But there isn’t any peace. They are like people who build a weak wall. They try to cover up the weakness by painting the wall white.11Tell those who do this that their wall is going to fall. Heavy rains will come. I will send hailstones crashing down. Powerful winds will blow.12The wall will fall down. Then people will ask them, “Now where is the paint you covered it with?” ’13‘ “So the LORD and King speaks. He says, ‘When I am very angry, I will send a powerful wind. Hailstones and heavy rains will come. They will fall with great force.14I will tear down the wall you prophets painted over. I will knock it down. The only thing left will be its foundation. When it falls, you will be destroyed along with it. Then you will know that I am the LORD.15So I will pour out all my great anger on the wall. I will also send it against you prophets who painted it. I will say to you, “The wall is gone. You who painted it will be gone too.16You prophets of Israel prophesied to Jerusalem. You saw visions of peace for its people. But there wasn’t any peace,” announces the LORD and King.’ ”17‘Son of man, turn your attention to the daughters of your people. What they prophesy comes out of their own minds. So prophesy against them.18Tell them, “Here is what the LORD and King says. ‘How terrible it will be for you women who sew magic charms to put around your wrists! You make veils of different lengths to put on your heads. You do these things to trap people. You trap my people. But you will also be trapped.19You have treated me as if I were not holy. You did it among my very own people. You did it for a few handfuls of barley and scraps of bread. You told lies to my people. They like to listen to lies. You killed those who should have lived. And you spared those who should have died.’20‘ “So the LORD and King says, ‘I am against your magic charms. You use them to trap people as if they were birds. I will tear them off your arms. I will set free the people you trap like birds.21I will tear your veils off your heads. I will save my people from your power. They will no longer be under your control. Then you will know that I am the LORD.22I had not made godly people sad. But when you told them lies, you made them lose all hope. You advised sinful people not to turn from their evil ways. You did not want them to save their lives.23So you will never see false visions again. You will not use your magic tricks anymore. I will save my people from your power. Then you will know that I am the LORD.’ ” ’
Ezekiel 13
English Standard Version
False Prophets Condemned
1The word of the Lord came to me:2“Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel, who are prophesying, and say to those who prophesy from their own hearts: ‘Hear the word of the Lord!’ (Jer 23:16; Jer 23:26; Eze 2:1; Eze 13:17)3Thus says the Lord God, Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing!4Your prophets have been like jackals among ruins, O Israel.5You have not gone up into the breaches, or built up a wall for the house of Israel, that it might stand in battle in the day of the Lord. (Ps 80:12; Ps 106:23; Isa 5:5; Isa 58:12; Eze 22:30)6They have seen false visions and lying divinations. They say, ‘Declares the Lord,’ when the Lord has not sent them, and yet they expect him to fulfill their word. (Jer 5:31; Jer 14:14; Eze 12:24; Eze 13:23; Eze 21:29; Eze 22:28)7Have you not seen a false vision and uttered a lying divination, whenever you have said, ‘Declares the Lord,’ although I have not spoken?” (Jer 23:21)8Therefore thus says the Lord God: “Because you have uttered falsehood and seen lying visions, therefore behold, I am against you, declares the Lord God. (Jer 21:13; Eze 5:8; Eze 21:3; Eze 26:3; Eze 28:22; Eze 29:3; Eze 30:22; Eze 34:10; Eze 35:3; Eze 38:3)9My hand will be against the prophets who see false visions and who give lying divinations. They shall not be in the council of my people, nor be enrolled in the register of the house of Israel, nor shall they enter the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the Lord God. (Ezr 2:59; Ezr 2:62; Ne 7:5; Ps 69:28; Ps 87:6; Eze 6:7; Eze 20:38)10Precisely because they have misled my people, saying, ‘Peace,’ when there is no peace, and because, when the people build a wall, these prophets smear it with whitewash,[1] (Jer 6:14; Eze 13:16; Eze 22:28; Mic 3:5)11say to those who smear it with whitewash that it shall fall! There will be a deluge of rain, and you, O great hailstones, will fall, and a stormy wind break out. (Isa 28:2; Isa 28:17; Isa 30:13; Eze 38:22)12And when the wall falls, will it not be said to you, ‘Where is the coating with which you smeared it?’13Therefore thus says the Lord God: I will make a stormy wind break out in my wrath, and there shall be a deluge of rain in my anger, and great hailstones in wrath to make a full end. (Eze 13:11)14And I will break down the wall that you have smeared with whitewash, and bring it down to the ground, so that its foundation will be laid bare. When it falls, you shall perish in the midst of it, and you shall know that I am the Lord. (Eze 6:7)15Thus will I spend my wrath upon the wall and upon those who have smeared it with whitewash, and I will say to you, The wall is no more, nor those who smeared it,16the prophets of Israel who prophesied concerning Jerusalem and saw visions of peace for her, when there was no peace, declares the Lord God. (Eze 13:10)17“And you, son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people, who prophesy out of their own hearts. Prophesy against them (Ex 15:20; Jud 4:4; 2Ki 22:14; Eze 6:2; Eze 13:2)18and say, Thus says the Lord God: Woe to the women who sew magic bands upon all wrists, and make veils for the heads of persons of every stature, in the hunt for souls! Will you hunt down souls belonging to my people and keep your own souls alive? (Eze 13:20; Eze 13:21)19You have profaned me among my people for handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread, putting to death souls who should not die and keeping alive souls who should not live, by your lying to my people, who listen to lies. (Pr 28:21; Mic 3:5)20“Therefore thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am against your magic bands with which you hunt the souls like birds, and I will tear them from your arms, and I will let the souls whom you hunt go free, the souls like birds. (Eze 13:8; Eze 13:18)21Your veils also I will tear off and deliver my people out of your hand, and they shall be no more in your hand as prey, and you shall know that I am the Lord. (Eze 6:7; Eze 34:10)22Because you have disheartened the righteous falsely, although I have not grieved him, and you have encouraged the wicked, that he should not turn from his evil way to save his life, (Jer 14:14; Jer 23:14; Jer 28:15; Eze 18:21)23therefore you shall no more see false visions nor practice divination. I will deliver my people out of your hand. And you shall know that I am the Lord.” (Eze 13:6; Eze 13:9)