Condemnation of False Prophets

¹ And the word of Yahweh ⌞came⌟¹ to me, ⌞saying⌟,²

1. Literally “was”
2. Or “to say”

² “Son of man,¹ prophesy to² the prophets of Israel ⌞who are prophesying⌟,³ and you must say to those who are prophets out of their own ⌞imagination⌟,⁴ ‘Hear the word of Yahweh!’

1. Or “mortal,” or “son of humankind”
2. Or “against”
3. Literally “the ones prophesying”
4. Literally “heart”

³ Thus says the Lord Yahweh: ‘Alas, for the foolish prophets who are going after their own spirit, ⌞and they did not see anything⌟!¹

1. Literally “and not they saw”

⁴ Your prophets have been like foxes¹ among ruins.

1. Or “jackals”

⁵ You did not go up into¹ the breaches and repair a wall for the house of Israel to stand firm in the battle on the day of Yahweh.

1. Hebrew “in”

⁶ They saw falseness and ⌞a lying divination⌟,¹ the ones saying, ‘Declaration of Yahweh!’ and Yahweh did not send them, and they wait ⌞for the confirmation of their word⌟.²

1. Literally “a divination of a lie”
2. Literally “to confirm a word”

⁷ Have you not seen ⌞a false vision⌟¹ and spoken a ⌞lying divination⌟,² and you said, ‘Declaration of Yahweh!’ but ⌞I myself did not speak⌟.³

1. Literally “vision of falseness”
2. Literally “divination of a lie”
3. Literally “I not I spoke”

⁸ Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: ‘Because of your speaking falseness and because you envisioned a lie, therefore, look! I am against you!” ⌞declares⌟¹ the Lord Yahweh.

1. Literally “declaration of”

⁹ “And it will be my hand against the prophets who are seeing falseness and who are practicing lying divination. They will not be in the council of my people, and they will not be written down in the record book of the house of Israel, and into¹ the land of Israel they will not come, and then you will know that I am the Lord Yahweh.

1. Hebrew “in”

¹⁰ Because, yes, because they led my people astray, ⌞saying⌟¹ ‘Peace!’ And there is not peace. And when anyone² builds a flimsy wall, look, they coat it with whitewash.

1. Literally “to say”
2. Hebrew “he”

¹¹ Say to those covering it with whitewash that it will fall; there will be ⌞a torrent of rain⌟,¹ and I will give stones of hail; they will fall!² And a ⌞windstorm⌟³ will burst forth!

1. Literally “rain flooding”
2. Or “and I will give great hailstones. They will fall”
3. Literally “wind of a storm”; or “with respect/concerning you stones of hail, they will fall”

¹² And look! When the wall falls, will it not be said to you, ‘Where is the whitewash with which you covered it?’

¹³ Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: ‘And so I will let burst forth a ⌞windstorm⌟¹ in my rage, and ⌞there will be a torrent of rain⌟² in my anger, and hailstones in my rage ⌞for complete destruction⌟.³

1. Literally “a wind of storm”
2. Literally “rain flooding there will be”
3. Literally “to complete destruction”

¹⁴ And I will break down the wall that you covered with whitewash, and I will knock it to the ground, and its foundation will be revealed, and it will fall, and you will come to an end in the midst of it, and you will know that I am Yahweh!

¹⁵ And I will fully vent my rage against the wall and against those covering it with whitewash, and I will say to you, “⌞The wall is no more⌟,¹ and ⌞the people covering it are no more⌟,²

1. Literally “not is the wall”
2. Literally “not are the people whitewashing him”

¹⁶ that is, the prophets of Israel, the ones prophesying concerning Jerusalem and the ones seeing visions of peace, and there is not peace!’ ” ” ⌞declares⌟¹ the Lord Yahweh.

1. Literally “declaration of”

¹⁷ “And you, son of man,¹ place your face toward the daughters of your people who prophesy from their ⌞imagination⌟,² and prophesy against them!

1. Or “mortal,” or “son of humankind”
2. Literally “heart”

¹⁸ And you must say, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “Woe to ⌞those who sew⌟¹ magic charm bands on all the wrists² of the hands of my people and ⌞those who make the veils⌟³ that are on the head of people of every height, to ensnare people’s lives!⁴ Will you ensnare the lives⁵ of my people ⌞and keep yourselves alive⌟?⁶

1. Literally “the sewers of”
2. Or “joints”
3. Literally “the makers of the veils”
4. Or “souls”
5. Or “souls”
6. Literally “and lives/souls for you, you keep alive”

¹⁹ And you defiled me among my people for a handful of barley and for morsels of bread to kill persons who should not die and to keep alive persons who should not live by means of your lies to my people who are listening to your lies.” ’¹

1. Hebrew “lie”

²⁰ Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: ‘Look! I am against your magic charm bands ⌞with which you are ensnaring persons⌟¹ as birds; I will tear them from your arms, and I will release the persons that you are ensnaring, treating persons as birds.

1. Literally “which you are ensnaring with them the souls/individuals”

²¹ And I will tear off your veils, and I will deliver my people from your hand, and they will not any longer be in your hand as prey, and you will know that I am Yahweh.

²² Because you disheartened the heart of the righteous by deception, and I have not¹ caused him pain, and strengthened the hands of the wicked so that he did not turn² from his wicked way to save his life.

1. Or “did not”
2. Or “not to turn”

²³ Therefore falseness¹ you will not see,² and divination you will not practice³ any longer, and I will rescue my people from your hand, and you will know that I am Yahweh!’ ”

1. Or “vanity” or “vain/false visions”
2. Or “observe”
3. Or “you will indeed not practice divination”