Ezekiel 13

A Flimsy Wall Daubed with Whitewash

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Against the Prophets Who Follow Their Own Heart

13:1The Lord’s word came to me, saying,

13:2“Son of man, prophesy against Israel’s prophets; you shall prophesy and say to them, ‘Hear the Lord’s word!

13:3Thus says the Lord: Woe to those who prophesy from their own heart and see nothing at all!

13:4Your prophets, Israel, are like foxes in the wildernesses.

13:5They did not stand in a firm position, and they gathered flocks against the house of Israel. Those saying, ‘On the Lord’s day,’ did not rise.

13:6They see false things and divine vain things, those who say, ‘The Lord says,’ although the Lord has not sent them; and they began to establish a word.

13:7Have you not seen a false vision and spoken vain divinations?

13:8Therefore say, ‘Thus says the Lord: Because your words are false and your divinations vain, therefore behold, I am against you, says the Lord,

13:9and I will stretch out My hand against the prophets who see false things and utter vain things. They will not belong to My people’s instruction, nor be written in the register of the house of Israel, nor enter Israel’s land. They will know that I am the Lord.

The Whitewashed Wall

13:10Because they misled My people, saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ when there was no peace, and this one builds a wall, and they coat it—if it will fall,

13:11say to those coating it, ‘It will fall.’ There will be a flooding downpour, and I will put stones for hurling into their bonds, and they will fall; there will be an upending wind, and it will be split.

13:12And behold, the wall has fallen! Will they not say to you, ‘Where is your coating with which you coated it?’

13:13Therefore thus says the Lord: I will unleash an upending blast with wrath; a flooding downpour will come in My anger, and I will bring the projectile stones in wrath for complete destruction,

13:14and I will tear down the wall you coated, and it will fall. I will lay it upon the ground; its foundations will be uncovered, and it will fall, and you will be brought to an end with rebukes. You will recognize that I am the Lord.

13:15I will complete My wrath upon the wall and those coating it, and it will fall. I said to you, ‘There is no wall, nor those coating it—

13:16the prophets of Israel who prophesy concerning Jerusalem and see peace for her, when there is no peace,’ says the Lord.’

Against the Women Who Prophesy

13:17And you, son of man, set your face firmly against the daughters of your people who prophesy from their own heart, and prophesy against them,

13:18and say, ‘Thus says the Lord: Woe to the women sewing cushions upon every elbow of an arm and making coverings upon every head of every age, to distort lives! The lives of My people were distorted, and they were preserving lives.

13:19They were profaning Me among My people for a handful of barley and scraps of bread, putting to death lives that ought not die and preserving lives that ought not live, as you uttered things to a people listening to vain pronouncements.

13:20Therefore thus says the Lord, the Lord: Behold, I am against your cushions, upon which you entangle lives there. I will tear them from your arms and send the lives out—their lives that you twist away—into dispersion.

13:21I will tear your coverings and rescue My people from your hand. They will no longer be in your hands for entanglement, and you will recognize that I am the Lord.

13:22Because you distorted the righteous person’s heart unjustly, though I was not distorting him, and strengthened the lawless person’s hands so that he does not turn at all from his evil way and live,

13:23therefore you certainly will no longer see false things or divine divinations. I will rescue My people from your hand, and you will know that I am the Lord.’”

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Saints Translation · Liturgical reading edition · V1 · working draft awaiting specialist review.