1The word of the LORD came to me:
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"This is what the Lord GOD says: Woe to the foolish prophets, who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing!"
4"Israel, your prophets are like foxes among the ruins."
5"You have not gone up into the gaps, or repaired the wall for the house of Israel, so that they could stand in the battle in the day of the LORD."
6"They have seen empty visions and lying fortune-telling. They say, 'The LORD says,' but the LORD has not sent them. Yet they made others hope that their word would come true."
7"Have you not seen an empty vision? Have you not spoken lying fortune-telling? You say, 'The LORD says it,' though I have not spoken."
8"So this is what the Lord GOD says: Because you have spoken empty words and seen lies, look, I am against you, says the Lord GOD."
9"My hand will be against the prophets who see empty visions and tell lying fortunes. They will not be in the council of my people. They will not be written in the register of the house of Israel. They will not enter the land of Israel. And you will know that I am the Lord GOD."
10"They have led my people astray, saying, 'Peace,' when there was no peace. One man builds a wall, and look, others cover it over with whitewash."
11"Say to those who cover it with whitewash that it will fall. There will be a flooding rain. You, great hailstones, will fall, and a stormy wind will tear it apart."
12"Look, when the wall has fallen, will it not be said to you, 'Where is the coating you covered it with?'"
13"So this is what the Lord GOD says: In my fury I will tear it apart with a stormy wind. In my anger there will be a flooding rain, and in my fury great hailstones to destroy it."
14"So I will break down the wall that you covered with whitewash. I will bring it down to the ground, so that its foundation is laid bare. It will fall, and you will be destroyed inside it. And you will know that I am the LORD."
15"So I will pour out my wrath on the wall, and on those who covered it with whitewash. I will say to you, 'The wall is gone, and so are those who covered it' -"
16"that is, the prophets of Israel who prophesy about Jerusalem, and who see visions of peace for her when there is no peace, says the Lord GOD."
17"And you, son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people, who prophesy out of their own heart. Prophesy against them,"
18"and say, This is what the Lord GOD says: Woe to the women who sew magic bands on all their wrists, and make veils for the heads of people of every size, to hunt souls! Will you hunt the souls of my people, and keep your own souls alive?"
19"You have dishonoured me among my people for handfuls of barley and pieces of bread. You kill souls that should not die, and keep souls alive that should not live, by your lying to my people who listen to lies."
20"So this is what the Lord GOD says: Look, I am against your magic bands, which you use to hunt souls as if they were birds. I will tear them from your arms, and I will let the souls go free, the souls you hunt as if they were birds."
21"I will also tear off your veils, and rescue my people out of your hand. They will no longer be in your hand to be hunted. And you will know that I am the LORD."
22"With lies you have made the heart of the righteous sad, when I had not made him sad. And you have strengthened the hands of the wicked, so that he would not turn from his wicked way, by promising him life."
23"So you will see no more empty visions, and tell no more fortunes. I will rescue my people out of your hand. And you will know that I am the LORD."