Open English Translation EZE Chapter 13

13 Then Yahweh gave me another message: 2 “Humanity’s child, prophesy against the prophets who are prophesying in Yisrael, and tell those who are prophesying out of their own imaginations, ‘Listen to Yahweh’s message. 3 My master Yahweh says this: ‘Foolish prophets who follow their own spirit and haven’t actually seen any vision won’t end well. 4 Yisrael, your prophets have been like jackals in the wastelands. 5 You haven’t gone to the breaks in the walls around the Israeli cities and repaired them, in order to be able to defend yourselves well during the battle on Yahweh’s chosen day. 6 The people have false visions and make false predictions. Yahweh hasn’t sent those who say that they’re bringing Yahweh’s declaration, but nevertheless they’ve made people hope that their messages would come true. 7 Haven’t you had false visions and made false predictions—all of you who say that you’re bringing Yahweh’s declaration when I myself haven’t spoken?’

8 Therefore the master Yahweh says this, ‘Because you people have presented false visions and have told lies, this is the master Yahweh’s declaration against you: 9 I’ll punish the prophets who have lying visions and who make false predictions. They won’t be allowed in the assembly of my people, or enrolled in the record of Yisrael’s descendants. They mustn’t go to the land of Yisrael—that’s how you people will know that I am the master Yahweh.

10 Also because they led my people astray and said, “Peace,” when there’s no peace, it’s as if they’re building a wall and then whitewashing it.’[ref] 11 Tell the ones who are whitewashing the wall that it’ll fall down. There’ll be a downpour, then I’ll send hailstones to make it fall down, and a strong wind to break it down. 12 See, the wall will fall down. Haven’t others asked you where the white coating went that you put on it?

13 Therefore my master Yahweh says this: ‘In my rage, I’ll bring a storm, and in my anger, there’ll be heavy rain causing floods. In my rage, hailstones will completely destroy Yerushalem. 14 I’ll tear down the wall that you covered with whitewash, and I’ll demolish it to ground level and expose its foundations. So it’ll fall, and you’ll be annihilated in the middle of it all. Then you people will know that I am Yahweh.

15 In my rage I’ll annihilate the wall and those who whitewashed it. I’ll tell you, “The wall doesn’t exist anymore, nor do the people who whitewashed it—16 those Israeli prophets who prophesied about Yerushalem and had visions of peace for it. But there isn’t any peace! That’s the master Yahweh’s declaration.” ’

17 So, humanity’s child, turn your attention to your people’s daughters and prophesy against them because they invented prophecies in their own imaginations. 18 Tell them that the master Yahweh says this: ‘The women won’t end well who sew magic charms onto every part of their hands, and make headbands for people of every walk of life that are used to deceive people and hunt them down. Do you people really think you can get away with hunting down my people, but then save your own lives? 19 You’ve profaned me among my people for handfuls of barley and crumbs of bread. You people have killed people who shouldn’t have died, and saved the lives of those who shouldn’t have continued to live, because of your lies to my people who heard you.

20 Therefore my master Yahweh says this: ‘I’m against the magic charms that you’ve used to lure the people in as if they were birds. Indeed, I’ll tear them from your arms, and I’ll let the people you’ve trapped like birds go free. 21 I’ll tear away your headbands and rescue my people from your control so they’ll no longer be trapped in your system. Then you people will know that I am Yahweh.

22 Because you’ve discouraged the righteous people with lies (even though I didn’t desire their discouragement), and because you people encouraged the actions of the wicked people instead so they won’t change their ways to save their lives, 23 because of that, you’ll no longer have false visions or continue to make predictions, because I’ll rescue my people out of your control. Then you’ll know that I am Yahweh.’ ”