Ezekiel 13

1The word of Yahweh came to me:

2“Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who are prophesying. Say to those who prophesy out of their own imagination, ‘Hear the word of Yahweh!

3This is what Lord Yahweh says: Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing!

4Your prophets, Israel, have been like foxes among ruins.

5You have not gone up into the breaches or built up a wall around the house of Israel, so that it might stand in the battle on the day of Yahweh.

6They have seen false visions and lying divinations. They say, “Yahweh declares,” when Yahweh has not sent them, and yet they expect him to fulfill their word.

7Have you not seen a false vision and spoken a lying divination, when you say, “Yahweh declares,” though I have not spoken?

8Therefore this is what Lord Yahweh says: Because you have spoken falsehood and seen lying visions, I am against you, declares Lord Yahweh.

9My hand will be against the prophets who see false visions and give lying divinations. They will not belong to the council of my people, they will not be recorded in the register of the house of Israel, and they will not enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am Lord Yahweh.

10Because, yes, because they have led my people astray, saying, “Peace,” when there is no peace, and when someone builds a flimsy wall, they cover it with whitewash,

11say to those who cover it with whitewash that it will fall. A flooding rain will come, and you, great hailstones, will fall, and a violent wind will break out.

12When the wall has fallen, will people not ask you, “Where is the whitewash you covered it with?”

13Therefore this is what Lord Yahweh says: In my wrath I will make a violent wind break out. In my anger there will be a flooding rain, and great hailstones in wrath, to destroy it.

14I will tear down the wall you covered with whitewash and level it to the ground, so that its foundation is laid bare. When it falls, you will be destroyed in it, and you will know that I am Yahweh.

15So I will spend my wrath on the wall and on those who covered it with whitewash, and I will say to you, “The wall is gone, and so are those who covered it with whitewash”—

16the prophets of Israel who prophesied to Jerusalem and saw visions of peace for her when there was no peace, declares Lord Yahweh.’

17As for you, son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people who prophesy out of their own imagination. Prophesy against them,

18and say, ‘This is what Lord Yahweh says: Woe to the women who sew magic bands on every wrist and make veils for the heads of people of every height in order to hunt down lives! Will you hunt down the lives of my people and keep your own lives alive?

19You have profaned me among my people for handfuls of barley and scraps of bread. By lying to my people, who listen to lies, you have put to death people who should not die and kept alive people who should not live.

20Therefore this is what Lord Yahweh says: I am against your magic bands, with which you hunt down lives like birds. I will tear them from your arms and set free the lives that you hunt down like birds.

21I will tear off your veils and rescue my people from your hands, and they will no longer be prey in your hands. Then you will know that I am Yahweh.

22Because you have disheartened the righteous with lies, when I had not caused them grief, and because you have strengthened the hands of the wicked so that they do not turn from their evil way and save their lives,

23therefore you will no longer see false visions or practice divination. I will rescue my people from your hands, and you will know that I am Yahweh.’”