False Prophets Condemned
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The word of the LORD came to me:
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1"Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel, who are prophesying, and say to those 2who prophesy from their own hearts: 'Hear the word of the LORD!'
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Thus says the Lord GOD, Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing!
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Your prophets have been like jackals among ruins, O Israel.
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3You have not gone up into the breaches, or built up a wall for the house of Israel, that it might stand in battle in the day of the LORD.
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4They have seen false visions and lying divinations. They say, 'Declares the LORD,'5when the LORD has not sent them, and yet they expect him to fulfill their word.
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Have you not seen a false vision and uttered a lying divination, 6whenever you have said, 'Declares the LORD,' although I have not spoken?"
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Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: "Because you have uttered falsehood and seen lying visions, therefore behold, 7I am against you, declares the Lord GOD.
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My hand will be against the prophets who see false visions and who give lying divinations. They shall not be in the council of my people, 8nor be enrolled in the register of the house of Israel, 9nor shall they enter the land of Israel. 10And you shall know that I am the Lord GOD.
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Precisely because they have misled my people, 11saying, 'Peace,' when there is no peace, and because, when the people build a wall, 12these prophets smear it with whitewash,a
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say to those who smear it with whitewash that it shall fall! 13There will be a deluge of rain, and you, O great hailstones, will fall, and a stormy wind break out.
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And when the wall falls, will it not be said to you, 'Where is the coating with which you smeared it?'
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Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: 14I will make a stormy wind break out in my wrath, 15and there shall be a deluge of rain in my anger, and great hailstones in wrath to make a full end.
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And I will break down the wall that you have smeared with whitewash, and bring it down to the ground, so that its foundation will be laid bare. When it falls, you shall perish in the midst of it, 16and you shall know that I am the LORD.
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Thus will I spend my wrath upon the wall and upon those who have smeared it with whitewash, and I will say to you, The wall is no more, nor those who smeared it,
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the prophets of Israel who prophesied concerning Jerusalem 17and saw visions of peace for her, when there was no peace, declares the Lord GOD.
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"And you, son of man, 18set your face against 19the daughters of your people, 20who prophesy out of their own minds. Prophesy against them
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and say, Thus says the Lord GOD: Woe to the women 21who sew magic bands upon all wrists, and 22make veils for the heads of persons of every stature, in 23the hunt for souls! Will you hunt down souls belonging to my people and keep your own souls alive?
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You have profaned me among my people 24for handfuls of barley 25and for pieces of bread, putting to death souls who should not die and keeping alive souls who should not live, by your lying to my people, who listen to lies.
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"Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, 26I am against 27your magic bands with which you hunt the souls like birds, and I will tear them from your arms, and I will let the souls whom you hunt go free, the souls like birds.
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Your veils also I will tear off and 28deliver my people out of your hand, and they shall be no more in your hand as prey, 29and you shall know that I am the LORD.
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30Because you have disheartened the righteous falsely, although I have not grieved him, and 31you have encouraged the wicked, that 32he should not turn from his evil way to save his life,
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33therefore you shall no more see false visions nor practice divination. I will deliver my people out of your hand. And you shall know that I am the LORD."
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.
(English Standard Version - The Holy Bible Online)