Ezekiel 13 - New English Translation (NET)

False Prophets Denounced

13 Then the Lord’s message came to me: ² “Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who are now prophesying. Say to the prophets who prophesy from their imagination:^[a] ‘Listen to the Lord’s message! ³ This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit but have seen nothing! ⁴ Your prophets have become like jackals among the ruins, O Israel. ⁵ You have not gone up in the breaks in the wall, nor repaired a wall for the house of Israel that it would stand strong in the battle on the day of the Lord. ⁶ They see delusion and their omens are a lie.^[b] They say, “The Lord declares,” though the Lord has not sent them;^[c] yet they expect their word to be confirmed.^{[d] 7} Have you not seen a false vision and announced a lying omen when you say, “The Lord declares,” although I myself never spoke?

⁸ “‘Therefore, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because you have spoken false words and forecast delusion, look,^[e] I am against you,^[f] declares the Sovereign Lord. ⁹ My hand will be against the prophets who see delusion and announce lying omens. They will not be included in the council^[g] of my people, nor be written in the registry^[h] of the house of Israel, nor enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Sovereign Lord.

¹⁰ “‘This is because they have led my people astray saying, “All is well,”^[i] when things are not well. When anyone builds a wall without mortar,^[j] they coat it with whitewash. ¹¹ Tell the ones who coat it with whitewash that it will fall. When there is a deluge of rain, hailstones^[k] will fall and a violent wind will break out.^{[l] 12} When the wall has collapsed, people will ask you, “Where is the whitewash you coated it with?”

¹³ “‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: In my rage I will make a violent wind break out. In my anger there will be a deluge of rain and hailstones in destructive fury. ¹⁴ I will break down the wall you coated with whitewash and knock it to the ground so that its foundation is exposed. When it falls you will be destroyed beneath it,^[m] and you will know that I am the Lord. ¹⁵ I will vent my rage against the wall and against those who coated it with whitewash. Then I will say to you, “The wall is no more and those who whitewashed it are no more— ¹⁶ those prophets of Israel who would prophesy about Jerusalem and would see visions of peace for it, when there was no peace,” declares the Sovereign Lord.’

¹⁷ “As for you, son of man, turn toward^[n] the daughters of your people who are prophesying from their imagination.^[o] Prophesy against them ¹⁸ and say ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to those who sew bands^[p] on all their wrists^[q] and make headbands^[r] for heads of every size to entrap people’s lives!^[s] Will you entrap my people’s lives, yet preserve your own lives? ¹⁹ You have profaned me among my people for handfuls of barley and scraps of bread. You have put to death people^[t] who should not die and kept alive those who should not live by your lies to my people, who listen to lies!

²⁰ “‘Therefore, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Take note^[u] that I am against your wristbands with which you entrap people’s lives^[v] like birds. I will tear them from your arms and will release the people’s lives, which you hunt like birds. ²¹ I will tear off your headbands and rescue my people from your power;^[w] they will no longer be prey in your hands. Then you will know that I am the Lord. ²² This is because you have disheartened the righteous person with lies (although I have not grieved him), and because you have encouraged the wicked person not to turn from his evil conduct and preserve his life. ²³ Therefore you will no longer see false visions and practice divination. I will rescue my people from your power, and you^[x] will know that I am the Lord.’”

Footnotes

1. Ezekiel 13:2 tn Heb “from their mind.” sn Who prophesy from their imagination. Note the testimony of Moses in Num 16:28, which contains a similar expression.
2. Ezekiel 13:6 sn The same description of a false prophet is found in Micah 2:11.
3. Ezekiel 13:6 sn The Lord has not sent them. A similar concept is found in Jer 14:14 and 23:21.
4. Ezekiel 13:6 tn Or “confirmed”; NIV has “to be fulfilled,” TEV “to come true.”
5. Ezekiel 13:8 tn The word הִנֵּה (hinneh) indicates becoming aware of something and has been translated here as a verb.
6. Ezekiel 13:8 tn Or “I challenge you.” The phrase “I am against you” may be a formula for challenging someone to combat or a duel. See D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 1:201-2, and P. Humbert, “Die Herausforderungsformel ‘hinnenî ’êlékâ’” ZAW 45 (1933): 101-8.
7. Ezekiel 13:9 tn The Hebrew term may refer to the secret council of the Lord (Jer 23:18; Job 15:8), but here it more likely refers to a human council comprised of civic leaders (Gen 49:6; Jer 6:11; 15:17; Pss 64:3; 111:1).
8. Ezekiel 13:9 tn The reference here is probably to a civil list (as in Ezra 2:16; Neh 7:64) rather than to a “book of life” (Exod 32:32; Isa 4:3; Ps 69:29; Dan 12:1). This registry may have been established at the making of David’s census (2 Sam 24:2, 9).
9. Ezekiel 13:10 tn Or “peace.”
10. Ezekiel 13:10 tn The Hebrew word only occurs here in the Bible. According to L. C. Allen (Ezekiel [WBC], 1:202-3), it is also used in the Mishnah of a wall of rough stones without mortar. This fits the context here, which compares the false prophetic messages to a nice coat of whitewash on a structurally unstable wall.
11. Ezekiel 13:11 tn Heb “and you, O hailstones.”
12. Ezekiel 13:11 sn A violent wind will break out. God’s judgments are frequently described in storm imagery (Pss 18:7-15; 77:17-18; 83:15; Isa 28:17; 30:30; Jer 23:19; 30:23).
13. Ezekiel 13:14 tn Or “within it,” referring to the city of Jerusalem.
14. Ezekiel 13:17 tn Heb “set your face against.”
15. Ezekiel 13:17 tn Heb “from their heart.”
16. Ezekiel 13:18 sn The wristbands mentioned here probably represented magic bands or charms. See D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 1:413.
17. Ezekiel 13:18 tn Heb “joints of the hands.” This may include the elbow and shoulder joints.
18. Ezekiel 13:18 tn The Hebrew term occurs in the Bible only here and in v. 21. It has also been understood as a veil or type of head covering. D. I. Block (Ezekiel [NICOT], 1:414) suggests that given the context of magical devices, the expected parallel to the magical arm bands, and the meaning of this Hebrew root (סָפַח [safakh, “to attach” or “join”]), it may refer to headbands or necklaces on which magical amulets were worn.
19. Ezekiel 13:18 tn Heb “human lives” or “souls” (three times in v. 18 and twice in v. 19).
20. Ezekiel 13:19 tn Heb “human lives” or “souls.”
21. Ezekiel 13:20 tn The word הִנֵּה (hinneh, traditionally “behold”) indicates becoming aware of something and has been translated here as a verb.
22. Ezekiel 13:20 tn Heb “human lives” or “souls.”
23. Ezekiel 13:21 tn Heb “from your hand(s).” This refers to their power over the people.
24. Ezekiel 13:23 tn The Hebrew verb is feminine plural, indicating that it is the false prophetesses who are addressed here.