Ezekiel 13

¹The word of the Lord came to me:

²Son 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!

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.

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 .

⁷Have you not seen a false vision and uttered a lying divination , whenever you have said , Declares the Lord, although I have not spoken ?

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.

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.

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 ,

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 .

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 .

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.

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.

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

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 ?

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 .

²⁰Therefore 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 .

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.

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 ,

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.