Ezekiel 13:1-23

YAHWEH spoke to me, saying, “Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who claim to speak for me but are prophesying out of their own imagination. Say to them: ‘Listen, you lying prophets, to the words of YAHWEH, for the Lord YAHWEH has a message for you. “ ‘Disaster is in store for the wicked prophets who make up their own visions, but they have seen and heard nothing! Israel, your prophets have been like scavengers prowling among the city ruins. They have not denounced the people’s sin or warned them of trouble coming so that Israel might stand up in battle on the day of YAHWEH. Their visions are phony and their prophecies of what is coming are lies. They say, “YAHWEH says,” when I, YAHWEH, did not send them with my message, and yet they actually expect me to fulfill their words! Have you not seen false visions and prophesied false prophecies of the future? You declare: “This is what YAHWEH says,” when I had not spoken. “ ‘Therefore, Lord YAHWEH says to you: Because you have spoken your false prophecies and lying visions, behold, I am against you, says Lord YAHWEH. I will punish the false prophets who see false visions and speak lies about what they see coming in the future. They will no longer belong to my council of elders, nor will their names be inscribed in the register of the people of Israel, nor will they ever return to the land of Israel. And then the people will know for sure that I am Lord YAHWEH! “ ‘For in truth, they have gravely misled my people, saying, “Everything is fine,” when devastation is at hand. When the false build a “wall of words” they cover it with the whitewash of their lies. Prophesy to those who do so that their wall will fall! For I will send a stormy wind that will break loose with a deluge of rain and great hailstones. And down will come the wall! When it crumbles, will not the people say to you, “Where’s that whitewashed wall of yours now?” “ ‘Therefore this is what I, Lord YAHWEH, say to you: My anger will break forth as a windstorm and my wrath will break loose like a torrential rain, and I will send great hailstones to destroy your wall! Yes, I will level this plastered wall to the ground and lay bare its flimsy foundation. And when it crumbles, you, too, will crumble and perish. And then you will realize that I am YAHWEH! “ ‘For then my wrath will be spent against the wall and upon those who have smeared it with plaster. And I will say to you, “The wall is gone, and so are those who smeared plaster over it. Those prophets of Israel who prophesied that Jerusalem would be fine, when devastation was near, will be no more!” For I, Lord YAHWEH, have spoken.’ ” “As for you, son of man, prophesy against the women of your people, who are witches masquerading as prophets. For they prophesy out of their own imagination. Prophesy against them and say, ‘Hear what Lord YAHWEH says to you: You women are doomed who sew magic bands on their wrists and make veils of varying sizes for their heads in order to ensnare the lives of people, young and old. Do you think you can get away with entrapping the lives of my people and still preserve your own lives? You have dishonored my name among my people for a few handfuls of barley and a few pieces of bread. You put to death people who should not have died and kept alive people who should not have lived, because you lied to my people, and they listened to your lies! “ ‘Therefore I, Lord YAHWEH, say to you: I am against your wristbands with which you ensnare people’s souls. I will tear them from your arms! And I will let your victims go free, those whom you hunt down like birds. I will rip off your scarves and deliver my people from your hands. They will no longer be trapped by your power, and then you will know for sure that I am YAHWEH. By your lies you have made righteous people greatly discouraged (although I have not discouraged them). And by your lies you have encouraged the wicked not to repent from their wicked ways and save their lives. Therefore you will no longer conjure up false visions or practice witchcraft. I will rescue my people from your deceptive power. And then you will know without a doubt that I am YAHWEH.’ ”