13Ezekiel 13

Prophecy against False Male Prophets

1The Lord spoke to me.Select Ezekiel 13:1

2“Mortal man,” he said, “denounce the prophets of Israel who make up their own prophecies. Tell them to listen to the word of the Lord.”Select Ezekiel 13:2

3This is what the Sovereign Lord says: “These foolish prophets are doomed! They provide their own inspiration and invent their own visions.Select Ezekiel 13:3

4People of Israel, your prophets are as useless as foxes living among the ruins of a city.Select Ezekiel 13:4

5They don't guard the places where the walls have crumbled, nor do they rebuild the walls, and so Israel cannot be defended when war comes on the day of the Lord.Select Ezekiel 13:5

6Their visions are false, and their predictions are lies. They claim that they are speaking my message, but I have not sent them. Yet they expect their words to come true!Select Ezekiel 13:6

7I tell them: Those visions you see are false, and the predictions you make are lies. You say that they are my words, but I haven't spoken to you!”Select Ezekiel 13:7

8So the Sovereign Lord says to them, “Your words are false, and your visions are lies. I am against you.Select Ezekiel 13:8

9I am about to punish you prophets who have false visions and make misleading predictions. You will not be there when my people gather to make decisions; your names will not be included in the list of the citizens of Israel; you will never return to your land. Then you will know that I am the Sovereign Lord.Select Ezekiel 13:9

10“The prophets mislead my people by saying that all is well. All is certainly not well! My people have put up a wall of loose stones, and then the prophets have come and covered it with whitewash.Select Ezekiel 13:10

11Tell the prophets that their wall is going to fall down. I will send a pouring rain. Hailstones will fall on it, and a strong wind will blow against it.Select Ezekiel 13:11

12The wall will collapse, and everyone will ask you what good the whitewash did.”Select Ezekiel 13:12

13Now this is what the Sovereign Lord says: “In my anger I will send a strong wind, pouring rain, and hailstones to destroy the wall.Select Ezekiel 13:13

14I intend to break down the wall they whitewashed, to shatter it, and to leave the foundation stones bare. It will collapse and kill you all. Then everyone will know that I am the Lord.Select Ezekiel 13:14

15“The wall and those who covered it with whitewash will feel the force of my anger. Then I will tell you that the wall is gone and so are those who whitewashed it—Select Ezekiel 13:15

16those prophets who assured Jerusalem that all was well, when all was not well!” The Sovereign Lord has spoken.Select Ezekiel 13:16

Prophecy against False Female Prophets

17The Lord said, “Now, mortal man, look at the women among your people who make up predictions. Denounce themSelect Ezekiel 13:17

18and tell them what the Sovereign Lord is saying to them: “You women are doomed! You sew magic wristbands for everyone and make magic scarves for everyone to wear on their heads, so that they can have power over other people's lives. You want to possess the power of life and death over my people and to use it for your own benefit.Select Ezekiel 13:18

19You dishonor me in front of my people in order to get a few handfuls of barley and a few pieces of bread. You kill people who don't deserve to die, and you keep people alive who don't deserve to live. So you tell lies to my people, and they believe you.”Select Ezekiel 13:19

20Now this is what the Sovereign Lord says: “I hate the wristbands that you use in your attempt to control life and death. I will rip them off your arms and set free the people that you were controlling.Select Ezekiel 13:20

21I will rip off your scarves and let my people escape from your power once and for all. Then you will know that I am the Lord.Select Ezekiel 13:21

22“By your lies you discourage good people, whom I do not wish to hurt. You prevent evil people from giving up evil and saving their lives.Select Ezekiel 13:22

23So now your false visions and misleading predictions are over. I am rescuing my people from your power, so that you will know that I am the Lord.”Select Ezekiel 13:23