The false prophets
1 The word of Yahweh came to me again,
2 “Son of man, pro phesy against the prophets of Israel, against those who prophesy on their own initiative. Say: Hear the word of Yahweh!
3 This is what Yahweh says: Woe to the sense less prophets who follow their own inspiration without having seen anything!
4 Your prophets, Israel, are like foxes among the ruins!
5 They have not gone up to the breaches nor have they built a wall around Israel so that she may hold out in battle on the day of Yahweh.
6 Their discourse is trickery and lies; they say: word of Yahweh when Yahweh has not sent them and yet they wait for him to fulfill their word.
7 Is it not a false vision you have seen? Have you not uttered lying divinations? You say: oracle of Yahweh when I have not spoken.
8 But this is what Yahweh says: Because of your false and lying revelations I will oppose you, word of Yah weh.
9 My hand will strike the pro phets whose revelations are delusions, whose predictions are lies. They will not be accepted among my people’s assembly nor will they be inscribed in the register of the nation of Israel. They will not reenter the land of Israel – and you will know that I am Yahweh.
10 These prophets have misled my people saying “Peace!” when there is no peace. The people are building a wall and these prophets daub it with whitewash;
11 but say to those who daub it with whitewash: The wall will fall. I will send torrential rain, huge hailstones and stormy winds, and see:
12 the wall will fall! Will they not say to you: Where is the whitewash with which you daubed it?”
13 That is why Yahweh speaks thus: In my fury I will make a violent wind break out and in my anger I will send a torrential downpour, and my wrath will hurl destructive hailstones.
14 I will destroy the wall you daubed with whitewash; I will level it to the ground and its foundation will be laid bare. It will fall and beneath it you will be utterly destroyed and you will know that I am Yahweh.
15 I will exhaust my anger against the wall and against those who daubed it with whitewash. Then they will say to you: Where is the wall and where are those who whitewashed it,
16 the prophets of Israel who prophesied to Jerusalem and who had visions of peace when there was no peace?”
17 Yahweh then said to me, “As for you, son of man, turn towards the women of your peo ple who prophesy on their own initiative, and prophesy against them.
18 You will say: Woe to those who make magic bands for all wrists and veils for every size of head – those women who ensnare souls!
19 For the Lord Yahweh says: You who ensnare the lives of my people, will you preserve your own? You have dishonored me among my people for handfuls of barley and pieces of bread. Because of you, people die who should not die, and people live who should not live. For my people listen to you and your lies.”
20 That is why Yahweh speaks, “I hate the wrist bands with which you ensnare souls like birds.
21 I will tear your veils and free my people from your hands. No more will they fall into your hands and you will know that I am Yahweh.
22 You have disheartened with lies the righ teous whom I would never dis heart en, and you have strengthened the wicked, that he might not turn away from his evil ways and so save his life.
23 Be cause of that I will no longer let you have false visions or practice divinations. I will free my people from your clutches and you will know that I am Yahweh.”
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Comments Ezekiel, Chapter 13
• 13.1 Truth and lies are spread in the world. In this, the prophets were no more privileged than we are, since all had opponents (see 1 K 22; Is 28).
Here, Ezekiel tells us the difference between the false and the true prophet. The true pro phet usually says something contrary to what the majority would like to hear (see also Jer 14:13); instead of keeping quiet about sin, he takes the risk of denouncing it (see Jer 23:14); he points out the causes of evil instead of proposing superficial solutions which only hide evil for a time; he is on top of the rampart, as a sentinel, seeing clearly the approach ing judgment of God, namely, the inevitable consequences of sins and errors. He defends his people from the anger of Yahweh (Ezk 22:30).
Ezekiel mentions the prophetesses and their practices whose precise mean ing escapes us; they caused the people to become preoccupied with dreams, superstitions and illusory re me dies, while remaining blind to crime and sin.