 1 The Word of the Lord came to me saying, 2 Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who prophesy. Say to those who prophesy out of their own hearts, Hear the Word of the Lord: 3 Thus says the Lord God, Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing. 4 O Israel, your prophets are like the foxes in the deserts. 5 You have not gone up into the breaks nor built the wall for the house of Israel so that it might stand in the battle in the day of the Lord. 6 They have seen vanity and lying divination saying, The Lord says. But the Lord has not sent them. But they hoped to confirm their word. 7 Did you not see a vain vision and speak a lying divination? Yet you say, The Lord says, although I have not spoken? 8 Therefore thus says the Lord God: Because you have spoken vanity and seen a lie, therefore, behold, I am against you, says the Lord God. 9 My hand will be against the prophets who see vanity and who divine a lie. They will not be in the council of my people. Nor will they be written in the writing of the house of Israel. Nor will they enter into the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord God. 10 Because they made my people go astray saying, Peace. But there was no peace. He built a wall and others covered it with lime. 11 Say to those who cover with lime, Yes, it will fall. There will be a flooding rain. Hailstones will fall and a stormy wind will break. 12 Behold, when the wall has fallen, will it not be said to you, Where is the covering with which you have covered? 13 Therefore thus says the Lord God: I will break it with a stormy wind in my fury. There will be a flooding rain in my anger and hailstones in fury to destroy it. 14 I will break down the wall that you have covered with lime, and touch it to the ground. Yes, I will bare its base. It will fall and you will be destroyed in her midst. Then you will know that I am the Lord. 15 I will fulfill my wrath on the wall and on those who covered it with lime. I will say to you, The wall is no more. Those who covered are no more. 16 The prophets of Israel who prophesy concerning Jerusalem see visions of peace for her but there is no peace, says the Lord. 17 You, son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people, who prophesy out of their own heart. And prophesy against them, 18 and say, Thus says the Lord God: Woe to those sewing bands to all joints of my hands, and make long veils for the head of every man of stature, to hunt souls. Will you hunt the souls of my people, and will you save alive the souls for yourselves? 19 Will you profane me among my people for handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread, to kill the souls that should not die. And to save alive the souls that should not live, by your lying to my people who listen to lies. 20 Therefore thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am against your bands with which you are hunting the souls there, to make them fly. And I will tear them from your arms, and will let the souls go, the souls which you are hunting, to make them fly. 21 Also I will tear your long veils and deliver my people out of your hand and they will no longer be in your hand to be hunted. Then you will know that I am the Lord. 22 Because with lies you have saddened the heart of the righteous, whom I have not made sad. And have made the hands of the wicked strong, so that he should not turn from his wicked way, by promising him life; 23 Therefore, you shall not see vanity and you shall not divine any divination. I will deliver my people out of your hands. Then you will know that I am the Lord.
|