Ezekiel 13

¹ The word of Yahweh was addressed to me as follows,

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:

³ The Lord Yahweh says this: Disaster is in store for the foolish prophets who fol ow their own spirit andhave seen nothing!

⁴ Your prophets, Israel, are like ruin-haunting jackals!

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.

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.

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?

⁸ "Very wel , the Lord Yahweh says this: Because of your futile words and false predictions, I am nowagainst you -- declares Lord Yahweh.

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.

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!

¹¹ Tel these plasterers: It will rain hard, it wil hail, it wil blow a gale,

¹² and down wil come the wal ! Will not people ask you: What has become of the plaster you slappedon it?

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,

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."

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,

¹⁶ the prophets of Israel who prophesy about Jerusalem and have visions of peace for her when there isno peace -- declares the Lord Yahweh."

¹⁷ 'Also, son of man, turn to the women of your people who make up prophecies out of their own heads;prophesy against them.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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,

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." '