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False Prophets Condemned

¹ Then the word of the LORD came to me saying,² "Son of man, prophesy against the ^(C1)prophets of Israel who prophesy, and say to those who prophesy from their own ^(F1)inspiration, '^(C2)Listen to the word of the LORD!³ 'Thus says the Lord ^(F1)GOD, "Woe to the ^(C1)foolish prophets who are following their own spirit and have ^(C2)seen nothing.⁴ "O Israel, your prophets have been like foxes among ruins.⁵ "You have not ^(C1)gone up into the ^(C2)breaches, nor did you build the wall around the house of Israel to stand in the battle on the ^(C3)day of the LORD.⁶ "They see ^(F1)(C1)falsehood and lying divination who are saying, 'The LORD declares,' when the LORD has not sent them; ^(C2)yet they hope for the fulfillment of their word.⁷ "^(C1)Did you not see a false vision and speak a lying divination when you said, 'The LORD declares,' but it is not I who have spoken?"'"

⁸ Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD, "Because you have spoken ^(F1)falsehood and seen a lie, therefore behold, ^(C1)I am against you," declares the Lord GOD.⁹ "So My hand will be against the ^(C1)prophets who see false visions and utter lying divinations. They will ^(F1)have no place in the council of My people, ^(C2)nor will they be written down in the register of the house of Israel, nor will they enter the land of Israel, ^(F2)that you may know that I am the Lord GOD.¹⁰ "It is definitely because they have ^(C1)misled My people by saying, '^(C2)Peace!' when there is ^(C3)no peace. And when anyone builds a wall, behold, they plaster it over with whitewash;¹¹ so tell those who plaster it over with whitewash, that it will fall. A ^(C1)flooding rain will come, and you, O hailstones, will fall; and a violent wind will break out.¹² "Behold, when the wall has fallen, will you not be asked, 'Where is the plaster with which you plastered it?"'¹³ Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD, "I will make a violent wind break out in My wrath. There will also be in My anger a flooding rain and ^(C1)hailstones to consume it in wrath.¹⁴ "So I will tear down the wall which you plastered over with whitewash and bring it down to the ground, so that its ^(C1)foundation is laid bare; and when it falls, you will be ^(C2)consumed in its midst. And you will ^(C3)know that I am the LORD.¹⁵ "Thus I will spend My wrath on the wall and on those who have plastered it over with whitewash; and I will say to you, 'The wall ^(F1)is gone and its plasterers are gone,¹⁶ along with the prophets of Israel who prophesy to Jerusalem, and who ^(C1)see visions of peace for her when there is ^(C2)no peace,' declares the Lord GOD.

¹⁷ "Now you, son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people who are ^(C1)prophesying ^(C2)from their own ^(F1)inspiration. Prophesy against them¹⁸ and say, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Woe to the women who sew magic bands on ^(F1)all wrists and make veils for the heads of persons of every stature to ^(C1)hunt down ^(F2)lives! Will you hunt down the ^(F2)lives of My people, but preserve the ^(F2)lives of others for yourselves?¹⁹ "^(C1)For handfuls of barley and fragments of bread, you have profaned Me to My people to put to death ^(F1)some who should not die and to ^(C2)keep ^(F1)others alive who should not live, by your lying to My people who listen to lies."'"

²⁰ Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, I am against your magic bands by which you hunt ^(F1)lives there as ^(F2)birds and I will tear them from your arms; and I will let ^(F1)them go, even those ^(F1)lives whom you hunt as ^(F2)birds.²¹ "I will also tear off your veils and ^(C1)deliver My people from your hands, and they will no longer be in your hands to be hunted; and you will know that I am the LORD.²² "Because you ^(C1)disheartened the righteous with falsehood when I did not cause him grief, but have ^(F1)(C2)encouraged the wicked not to ^(C3)turn from his wicked way and preserve his life,²³ therefore, you women will no longer see ^(F1)(C1)false visions or practice divination, and I will ^(C2)deliver My people out of your hand. Thus you will ^(C3)know that I am the LORD."