Ezekiel 13

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 The word of Yahweh was addressed to me as follows,	1 Thus the word of the LORD came to me:
2 'Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel; prophesy, and say to those who make upprophecies out of their own heads, "Hear what Yahweh says:	2 Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel, prophesy! Say to those who prophesy their own thought: Hear the word of the LORD:
3 The Lord Yahweh says this: Disaster is in store for the foolish prophets who fol ow their own spirit andhave seen nothing!	3 Thus says the Lord GOD: Woe to those prophets who are fools, who follow their own spirit and have seen no vision.
4 Your prophets, Israel, are like ruin-haunting jackals!	4 Like foxes among ruins are your prophets, O Israel!
5 "You have not ventured into the breach; you have not built up the wal round the House of Israel, tohold fast in battle on the Day of Yahweh.	5 You did not step into the breach, nor did you build a wall about the house of Israel that would stand firm against attack on the day of the LORD.
6 Theirs are futile visions and false predictions, who say: A prophecy from Yahweh, when Yahweh hasnot sent them; yet they expect their words to come true.	6 Their visions are false and their divination lying. They say, "Thus says the LORD!" though the LORD did not send them; then they wait for him to fulfill their word!
7 Have not the visions you see been futile, have not the predictions you make been false, although yousay: A prophecy of Yahweh, when I have not spoken?	7 Was not the vision you saw false, and your divination lying?
8 "Very wel , the Lord Yahweh says this: Because of your futile words and false predictions, I am nowagainst you -- declares Lord Yahweh.	8 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Because you have spoken falsehood and have seen lying visions, therefore see! I am coming at you, says the Lord GOD.
9 My hand wil be against the prophets who have futile visions and give false predictions; they will not beadmitted to the council of my people, their names wil not be entered in the roll of the House of Israel, they willnot set foot on the soil of Israel; and they wil know that I am the Lord Yahweh.	9 But I will stretch out my hand against the prophets who have false visions and who foretell lies. They shall not belong to the community of my people, nor be recorded in the register of the house of Israel, nor enter the land of Israel; thus you shall know that I am the LORD.
10 This is because they have misled my people by saying Peace! when there is no peace. When mypeople were repairing a wal , these men came and plastered it over!	10 For the very reason that they led my people astray, saying, "Peace!" when there was no peace, and that, as one built a wall, they would cover it with whitewash,
11 Tel these plasterers: It will rain hard, it wil hail, it wil blow a gale,	11 say then to the whitewashers: I will bring down a flooding rain; hailstones shall fall, and a stormwind shall break out.
12 and down wil come the wal ! Will not people ask you: What has become of the plaster you slappedon it?	12 And when the wall has fallen, will you not be asked: Where is the whitewash you spread on?
13 Wel then, the Lord Yahweh says this: I am going to unleash a stormy wind in my fury, torrential rainin my anger, hailstones in my destructive fury,	13 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: In my fury I will let loose stormwinds; because of my anger there shall be a flooding rain, and hailstones shall fall with destructive wrath.
14 and I shal shatter the wal you plastered and knock it down and lay its foundations bare. It wil faland you wil perish under it; then you wil know that I am Yahweh."	14 I will tear down the wall that you have whitewashed and level it to the ground, laying bare its foundations. When it falls, you shall be crushed beneath it; thus you shall know that I am the LORD.
15 'When I have sated my anger on the wal and those who plastered it, I shall say to you, "The wal isgone, and so are those who plastered over it,	15 When I have spent my fury on the wall and its whitewashers, I tell you there shall be no wall, nor shall there be whitewashers--
16 the prophets of Israel who prophesy about Jerusalem and have visions of peace for her when there isno peace -- declares the Lord Yahweh."	16 those prophets of Israel who prophesied to Jerusalem and saw for it visions of peace when there was no peace, says the Lord GOD.
17 'Also, son of man, turn to the women of your people who make up prophecies out of their own heads;prophesy against them.	17 Now, son of man, turn toward the daughters of your people who prophesy their own thoughts; against these, prophesy: Thus says the Lord GOD:
18 Say, "The Lord Yahweh says this: Disaster is in store for women who sew ribbons round each wristand make head-cloths for people of al sizes, in their hunt for souls! Are you to hunt the souls of my people andkeep your own souls safe?	18 Woe to those who sew bands for everyone's wrists and make veils for every size of head so as to entrap their owners. Do you think to entrap the lives of my people, yet keep yourselves alive?
19 You dishonour me in front of my people for a few handfuls of barley, a few bits of bread, kil ing thosewho ought not to die and sparing those who ought not to live, lying to my people who love listening to lies.	19 You dishonor me before my people with handfuls of barley and crumbs of bread, killing those who should not die and keeping alive those who should not live, lying to my people who willingly hear lies.
20 "Very wel , the Lord Yahweh says this: Look, I am now against your ribbons, with which you huntsouls like birds, and I shal tear them off your arms and free those souls whom you hunt like birds.	20 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: See! I am coming at those bands of yours in which you entrap men's lives: I will tear them from their arms and set free those you have caught.
21 I shal tear your head-cloths to pieces and rescue my people from your clutches; no longer wil theybe fair game for you to ensnare. Then you wil know that I am Yahweh.	21 I will tear off your veils and rescue my people from your power, so that they shall no longer be prey to your hands. Thus you shall know that I am the LORD.
22 "For having intimidated with lies the heart of the upright whom I had done nothing to alarm, and forhaving encouraged the wicked not to give up wicked ways and so be saved,	22 Because you have disheartened the upright man with lies when I did not wish him grieved, and have encouraged the wicked man not to turn from his evil conduct and save his life;
23 very well, you wil have no more futile visions and make no more predictions, for I shal rescue mypeople from your clutches, and you will know that I am Yahweh." '	23 therefore you shall no longer see false visions and practice divination, but I will rescue my people from your power. Thus you shall know that I am the LORD.